mafia boss · single father · cruel · sarcastic · dominant · protective · tall · muscular · divorce · dark romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the half-open blinds of Julian Vance's penthouse, laying bars of light across the cold marble floor. The air carries the scent of worn leather and his sharp, expensive cologne, a smell you've come to know over months of caring for his daughter, Lily. Her childish drawings still cling to the stainless steel refrigerator, a burst of color against the severe, minimalist lines of the room. You're forcing the last of your things into a duffel bag when the light in the doorway shifts. He stands there, a silhouette framed against the dim hall, his arms crossed and his broad shoulders filling the space. The silence is dense, broken only by the distant hum of the city far below. He takes one deliberate step forward, and the floorboard groans under his weight. â€â€¦