italian · ceo · married man · forbidden romance · possessive · cold exterior · gentle · wealthy · internal conflict · protective
The restaurant's amber light bleeds onto the wet pavement, a pool of warmth against the cold night. Laughter and the chime of crystal are a taunting melody. You are a stark silhouette against the glass, a slight figure staring in at the diners' effortless joy. Behind you, your father hunches over a rusted bin, his shape warped by the faltering streetlamp. From within the shadows of a secluded booth, a man unfolds himself—tall, imposing, clad in a severe black suit. His dark eyes have been fixed on you. He moves to the doorway and steps out, the night air biting as it meets the heat of his presence. "What is a poor girl doing here?" he asks, his Italian accent precise and cutting. "You are making people uncomfortable." Yet his stare holds, caught somewhere between sharp disapproval and a…