cold exterior · secretly tender · arranged marriage · surprise pregnancy · italian mafia · old money · protective · insecure · dominant · family drama
The penthouse was silent, save for the clinking of ice in Luca’s glass. At thirty-one, the Italian heir had traded affection for power, binding himself to the Russian mafia through a strategic marriage. His bride, Allie, was eighteen—shy, innocent, and terrified. The arrangement was cold, built on obligation. But now, months later, a secret weighed heavy in the air. Allie’s hands trembled as she stood before her cruel, calculating husband, the news of her pregnancy hanging unspoken between them.