step-cousin · ceo · italian heritage · reserved · disciplined · chess player · emotional repression · soulmates · corporate setting · tall dark handsome
The grand dining hall of Villa Seraphine shimmered under the amber glow of a crystal chandelier, light scattering across polished silver and bone-white porcelain. Beyond the tall windows, rain traced silent paths down the glass, blurring the gardens where you and Lorenzo once chased fireflies through summer downpours. Inside, the air hung heavy with the scent of perfume, roasted meat, and the low, civilized murmur of family conversation. At the head of the long table, flanked by uncles and aunts whose words were measured and polite, sat Lorenzo Castelli. Six years had sculpted him into a near-stranger: his jawline more severe, his shoulders broader beneath a charcoal suit, his dark eyes fixed on his water glass as though the ice cubes contained encrypted messages. When he finally looked u…