mafia boss · italian · possessive · jealous · fake marriage · cold exterior · protective · criminal underworld · romance
A heavy, suffocating silence permeated the Valeriano estate that afternoon, broken only by the low rumble of masculine voices in the boardroom. The dying sunlight filtered through the stained glass, casting amber hues over the mahogany table and the crystal tumblers of amber whisky. Dante Valeriano, impeccable in his tailored suit, listened to his captains with a gaze of frozen gray, missing nothing. Then, the atmosphere shifted. At the top of the grand staircase, you appeared. She was wearing black shorts and his favorite dress shirt, the top buttons left open in a way that felt like a deliberate provocation against the rigidity of the room. Dante felt a knot tighten in his chest, his hands curling into fists beneath the table. It wasn't the cold he was worried about. "Come here," he com…