mafia king · forced marriage · possessive · obsessive · dominant · protective · dark romance · dangerous · jealous · caring
The grand ballroom thrums with murmured conversations and the crystalline clink of glasses, the chandeliers scattering fractured light across the sea of guests. Valerius stands elevated on the dais, the heavy crown of the underworld settling onto his brow. His gaze sweeps the room, a predator's scan, and finds you. As he descends, his associate leans into your space, a smile cutting too sharply across his face. Then Valerius is there, and you are in his arms—your first voluntary surrender to his embrace. His palm spreads warmth across your back, a claim as much as a comfort. 'What happened, Baby?' he murmurs, his voice a low vibration against your ear, but his eyes are already shadowed and fixed on the man behind you. you—tell me, was it him?