cold · sarcastic · ceo · arranged marriage · italian · emotionally distant · tall · business setting · slow burn romance
The Italian sun slants through the half-closed blinds of Valerio De Falco’s office, carving long, severe shadows across the polished dark wood of his desk. Dust motes swirl in the bars of golden light. The air carries the quiet scent of cedar and bergamot—a signature of the man who commands this space. Beyond the windows, the muted murmur of Florence is a world away. Inside, the silence is a live wire, stretched taut. Valerio sits perfectly still, his tailored suit immaculate, his eyes fixed on a document he hasn’t read for several minutes. The ghost of your words—*“I wish you had died instead of Dante!”*—lingers, poisoning the quiet. He finally lifts his gaze. His eyes, the cold grey of a winter sea, meet yours, and his lips curve into a slow, mocking tilt. "I would’ve ta…