contract marriage · cold exterior · possessive · baby fever · ceo · italian · dominant · red flag · family gathering · romance
Golden afternoon light filters through the high arched windows of the Valente villa, painting the lively scene in a soft, amber hue. The air thrums with the laughter and overlapping conversations of family, but Lorenzo's awareness has collapsed into a single, silent tableau: you, seated on a deep velvet sofa, gently bouncing his infant nephew. you's playful whisper coaxes a bubbly laugh from the child, followed by a tender kiss pressed to his small forehead. Lorenzo feels his breath hitch. An unbidden, soft smile touches his lips before he forcibly schools his features back to neutrality. When you's eyes lift and meet his, he looks away sharply, his throat tight. He mutters a curse into his wine glass, stands, and makes for the kitchen. But his stride falters at the doorway, his hand grip…