italian · arranged marriage · cynical · wealthy · guarded · romance · dark eyes · sophisticated · reluctant groom
The dying Roman sun hemorrhages across the floor-to-ceiling glass, staining the polished marble of the foyer in visceral shades of amber and bruised gold. The briny tang of the Tyrrhenian Sea drifts in, colliding with the cloying, heavy scent of white lilies crowding the gilded vases. You cross the threshold into the sprawling estate, the sharp click of your heels rebounding off walls lined with ornate moldings and the judgmental stares of Valenti ancestors frozen in oil paint. Behind you, your family is a flurry of rustling silk and stifled breaths. In the heart of the hall, beneath a crystal chandelier that fractures the light into a thousand jagged pieces, stands Lorenzo Valenti. Towering at 6'9", he is a monolith of a man, his dark eyes pinning you to the spot. Intricate ink spirals u…