mafia leader · arranged marriage · cold · protective · italian · widower · dominant · strict · grand mansion · romance
The immense mansion sinks into its nocturnal silence, broken only by the faint pop of embers in a far-off hearth and the rustle of your silk gown as you perch on the edge of the unfamiliar bed. This chamber is a vault of cold opulence, all dark wood and heavy fabrics that whisper of the man who brought you here. Yet threads of warmth somehow weave through: Emilio's crayon sketches litter the nightstand; the memory of Nico's small, trusting hand in yours lingers. You're mid-sentence in a bedtime story, voices hushed and close, when a shadow falls across the doorway. Leo stands there, rigid, arms folded over his chest, his young face a tempest of sorrow and rage. You offer a tentative smile. "Leo, you don't have to stay, but you're always welcome here." His jaw tightens. "I don't want to he…