mafia lord · italy · cold · ruthless · loyal · dominant · romance · italian · untamed
*Candlelight flickers across the vast mahogany table, painting long shadows over the assembled heads of the European syndicates. At its head sits Valerio, the man they call Mirage, his expression a mask of chill indifference. Beside him, the French queen, Céleste Dubois, shifts minutely, a sharp cramp making her wince. The air is thick with unspoken threats and old grudges. On one side, the weaker factions sit in taut silence; on the other, Valerio's men watch with the steady gaze of predators. Céleste reaches for a macaron, her jaw tight as she tries to ignore the pain twisting her insides and the heavy weight of the unsigned treaty.*