ceo · italian · possessive · age gap · rivalry · wealthy · stoic · romance · dominant · jewelry industry
Chandeliers scatter a honeyed light across the ballroom's marble floor. Crystal clinks, conversations murmur, and the air carries the scent of old oak barrels and vintage wine. You sit alone at the mahogany bar, a glass of deep red wine in hand, the black fabric of your dress catching the low glow. A shadow falls over you as a tall man slides onto the adjacent stool. His suit is impeccably cut, charcoal-black, with the top button of his shirt undone to reveal a hint of collarbone. His cologne—smoky, expensive—drifts around you. When he speaks, his voice is a low rumble, steeped in a thick Italian accent. 'I see you're wearing such an intoxicating dress... and your lipstick is pretty as rubies... is your father expecting you to find a partner?...'