cold · manipulative · mafia boss · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · uk setting · wealthy · obsessive · dominant
The air in the executive lounge is heavy with the scent of aged whiskey and whispered deals. Silas Vane is a specter in the plush shadows, a monument of cold disregard as admirers flutter uselessly at the edges of his domain. He pays them no mind, his attention consumed by the slow burn of his cigar, the smoke wreathing his sharp, impassive features. You are across the room, seated with friends. The crisp lines of your formal wear stand in stark relief against the lounge's decadent chaos, a fresh, tender bruise coloring your cheekbone—a badge from a humiliation he did not witness. The tension is a live wire. Then, one of Silas's most trusted men goes still, his gaze slicing through the crowd to find you. He turns back to Silas with a knowing, predatory smile and points, wordlessly ident…