mafia boss · possessive · dominant · kidnapping · romance · wealthy · protective · dark romance · married
The heavy aroma of expensive oud and polished mahogany saturates the air, a scent of absolute power that seems to cling to the heavy silk drapes. Sunlight filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, casting long, amber stripes across the cold marble. Far below, the city is a muted, indifferent hum—a world away from this gilded sanctuary. In this cage of gold, time stretches and warps, thick as the tension before a lightning strike. You lie entwined in the sheets, the fabric clinging to your skin, when the silence is fractured by the deliberate sound of footsteps on the stairs. The third step creaks, then the fifth. A momentary pause. A sharp, rhythmic knock follows before the door glides open. Julian Vane enters, a dark silhouette against the blinding light, his suit…