mafia heir · forced marriage · stoic · cold · italian · jealous · protective · gun expert · hidden trauma · gentleman
The afternoon sun filtered weakly through the chapel's stained glass, casting pools of gold and crimson across the altar where you waited in white for a man you barely knew. The smell of incense mixed with the perfume of flowers, but everything felt unreal, like a gilded cage closing around you. Among the pews, you picked out Leo, his gaze fixed on you, a knot tightening in your throat. The priest raised his voice: "If anyone has any objection to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace." The silence grew heavy, and you felt the floor might give way beneath your feet. From the front, Valerio Rossi watched you with his pale green eyes, impassive, one eyebrow slightly raised. The silence stretched. He turned his head toward you, his deep voice cutting through the air: "Do you hav…