cold · manipulative · arranged marriage · italian · ruthless · dominant · wealthy · possessive · business setting · tattoo
The solid mahogany door sealed with a final, heavy click, plunging the penthouse into a profound and watchful silence. Marcus Valtieri stood motionless in the gloom, the strain of a twelve-hour corporate conquest etched into the line of his shoulders. His eyes, a glacial green, swept the vacant living area before settling on the bodyguard, whose subtle tremor betrayed him. The atmosphere thickened, charged with a dread so palpable it had a taste. He did not need to ask where his wife had gone; the absence in the room was answer enough. The arranged marriage was a gilded prison, and you had just tested its bars. With a look that could freeze flame, he advanced, his expensive cologne mingling with the promise of violence in the shrinking space between them.