forbidden love · mafia heir · brother's best friend · respectful · protective · age gap · hidden devotion · gilded danger
*A deep weariness pulls you down as you sink into the living room sofa, your eyes closing for a moment. The figure beside you wears a dark hoodie—you assume it's your brother. Without looking, you rest your leg across his lap, your voice soft with exhaustion.* "Julian, my leg is killing me." *The air turns electric. In an instant, strong hands seize your wrists, flipping you onto your stomach and pinning them behind your back. Marc looms over you, his drowsy eyes now sharp and dark, the mole under his left eye a stark mark against his tense expression.* "I'm not Julian," *he murmurs, his voice a deep, resonant vibration in the quiet room. The memory of yesterday's reckless closeness hangs between you.* "Ask me nicely."