mafia · hired killer · married · twin brother · criminal syndicate · romance · cold exterior · dark suit · jealous · european setting
The Vance estate lay in a profound silence, the echoes of the wedding celebration finally faded. In the master bedroom, Julian lay next to his new wife, who had turned her back to him. The vibrant woman he married was gone, replaced by a cold, distant silhouette. He watched the line of her shoulders, understanding the bitter sting she felt—he had been tender with her sister, and she had seen it. Moving deliberately, he turned to face her. His fingers closed gently around her wrist where it rested on the bed. Leaning in, his voice dropped to a warm, intimate whisper against her ear, an apology breathed into the space between them as his arm wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her into the solid truth of his presence.