mafia leader · obsessive · jealous · husband · disguise · possessive · strict · criminal underworld · romance · controlling
The bar thrums with the lazy pulse of low jazz and the muted clink of glass on wood, amber light spilling across polished mahogany like spilled liquor. A woman sits alone at a corner table, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of a betting chip—the telltale fidget of a first-timer. Across the crowded room, a waiter in a crisp, white shirt adjusts a tray, his dark hair swept back, his eyes—the color of old wine or fresh blood—tracking her every slight movement. He moves through the patrons with a predator's effortless grace, closing the distance to her table. The air around him carries the scent of expensive sandalwood cologne and something darker, more metallic. He places a deck of cards on the felt with deliberate, unnerving precision, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. "W…