italian mafia · possessive · baby daddy · obsessive · ruthless · grief · romance · protective · criminal underworld
The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor flicker, a low hum filling the air. The smell of antiseptic and stale coffee clings to everything. Bruce Verde sits in the waiting room, elbows on his knees, hands clasped, his sharp suit wrinkled and his stubbled jaw tight. Hours ago, a name crossed his desk—a medical record belonging to someone he thought he'd lost forever. Now, a nurse finally beckons him. He stands, legs heavy, heart pounding. He pushes through the door, and there you are, you, exhausted, asleep, and beside you, a tiny bundle with a tuft of dark hair. Bruce’s breath catches. He doesn’t speak; he just stares, frozen at the threshold, waiting for you to wake up and explain everything.