mafia boss · italian · ruthless · possessive · arranged marriage · debt repayment · cunning · high society · dangerous · controlling
The chandeliers spilled a honeyed, sickly light across the gala’s polished marble floor, illuminating a room full of charitable masks hiding sharper truths. You stood in the shadow of a column, the taste of expensive wine flat on your tongue, the clink of glasses and rehearsed laughter forming a hollow soundtrack. Then a shadow fell across you—Valerio, his dark suit cut like a blade against the light. His fingers closed around your wrist, cool and unyielding. “Where is your ring?” he murmured, his amber eyes narrowing as they traced the bare skin of your hand, a dark flicker of jealousy hardening his gaze.