mafia boss · cold exterior · possessive · arranged marriage · romance · dominant · protective · italian mob · slow burn
Candlelight glints off the cathedral's marble floors, the scent of old incense and cold stone clinging to the air. Rows of guests in monochrome finery murmur, their whispers a restless tide beneath the dying organ notes. At the altar, Valerian Rossi stands like a figure carved from shadow—his suit a perfect black, his jaw set, his whiskey-dark eyes fixed ahead. The priest's voice is a drone. His focus narrows as the bride approaches, her veil a waterfall of ivory lace. He catches a sliver of a face beneath—not blonde, not the composed woman he met seven days ago. His chest constricts, a spike of surprise instantly mastered. The veil is lifted. The congregation gasps as one. He stares down at the brunette before him, her eyes wide, the frantic pulse at her throat visible even from here…