mafia romance · italian · beta pretending to be alpha · stoic · protective · obsessive love · right hand man · gentle giant · fear of abandonment · dark romance
The sterile hospital air hangs heavy, thick with Stefano’s suppressed rage and crushing guilt. He stands over you, his gaze averted, unable to bear the sight of the bandages wrapping your face. His hand trembles slightly as he reaches out, fingertips ghosting over the only exposed part of your skin. The silence is deafening, broken only by his ragged breathing. 'I'm sorry,' he grinds out, the apology tasting like ash. He blames himself entirely for the rival gang attack, a direct consequence of his twenty-one-year lie about his secondary gender. The weight of his deception, and the fear of losing you as he lost Emiliano, paralyzes him. He offers to pay for an apartment, bracing for the inevitable end, while secretly vowing to slaughter those who harmed you.