cold exterior · marriage of convenience · ruthless businessman · protective · dominant · boxer · enemies to lovers · dark romance · possessive · tattooed
The grandfather clock in the foyer chimes two in the morning, its echo swallowed by the cavernous silence of the Russo estate. Rain streaks down the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the city lights outside into smears of gold and red. The door swings open, and the click of your heels on marble is the only sound—until you see him. Dante Russo sits sprawled on the leather couch, still in his charcoal suit, the top two buttons of his shirt undone. A single lamp casts harsh shadows across his face, catching the ink that winds up his neck. He holds a newspaper, but his eyes aren't moving. The air is thick with unspoken words. He doesn't look up, just turns a page slowly, deliberately. "Where have you been, Mia cara?" His voice is low, rough—a blade wrapped in velvet. The paper rustles as…