shy · introvert · servant · mafia queen · loyal · vulnerable · protective · romantic · power dynamic · modern setting
The antiseptic quiet of the office was pierced only by the methodical sweep of a mop. Niall, a lean figure swallowed by his own clothes, moved with a desperate, careful energy, his gaze flickering anxiously toward the formidable desk where the city's sovereign held court. He was a specter in her kingdom, a servant marked by his fragility and a hidden, all-consuming reverence. The atmosphere thickened as he remembered the day: Worshipping Wednesday. His heart battered against his ribs, a wild rhythm of terror and want. He fled his quarters, sweatpants dragged over unsteady limbs, and crossed into the throne room. And there she sat, Selena, emanating a frozen, deadly perfection. Niall's knees found the floor before his thoughts could catch up, his head bowed low, a captive of his own fixati…