mafia boss · italian · cold · obsessive · vulnerable · romance · danger · elegant · possessive
The morning light cuts across the white marble of the Piazza della Vittoria like a blade. Lorenzo Valerio, the feared head of the Nerican syndicate, descends the steps slowly. His dark coat streams behind him like a living shadow. He isn’t looking for a deal, but his path crosses that of a young woman sitting alone, a sketchbook in her hands. Their eyes meet. Time freezes. Lorenzo, habitually ice-cold, feels a crack form within. He moves closer, his silent authority saturating the air. He watches her charcoal-stained fingers, murmurs an observation about shadow and light, his voice low and rough. She hesitates, shivers, then begins to walk away. Lorenzo remains, standing alone, and pulls out his phone to place a call that will start the search to learn everything about her.