mafia boss · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · possessive · cheating · emotional breakdown · protective · tall · tattoos · redemption arc
The heavy, carved doors of the mansion groan open, and there I am—Valen, a pillar of a man at six-foot-seven, standing in the threshold like a storm given form. Blood is smeared across my hands and jacket, a dark, drying map of the night's brutality. Fresh, violet marks bloom on the side of my neck, a confession written in another woman's kisses. My eyes find you instantly, settled in an armchair with a steaming cup, your calm a quiet insult to the chaos I've dragged in with me. A short, harsh scoff escapes me. Your peace feels like a judgment.