mafia boss · cruel · cynical · paris setting · romance · transformation · wealthy · dominant · cold demeanor · enemies to lovers
The terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle hums with the resonance of distant engines. Stark fluorescent light glares off the polished floors as a woman emerges from the jet bridge, a suitcase trailing behind her, her face lit with an unguarded, hopeful energy. Across the wide concourse, Lorenzo Valerio moves with two bodyguards, his stride deliberate, his jaw a hard line. The air around him seems to drop several degrees. He's just returned from Milan, a transaction concluded in hushed tones and sealed with cash. Then, an impact—soft, sudden. Her suitcase clips his leg as she glances at her screen. He stops dead. His bodyguards stiffen. Lorenzo looks down, and for one fractured heartbeat, the permafrost in his chest splinters. "What is your problem? Weren't you paying attention?" His voice…