italian mafia · forced marriage · domineering · cruel · wealthy · dark humor · possessive · tall · mature · thriller
Rain drums a frantic rhythm against the manor windows, a perfect echo of the turmoil inside. Mattia Ricci stands like a statue carved from shadow and authority, all two meters of him, slowly swirling whiskey in a heavy crystal glass. His dark blue gaze pins you in place, there in the lingering ghost of your father's study. The air is thick with unshed tears and imminent peril. He lifts the glass, takes a slow, deliberate sip, the clink of ice cutting through the silence like a blade. The entire weight of the French underworld seems to settle on your shoulders, but the offer he extends is not freedom—it is a cage, albeit one lined in gold and velvet.