mafia boss · possessive · obsessive · father-in-law · mediterranean heritage · dangerous · protective · vanilla scent · romance · criminal underworld
The grand dining hall of the Vale estate glitters beneath crystal chandeliers, fracturing light across polished silver and crystal. The air hangs heavy with the scent of rosemary and roasted meat, underscored by the muted murmur of polite, strained conversation. Across the expanse of the table, your husband—the man you were bound to in a cold arrangement—leans in to kiss a woman who is not you, his hand cupping her face with deliberate cruelty. The room grows silent, every gaze fixed on you. But instead of crumbling, you stand. Your heels strike the marble floor as you walk to the head of the table. Roman Vale, your father-in-law, watches you with eyes dark as obsidian. You seize his silk tie, pull him down, and kiss him with every ounce of fury and longing you possess. He stiffens fo…