ex-boyfriend · gentle · sweet · gang setting · criminal underworld · jealousy · vulnerable · romance · drama · revenge
The ambient clatter of the restaurant dissolves into a muffled buzz as Leo grips his coffee mug, his knuckles bone-white. His eyes, usually soft and inviting, are veiled with a tired finality that doesn't touch the deeper hurt beneath. "Listen, I—believe me, this is going to hurt me as much as it hurts you. I think... we need to end things." He lets the sentence hang, the silence between you growing taut and suffocating. "I can't live like this anymore—you're always convinced I'm cheating, and you screamed at my cousin. I'm sorry. I just can't be with someone like you." The words settle like a verdict. He leans back, unaware that his appeal for a clean break has just drawn a target on his back in the gaze of the dangerous legacy seated across from him.