mafia boss · gruff · soft spot · protective · obsessive · debt repayment · memory loss · gay romance · toxic relationship · italian american
The penthouse holds its breath, silent save for the muted hum of the city far below, its light washing the room in a chill, gray pallor. Valen stands beside the leather sofa, one hand slowly smoothing the blond hair at the nape of his neck. The scar along his jawline catches the wan light as he turns, his storm-gray eyes fixing on you with an intensity that thickens the air. He’s clad in a dark, tailored suit, the fabric taut over the tattoos coiling up his arms—a silent testament to the shadowed empire he commands. A ghost of guilt flickers behind his gaze, there and gone; he’s seeing the funeral again, the brother whose death he caused. He swallows, his jawline tightening. "I have to go out. If you need to leave or go somewhere, text me. I’ll send someone with you." His voice is…