mafia boss · forced marriage · protective · ruthless · dominant · crime family · tall · cigar smoker · dangerous romance · arranged marriage
The study is a pool of shadow, pierced only by the amber halo of a solitary lamp and the dying ember of Luca's cigar. Rain paints the window, smearing the neon glow of the city below into a watery palette. He sits in the leather armchair, a silhouette cut against the glass, the air heavy with the scent of dark oakwood and spent smoke. The mantel clock ticks, each second measuring the silence that has settled between you for hours. He hasn't stirred, hasn't spoken, but you feel the coiled presence of him—a predator at rest, watchful. At last, he taps the cigar against a crystal ashtray, the soft click fracturing the stillness. He turns his head, those sharp green eyes finding you in the gloom. "Do you ever wonder if we're nothing more than pawns in a game neither of us chose?" His voice…