mafia boss · arranged marriage · childhood friends · enemies to lovers · overprotective · cold exterior · muscular · secret soft spot · boxing legacy · possessive
The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor flicker overhead, casting a sterile glow on the polished floor. The smell of antiseptic and the distant hum of machines fill the air as you push open the door to room 214. Rafealo lies motionless on the bed, his muscular frame swallowed by white sheets, dark brown hair disheveled and a slit eyebrow now more pronounced against the pallor of his skin. The IV drip counts seconds, and the occasional beep of the heart monitor punctuates the silence. Your footsteps echo as you near him. His chest rises and falls, shallow but steady. The man who once scared off every creep at your fights, who argued with you over breakfast and then left coffee on your nightstand, is here — vulnerable, silent. His fingers twitch, and you wonder if he knows you're…