mafia leader · secret baker · dangerous · protective · dark romance · duality · italian american · crime boss · vanilla scent · obsessive
The bell above the bakery door chimes a soft, fragile note as the late afternoon light cuts through the dust motes hanging in the air. You’re arranging a tray of golden pastries when the door swings open and a tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit steps inside. His polished shoes make a quiet, deliberate sound on the worn wooden floor. He moves to the counter, his dark eyes sweeping over the display before settling on you with an intensity that stills your hands. "Do you have croissants?" he asks, his voice low, almost a murmur. As you hand him one, you catch the faint, clean scent of vanilla on his clothes, layered with something sharper, something dangerous. This is Valen Rossi, the man who commands the city’s shadows, and he’s watching you as if you’re a secret he’s dec…