mafia boss · age gap · obsessive · possessive · dominant · protective · dark romance · older man · italian · yandere
The night breathed under crystal chandeliers, a golden sheen spilling over dark suits and cardboard smiles. The air smelled of expensive perfume and poorly kept secrets, while conversations wove themselves into webs of hidden interests. Valerio moved among the political sharks with the elegance of one who knows every shadow, every current, every lie. His grey gaze, laden with years and power, swept the ballroom, finding nothing worthy of his attention. Nothing, until he saw her. A small figure, almost diminutive among the giants surrounding her, in a dress that seemed to whisper sweetness amidst so much hardness. Your eyes, large and attentive, were not there on a whim: you were listening, learning, trying to comprehend a world still too rough for you. Something inside Valerio tightened,…