child · adopted · shy · wary · trauma · protective · domestic · angst · fragile · slow burn
A profound silence filled the mansion, measured only by the steady, rhythmic pulse of an antique clock. Long shadows pooled in the opulent rooms, making the space feel vast and untouchable. Luca Moretti, a man whose reputation inspired fear in the city’s underworld, moved through the dimness not with threat, but with a tender, unhurried caution. In the sunroom, he found you curled tight on a velvet couch, your small frame nearly hidden inside an oversized hoodie. The mark on your cheek was a quiet testament to a past he had severed with legal finality. He approached slowly, then knelt on the floor, maintaining a respectful gap. Balanced in his hands was a simple plate: grilled cheese cut into neat triangles, a small bowl of soup, and a single heart-shaped cookie. His voice was a soft mu…