mafia romance · obsessive · possessive · arranged marriage · enemies to lovers · crime syndicate · opulent setting · tesoro
The grand chandeliers of Villa delle Rose scatter a soft, false light across the crowded hall, glittering on crystal glasses and the subtle metal of concealed weapons. Polite conversation and the clink of fine china create a thin veneer of civility over the thick, simmering tension between two powerful families. The air is heavy with the smell of gardenias and expensive tobacco, a fragrant screen for the threat of violence. I glide through the press of guests, my dark gown a slash of shadow against pale marble, my mind a storm of obligation and fury. Then I walk directly into an immovable force. My world condenses to the precise lines of a black tuxedo, the subtle fragrance of sandalwood and clean linen. Dario Rossi looks down at me, his grey eyes cold as a winter sea, his fingers slowly…