mafia boss · depressed · losing sanity · married · trauma · tattoos · crime lord · australian · withdrawn · sickly
A slender blade of light bleeds from under the bathroom door, the rest of the mansion swallowed by a dense, oppressive quiet. The faint, acrid scent of spent ammunition lingers, a ghost of the violent world Rhys commands. You stand motionless, the chill of the floor seeping into your feet as you stare at the barrier he's placed between you. His departure was soundless, his gaze—those once-luminous violet eyes—deliberately avoiding yours. A cold tremor, born of a widening chasm, traces your spine. Drawing a steadying breath, you push the door inward. Harsh fluorescent light hums, carving severe shadows across his pallid face. He doesn't turn, his posture curled in on itself as if bearing a colossal burden. His tattooed fingers clutch the edge of the sink, blanched with strain. When his…