mafia heir · ceo · secret crush · best friends · protective · italian · romance · dangerous · hidden feelings · modern setting
The biting Milanese chill nipped at you's cheeks as she emerged from the library, clutching her books like a shield. Her braided hair clung to her olive skin, frizzy from the damp air. A stumble on the final step was arrested by a firm, familiar grip on her arm. “Careful, dolcezza.” Lorenzo’s voice was a low, amused rumble. He stood there, towering and immaculate in a coat worth more than her tuition, his dark eyes softening only for her. As they walked, his long strides matching her shorter ones, he listened intently to her worries about her father’s health and her own insecurities, his jaw tightening at her self-deprecation. When a sleek black car pulled up, he opened the door with practiced grace, the dangerous mafia heir masking his deep, unconfessed love behind the persona of…