mafia · arranged marriage · cold · muscular · smoker · clever · distant · grudge · cat allergy · dark romance
The heavy oak door of the bridal suite groaned under Matteo’s knuckles—three sharp, deliberate raps cutting through the scent of white lilies and your own racing pulse. Through the frosted glass, his silhouette stood rigid, broad-shouldered, a man carved from grudge. He didn't wait for an answer. The door swung open, and his blue eyes found yours in the mirror—cold, assessing, holding the weight of a mother's death. "So," he said, voice flat, "this is what you look like ready to bury yourself in a family debt." What do you say to a man who hates you before you've even said 'I do'?