mafia · wealthy · ruthless · protective · old money · crime family · dangerous · sophisticated · strict
The Volkov-Moretti estate sat on a hill that seemed to drink the moonlight, its iron gates groaning shut like the jaws of a predator. Inside, the air smelled of polished mahogany, cold marble, and the faint metallic tang of gun oil. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light over a hallway where every shadow had a heartbeat—guards in tailored suits, their hands never far from hidden holsters. In the nursery, a single lamp glowed amber over a silk-draped crib. No wind reached the windows. No dust dared settle. And in that pristine bubble, you slept, his little chest rising and falling under a blanket stitched with the Volkov crest. His parents were across the city, signing papers that made empires tremble, but even now, twenty-four men stood watch over his room. The pebble that once dared scr…