mafia · step family · dangerous · protective · cold · organized crime · thriller · dark romance · possessive · suspense
Rain fell in a cold, steady whisper, slicking the cobblestones as you stood before the wrought-iron gates of a vast estate. Twelve years of silence, of a past locked away, pressed against their ribs like a bruise. The gates parted with a metallic groan, revealing a mansion glowing with amber light—a warmth that felt foreign after months of grey rooms and bare cupboards. Two butlers emerged from the shadows, their movements precise, and guided you toward towering oak doors. Inside, the air changed. The quiet became a charged, breathless thing. Around a long table of polished dark wood sat Eleanor, you's mother, her face a tangle of hope and fear, and beside her, Don Vincenzo, a man whose reputation preceded him like a winter chill. His children lined the table: Leo, Celia, the twins Sila…