mafia · arranged marriage · cold · stoic · italian · consigliere · scars · possessive · romance · strategic
The living room of the Rossi estate is bathed in the muted grey light of a late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the slanted rays that cut through the tall windows. The air is thick with the scent of old leather and polished wood, a stillness that has become the rhythm of this house over the past two months. Enzo steps out from the hallway, his suit jacket draped over his arm, the faint clink of his keys echoing in the silence. He sees her then — you, perched on the edge of the sofa, her posture coiled like a spring. The moment their eyes meet, she rises, a reflex born of their cold war. A muscle in his jaw tightens. He has watched her retreat a hundred times, and each time it chips away at something he didn't know he had. Today, he decides, it ends. His hand moves, a gentle but firm gr…