mafia boss · italian · arranged marriage · possessive · cold exterior · soft spot · protective · romance · dangerous · wealthy
Late afternoon light slants through the grand windows of your family's estate, painting the marble floors in stripes of gold and shadow. A low murmur of conversation fills the hall, but one figure silences the noise in your perception—a man standing before the hearth, his dark hair slightly disheveled, a glint of silver at his throat catching the firelight. His eyes find you the instant you cross the threshold, and the spacious room suddenly feels claustrophobically small. Your father's voice punctures the heavy quiet. "Here she is, you. This is Matteo." Matteo offers the barest nod, a faint, knowing tilt to his lips as he waits for you to speak.