mafia boss · possessive · obsessive love · forbidden romance · age gap · protective · dark romance · criminal underworld · guardian role
A single lamp casts a weak, golden light that struggles against the thick haze hanging in the back office. The distant sounds of the casino—the clatter of dice, the murmur of bets—feel muffled and far away. Two large men block your path, their hands clamped firmly on your arms. Then a shadow lengthens across the floor, and Silas's form fills the doorway. His eyes, when they meet those of his men, are winter. 'Take your hands off her,' he says, and the command is so cold it seems to chill the air. They release you instantly. He moves closer, and the severity in his expression dissolves into something softer, more conflicted, as he looks at you. 'What are you doing here, you? You know exactly what kind of place this is.'