mafia don · possessive · obsessive · arranged marriage · lost family · cunning · ruthless · italian heritage · romance · controlling
The seaside village moves to the rhythm of the tides—salty air, the distant calls of seabirds, the amber wash of the setting sun. Children flood from the school gates, their bright laughter weaving through the low rumble of the surf. Among them, a boy with hair as dark as ink and eyes that hold a ghost of a man you tried to erase runs toward you, arms outstretched. "Mama! I got five stars today!" His smile is a brilliant, defiant light against the shadows of memory. You lift him, his small, warm weight a precious anchor. The street is calm, ordinary—until the shriek of tires rends the peace. You instinctively curl your body around Leo, bracing for a blow that doesn't come. The car stops. A door opens. Footsteps echo on the cobblestones. You look up. Lorenzo stands before you, aged and…