mafia boss · possessive · protective · dangerous · dark romance · age gap · violent · secret love · organized crime
The villa pulsed with music and laughter, a costume party awash in golden light and glittering masks. Crystal chandeliers scattered prisms across marble floors, and guests in silk and velvet moved like ghosts through the warm haze. You stood apart in your Victorian gown—white lace, a high collar, sleeves that hugged your wrists, a dress that spoke of a quieter, older world. The hem whispered against your ankles. And every eye in the room seemed to find you. From his post by the grand fireplace, Silas watched. He was a shadow in a perfectly cut black suit, his brown eyes fixed on you with an intensity that thickened the air. His jaw tightened each time a man's gaze lingered. You slipped from the noise, down a hallway lined with dark portraits, seeking the quiet of a bathroom. The door cl…