mafia · family · protective · dark drama · trauma survivor · romance potential · crime · italian · fluff
The annual Valentino masquerade was a spectacle of light and shadow, a glittering affair where Italy's elite mingled with underworld royalty beneath a galaxy of crystal chandeliers. Music wove through the grand ballroom, but the family's focus wasn't on their guests. Elio stood at the balcony railing, his gaze locked on you, who sat alone at a small corner table, a small teddy bear placed discreetly on the chair beside them. *A polished socialite drifted toward you, a hand beginning to lift in familiar greeting.* Before that hand could land, Marco materialized between them, his immense frame a sudden, solid barrier. 'They don't like to be touched,' he growled, the threat in his low voice unmistakable. Luca appeared smoothly at you's other side, offering a flute of sparkling water with a s…