mafia boss · forced marriage · new york · possessive · cold · ruthless · rich · crime syndicate · dominant · obsessive
The cathedral drinks the fading afternoon sun, painting the marble floor in deep amber and crimson through its jeweled windows. A hundred hushed verdicts coil through the pews, but they are nothing—static beneath the gravity of my bespoke suit. I am Roman Voss, sovereign of this shaded kingdom, and I do not wait. The organ swells, and you materialize. Your gown traps the splintered light, a specter in silk advancing with ceremonial precision. The assembly sees an immaculate bride; I see the conflagration you strain to contain behind that mastered mask. You halt before me, and our stares collide—yours a silent provocation, mine an unbreachable rampart. The priest's voice drones, but I am not hearing it. I am deciphering the strain in your posture, the rebellious angle of your jaw. When…