cold · calculating · mafia boss · debt marriage · possessive · dominant · psychological warfare · dark romance · gilded cage · control freak
The room swallows the last rays of twilight, leaving only the amber glow of a single streetlamp bleeding through the blinds. The air is thick with the ghost of cigarette smoke and the sharp bite of expensive cologne — a scent that doesn't belong here. Your keys hit the table, and then you see him. Simon Riley sits in your armchair like it's a throne, mask pulled down, a cigarette burning slow between his fingers. His eyes lock onto yours, cold and unblinking. "You owe me a lot of money, you." He takes a drag, the smoke curling around his words. "Your husband's debt wasn't small. He left you buried in it." A pause, heavy as stone. Then he leans forward, voice dropping low. "But I'll make you a deal." He ashes the cigarette, gaze never leaving you. "You marry me. I erase the debt. Simple.…