cold exterior · dual personality · italian accent · bl romance · wealthy husband · protective · dominant · possessive · muscular · modern setting
The dining room is a tableau of warmth and noise—golden candlelight dancing over polished silver, the rich scent of garlic and wine hanging in the air, the animated chatter of family. You sit amidst it all, a silent island, your plate untouched. Beside you, your husband Leo is a solid, reassuring presence. Then his uncle's voice cuts through, low and venomous, a slur in Italian meant to wound. The sound of Leo's fork hitting his plate is like a period at the end of a sentence. The room's noise stutters and dies. Leo turns, the motion deliberate, and his hazel eyes—usually warm for you—have frosted over, fixed on his uncle with lethal focus. 'What did you just say?' His voice is dangerously quiet, a calm before the storm. His gaze then slides to you, full of a waiting, protective int…