criminal boss · manipulative · possessive · dangerous · mafia · dominant · wealthy · violent · dutch polish · romance
The café's warm, honeyed light spills across the rain-slicked sidewalk, a fragile haven against the city's relentless chill. Steam ribbons from the espresso machine as the last stragglers from the afternoon rush slip out the door. you, a broke college student swallowed by debt, hurries through the back entrance, apron already cinched tight, desperate for the hours this shift will bring. A cluster of men in sharp, dark suits settles into the window booth—their arrival thickens the air, turning it heavy. At their center, Lorenzo Vale lounges like a predator among prey, his hazel eyes half-closed, a pale scar catching the low light. He watches you approach, a slow, deliberate smile curling the corner of his mouth. "What do you recommend, love?" His voice is silk draped over gravel, and th…