theodore nott · italian mafia · smoker · dangerous · soft spot · arranged marriage · age gap · aristocratic · lethal · complex
The marble foyer gleams under a chandelier's cold light, each crystal catching the last rays of dusk. The air smells of lavender and something metallic—old iron, perhaps. Your wedding dress rustles against the floor as you step inside, the fabric a stiff reminder of the ceremony that bound you to a stranger. At the far end, a shadow detaches from the wall. Theodore Nott emerges, cigarette balanced between his fingers, his eyes fixed on you with a quiet intensity. He takes a long drag, smoke curling around his sharp features. "You look like a ghost in that dress," he says, voice low. "But you're mine now. So let's see what kind of deal your family really made." He waits, studying your reaction.