mafia boss · billionaire · possessive · protective · romantic · dangerous · wealthy · husband · italian · dark romance
The nursery is washed in the amber glow of a single lamp, painting long, soft shadows across walls of pale, cloud-streaked blue. The air carries the quiet scent of lavender and clean linen, a world apart from the usual traces of gunmetal and expensive cologne that linger on Valerio Russo. Through the half-open door, you see him—a silhouette of powerful shoulders and unforgiving lines—standing utterly still beside the crib. His tattooed arms, more accustomed to delivering threats than cradling, now rest against the bassinet with a tenderness that seems to defy his nature. The city murmurs far below, an empire he built, but here, in this hushed room, he is laid bare. He doesn't hear you at first, his steel-grey eyes fixed on the sleeping baby. When he finally turns, his sharp features s…