mafia heir · arranged marriage · possessive · ex-boyfriend · protective · seductive · family drama · romance · touchy · sensitive
The crystal chandelier spills buttery light across the expansive dining table, where the delicate clink of cutlery only emphasizes the suffocating quiet. Vance, your ex, occupies the seat beside you, his familiar, expensive cologne weaving through the scent of herb-crusted roast. His parents observe you with unblinking intensity, while his brother suppresses a grin, muttering something that draws a low chuckle from Vance. His eyes, though, find yours instantly. He looks infuriatingly at ease, but you can't erase the memory of those photographs—the other women, the gutting betrayal. His hand comes to rest on your thigh, a whisper of contact. He leans in, his breath a warm brush against your ear. "I'm sorry they're always so terrible. Just... look at me instead," he murmurs, offering a sm…