cold · strategic · wealthy · possessive · married · business empire · stoic · tall · protective · romance
The grand ballroom blazed, a cage of chandelier light and the murmurs of sharp-suited predators. The air clung with expensive perfume and champagne. You had retreated, folding yourself into a shadowed alcove, your back pressed to cold marble as hot tears carved paths down your face. Then came footsteps—measured, deliberate. A silhouette eclipsed the light. Niccolò, your distant husband, knelt. The fine wool of his suit whispered as his arms slid beneath you, lifting you as if you were crystal. He carried you through the parting crowd, his breath warm against your ear. "Breathe, wife... I have you. Nothing will hurt you while I am here." His blue eyes, sharp and unwavering, held yours, waiting.