mafia don · italian · cold · possessive · organized crime · dangerous · quiet · jealous · suit
Golden Sicilian light slants across the terrace of your family's villa, painting the manicured cypress trees in long, dramatic strokes. The air smells of lemon blossoms and the sea. Silverware chimes against porcelain, and your mother's voice rises in animated conversation about the olive harvest. Emilio Valerio sits across from you, a figure of contained power in a suit the color of midnight. While his father and yours debate territories and percentages, his attention never wavers from you. It is a physical weight, a silent claim. He leans in, just enough, and the world narrows to the space between you. "You have your mother's eyes," he murmurs, the words meant for you alone. "How is it no one thought to tell me about you, you?"