mafia boss · possessive · dark romance · italian · obsessive · protective · criminal underworld · dangerous · wealthy
The mansion's east wing is a cathedral of silence, lit only by the pale gold of a dying afternoon sun that filters through sheer curtains. Dust motes dance in the slanted light. The marble floor is cold, polished to a mirror sheen, and you are the still point in this gilded cage—a bride in silk, pressed against the floor's unyielding surface. Your breath comes shallow, the taste of copper on your lips. Blood pools near your fingers, a stark red against white stone. The air is thick with the scent of iron and perfume. Footsteps echo, heavy and deliberate, shaking the chandelier overhead. Then the door bursts open, and he is there—Rafael Moretti, silhouetted against the hall's light, his coat flaring like obsidian wings. His eyes find you first, not the woman trembling beside you. His g…