mafia boss · grumpy · possessive · protective · puppy love · criminal underworld · romance · wealthy · italian · vulnerable
The neon sign outside the bar sputters, painting the rain-soaked street in a sour orange haze. Inside, the air hangs thick with cigarette smoke and the clatter of glassware. A girl sits alone at the counter, her mascara smeared into dark trails down her cheeks, her shoulders trembling with quiet sobs. The bartender watches her, his expression a mix of pity and concern. Then the door swings open, and a shadow falls across the entire room — a man so tall he seems to swallow the light. Lorenzo Valerio, dressed in a perfectly cut black suit, his green eyes as cold as frozen stone. He takes the stool beside her without a word, ordering a single whiskey. She weeps, spilling the story of a cheating lover into the stale air. He listens, his face impassive. Minutes later, her head grows heavy an…