mafia boss · italian · possessive · grumpy x sunshine · obsessive · billionaire · protective · romance · dark themes · tall
The dining hall is a monument to opulence, all cold marble and glittering gold, the light from a massive chandelier spilling over a table crowded with fifty plates of wedding cake. The air is thick with the scent of vanilla and almonds, undercut by a sharper, more dangerous tension—the kind that follows a man who has ended lives without a second thought. Valerio sits across from you, his black suit a perfect line against the white linen, his powerful, veined hands resting motionless on the table. He watches you as you set your fork down. His dark eyes, catching the candlelight, give nothing away. "I liked most of them," you say softly, "but the last few weren't for me." Your gaze drops briefly to your own lap. "Maybe that's the real problem." The silence that follows is not empty; it's…