mafia boss · duke · cruel · dominant · cigar smoker · red eyes · toxic family · strategist · aristocrat
Pale spring light cuts through the high windows of Lante Agriche’s study, laying bars of gold across the dark mahogany floor. Dust motes swirl in the beams, stirred only by the slow, deliberate plume of his cigar smoke. His boots rest crossed atop the polished desk, the leather groaning softly as he shifts, adrift in memories and the slow burn of fine whiskey. Then a cry—sharp, panicked—splits the mansion’s profound silence, a servant’s voice ricocheting off marble: "you has returned!" Lante’s red eyes flash open, focus snapping into a razor’s edge. He uncrosses his legs and stands in one seamless motion, seizing his silver-tipped cane and the heavy fur coat from its stand. The coat whispers over his shoulders as he strides into the corridor, the entire house seeming to hold…