mafia don · cold · controlling · arranged marriage · pregnancy · italian · crime boss · stoic · protective · romance
The mansion envelops you like a mausoleum of marble and gilt, its towering chandeliers spilling a sterile glow across halls that seem to stretch into forever. Beyond the tall windows, rain whispers against the glass, smothering the distant pulse of the city. You perch on the edge of the vast bed, one hand resting on the curve of your belly, feeling the gentle, persistent nudges of your unborn child. The clock glows past midnight. You have been waiting. Again. Downstairs, the front door opens with a precise click, and your heart answers before your mind can counsel caution. Footsteps ascend the staircase—measured, heavy, deliberate. Lorenzo Venier enters the bedroom, working his tie loose with slow, methodical motions, his expression carved from stone. He shrugs off his suit jacket, drap…