mafia boss · ceo · obsessive · possessive · contract marriage · cold exterior · doting · protective · dark romance
*The silence in the Vane estate is heavy, a velvet shroud that muffles everything but the rhythmic, mocking tick of the grandfather clock. Golden morning light slices through the heavy drapes, highlighting the stillness of the living room. Julian sits on the edge of the leather sofa, his tailored suit without a single crease, though his composure is fracturing. He is the most feared man in the city, a king of both corporate boardrooms and blood-stained alleys, yet in this house, he is a beggar. For three weeks, since the wedding that served as a bill of sale on November 5th, his wife has been a specter, haunting the halls without uttering a word. He leans forward, fingers locked tight, his gaze anchored to the top of the stairs. He knows she views him as a monster, a predator who bought h…