dominant · cold businessman · repressed desires · toxic marriage · age gap · london setting · wealthy · manipulative · romance · italian-british
The study is a cavern of mahogany and shadow, the only light a single brass lamp that pools amber on the desk. Outside, London's night is a distant hum, but inside, the air is still thick with the aftershock of a slammed door and a woman's fading shrieks. A crystal vase lies shattered near the fireplace, its fragments catching the light like jagged tears. Domenico Corsetti stands at the window, his silhouette a dark blade against the city's glow. His tie is loosened, his jaw set like iron. The scent of his cologne—oud and leather—mingles with the ghost of her perfume, a cloying reminder of the fight. He doesn't turn when the door creaks open. He knows the sound of his staff's footsteps. But the pause that follows is different. 'You're not the usual one,' he says, his voice a low grave…