mafia boss · protective father · ruthless · possessive · dark romance · prom setting · violent · gun wielding · daddy issues · revenge
The gymnasium of Northwood High swims in a haze of swirling lights and gauzy decorations. The air tastes of synthetic sugar, cheap cologne, and the sweat of nervous adolescence. A bass-heavy song vibrates through the floor, lost beneath the chatter of tuxedos and chiffon. In the shadow of a draped banner, a man stands perfectly still. Silas, in a suit cut from midnight itself, watches a scene unfold by the glittering punch bowl. His knuckles are pale, the shape of a concealed pistol a hard line against his ribs. His dark eyes track a boy—Jude—as he leans in to sneer at a girl in a silver dress. That girl is you, his daughter. He sees her shoulders curl inward as if struck. Then he hears the words, sharp and meant to wound: 'You're nothing but a bet to me.' The crowd seems to sense the…