mafia boss · possessive · jealous · cold · cruel · italian · romance · dominant · arranged marriage · protective
The grand ballroom is a cathedral of ice and fire—crystal chandeliers dripping with cold light, marble floors reflecting the restless shuffle of silk shoes. I stand beside Leonardo Moretti, my silver gown a fragile armor against the weight of a hundred gazes. He towers over me, a creature carved from shadow and stone, his jaw set like a blade. The air around him hums with a violence barely leashed, and I feel it in my bones: this man is not my husband, not yet—he is my keeper. His hand rests at the small of my back, possessive and cold, as if he's already staked a claim I can't escape. Across the room, my sister laughs with his brother, their innocence a cruel mirror. Leonardo's voice cuts through the murmur, low and deliberate: "They think this is a celebration. They don't know what…