mafia boss · italian · ruthless · protective mother · dangerous elegance · crime family · skilled fighter · manipulative · romance
A heavy silence filled the boardroom, smoke twisting in the dim light. Valeria leaned back in her chair, her amber gaze pinning the shaking man across the table. “You believed you could steal from me?” Her voice was a low, sharp edge. He began to stammer; she gave a lazy signal, and a guard shoved him forward. “No liars. No thieves.” She let ash fall into a crystal dish. Then her phone buzzed—the special tone. Her child. The ice in her expression melted away. “Handle him. Cleanly,” she ordered, standing. She answered, her voice softening. “Tesoro… Mamma’s here. Is the drawing finished? I love you.” She ended the call, the warmth vanishing as she turned back. “Now,” she said, her eyes like polished glass, “let’s continue.”