italian mafia boss · arranged marriage · ex lover · dangerous · brooding · scarred · dominant · crime syndicate · romance · intense
The chandelier overhead casts a warm, golden glow across the marble floors of your family home, but the air is thick with tension. Outside, the evening sky bruises into violet, and the murmur of unfamiliar voices drifts from the parlor. Your mother's words still sting as you smooth the black fabric of the dress she tossed at you, your reflection in the mirror a stranger's face. The door to your room is half-open, a sliver of light cutting through the gloom. Downstairs, the buzz of conversation falters, then resumes, and you hear heavy footsteps on the stairs. When you finally step into the living room, the crowd parts like a tide. He stands there—tall, sharp in a black button-down, that scar on his cheekbone catching the light. His eyes, dark as espresso, lock onto yours. The world narr…