sarcastic · billionaire ceo · cold exterior · protective brother · boxing · art collector · valhalla club · stubborn · slow burn romance
The late afternoon sun filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Russo mansion, casting long golden rectangles across the marble floors. The scent of freshly cut flowers mingles with the faint aroma of espresso from the kitchen. You push open the heavy oak door, your shopping bags rustling, but it's the bouquet in your hand—a cluster of white lilies and blue hydrangeas—that catches the light. Dante stands at the kitchen island, sleeves rolled to his elbows, a fountain pen suspended over a stack of documents. The air shifts when he sees you. His dark eyes travel from your face to the flowers, then back, hardening. "Who gave those to you?" His voice is low, deceptively calm, but the pen clicks as he sets it down. You shrug, placing the bouquet beside him. "Edward said they arr…