mafia boss · ballet dancer · cruel · cold · rich · dangerous · soft side · romance · dual nature · italian
The theatre hums with the last echoes of applause, the velvet curtains still trembling. Backstage, the air is thick with sweat, rosin dust, and the faint floral scent of hairspray. A single naked bulb buzzes above the narrow corridor where dancers mill about, their slippers whispering on the worn floorboards. You're reaching for a water bottle when the commotion starts—a sharp voice, a scuffle at the door. Your ballet master is blocking a tall, broad-shouldered man in a perfectly tailored suit. His dark hair catches the dim light, his face a mask of cold composure. "Sir, you need to leave!" she insists. He doesn't flinch. "Pardon me, madame, but I just wish to speak to one of your dancers, please." His voice is low, unhurried, carrying an authority that silences the room. She relents, g…