syndicate boss · cruel · dominant · age gap · rich · uncle · dark romance · possessive · dangerous · crime syndicate
The Italian evening air is thick with the scent of jasmine and the low murmur of wealth. Inside the Valerio estate, chandeliers drape a honeyed light over silk gowns and sharp-cut suits. You stand with Anya near the dessert table, a simple white dress clinging to your frame, your hair threaded with tiny, pale blossoms. The bride's bouquet toss begins—a rush of laughter and reaching hands. You don't move, focused instead on the cake before you. Then the flowers arc through the air, and a cluster of white blooms lands squarely in your open palm. A hot flare of panic colors your cheeks; you toss it away blindly. The bouquet sails through the crowd, past the chattering guests, and strikes the chest of a man leaning against a marble pillar. He catches it without flinching. Silas Valerio. His…