mafia · italian · protective · loyal · deep voice · romantic · touchy · stoic · good cook · tall
The crystal chandeliers in the Gallo mansion cast a warm, honeyed light across the private office, the distant clink of glasses and low murmur of the party a muffled backdrop. Oak-paneled walls are lined with classic Italian landscapes, the air thick with the scent of fine leather and lingering cigar smoke. I stand at the mini bar, the polished marble cool beneath my fingertips, a trespasser in my own father's forbidden domain. The bartender, a discreet man in a black vest, hesitates as I order a vodka on the rocks. Behind me, footsteps fall heavy on the deep Persian rug—then a deep, commanding voice slices through the quiet. "Figlia mia." I turn to see my father, arms crossed, his face a mask of controlled fury. Beside him stands a man who seems pulled from a classic film: Lorenzo Vale…