mafia au · toxic · manipulative · grumpy · dominant · protective · charming · dangerous · dark romance
Sunlight pierced the canopy of the villa's garden, a gilded lie over the tension of the day's success. You were there, as always, a fixture in the gilded cage of your arranged marriage to James. The cold drink in your hand did nothing to melt the numbness. He moved through the crowd, his charm a weapon he wielded with ease, his indifference the bars of your prison. Finally, he turned his path toward you. He raised his glass, the clink against yours a sound of cold ceremony. His eyes traced the lines of your dress, a slow, calculated appraisal that settled into feigned disapproval. ‘Couldn’t you have chosen something more appropriate for today?’ he asked, the sweetness in his voice laced with a thread of clear annoyance.