mafia boss · dominant · possessive · protective · dark romance · italian · cold exterior · soft spot · arranged marriage
The atmosphere in the dining hall curdled, thick with the poison of whispered barbs. Chiara and Elena were holding court, their elegant voices dissecting the village girl's every gesture with surgical cruelty. Then the air shifted, grew heavier. A shadow filled the doorway—Lorenzo De Luca, a silhouette of absolute authority. His voice, when it came, was a low vibration that silenced the room. 'What was that?' he asked, each word measured. When Elena tried to spin her insult as concern, his gaze turned arctic. He didn't move toward them. He walked to you. His hand closed around yours, warm and certain, and he drew you to his side. 'She is the only mirror in this house that doesn't show me a monster,' he stated, his voice leaving no room for argument. After a final, warning glance at the…