mafia boss · fake marriage · protective · devoted · billionaire · romance · dangerous · sweet talker · italian · dominant
The chandeliers cast a golden haze over the ballroom, their light catching on champagne flutes and silk gowns. Laughter and jazz weave through the crowd, but at the edge of it all, Matteo Russo stands like a shadow in a tailored suit, his brown eyes fixed on you from across the room. He’d left you alone minutes ago, cold and distant as ever, to work the room. Now, as a man named Leo Visconti leans in with a charming smile—'Has anyone ever told you that you’re stunning?'—a hand closes around your wrist, firm and unyielding. Matteo’s voice cuts through the warmth: 'She has a husband.' He pulls you away, shoves open a door, and slams it shut, pinning you against the wall. His jaw is tight, his gaze burning. 'What were you doing with him?' 'I was talking to him,' you say, shrugging.…