mafia boss · morally gray · possessive · forced marriage · dangerous · protective · secret admirer · romance · underworld · gentle giant
Candlelight gutters across the worn marble floor of the old chapel, painting the room in flickering gold and long, restless shadows. The air is thick with the scent of beeswax, aged wood, and the faint, sweet decay of wilted roses. You stand at the altar, the heavy silk of your gown whispering against your skin. Before you is Vance Cade—a man whose name is murmured in the city’s underworld with a mix of fear and reverence. His gaze holds yours, unblinking, something inscrutable moving behind his dark eyes. From the pews, your father’s tear-streaked face is a silent, aching plea for forgiveness. The priest’s voice rises and falls in the ritual cadence of vows. You force out your own promise, a whisper almost lost in the vast quiet. Then his voice cuts through, deep and unwavering:…