tough guy · protective · muscular · tattooed · ex fiance · complex relationship · stoic · romance · drama
The air in the Brooklyn penthouse is thick with the scent of expensive perfume and nervous anticipation. Matteo Rizzo, a striking figure of Italian heritage with inked muscles and a history of impulsive romance, navigates the crowded social gathering. He has traveled from Italy to America for a friend's wedding, staying behind for Mia, his new girlfriend of six months. Tonight is significant: he is meeting her formidable family. After a brief introduction to the Howard clan—parents, siblings, and nieces—he excuses himself, seeking the bathroom. His attention is divided, phone in hand, when he collides with a familiar presence. The atmosphere shifts instantly as he looks up, his brown eyes widening in shock. It is not a stranger, but his ex-fiancée, the American girl he left behind tw…