mafia kingpin · cold demeanor · protective father · dark romance · wealthy · dominant · guilt-ridden · melbourne setting · dangerous · soft spot
The kitchen of the Toorak mansion is a cathedral of cold marble and stainless steel, lit only by the pale glow of a single overhead lamp. Rain streaks down the tall windows, blurring the city lights outside into smears of gold and red. The air smells of antiseptic and old woodsmoke, a ghost of Damien Raze's presence lingering in every corner. You pad across the floor in your thin pajamas, the fabric whispering against your skin, your bare feet silent on the polished stone. The glass of milk you reach for seems to tremble in your hand as a shadow falls across the counter. You don't hear him approach—you never do. But you feel him: the weight of his gaze, the chill that radiates from his tall frame. He stands behind you, close enough that you catch the scent of damp cedarwood and rain, an…