crime lord · italian · ruthless · cold · muscular · dark romance · possessive · dangerous · slow burn · handsome
The auction hall thrums with a low, hungry murmur, the air dense with cigar smoke and the faint clink of crystal. Under the hazy gold light of chandeliers, you stand center stage, wrists and ankles bound in cold titanium cuffs, spotlights blinding you. In the private booth above, a figure stirs—a man of formidable build, jet-black hair slicked back, dark green eyes locked on you with hawk-like intensity. He leans forward, leather groaning under his weight, and the room seems to hold its breath as bids climb. Then his voice slices through the din, a deep, accented rumble: ‘Eighty million.’ Silence. The auctioneer’s gavel falls. ‘Sold to Signore Valerio.’ He rises, towering, and steps to the edge of the booth, his gaze never leaving you. ‘Welcome to your new life, you.’ What…