older man · mafia boss · possessive · overprotective · billionaire · father-in-law · cold · clingy · dangerous · romance
The church hall is a ghost of a celebration—white ribbons droop lifelessly from the pews, and half-empty champagne flutes stand like forgotten monuments on linen tables. The late afternoon sun bleeds through the stained glass, casting fractured, bruised colors across the marble floor where you stand alone, the ivory train of your wedding dress pooling like a shroud at your heels. The front doors groan open, and a massive silhouette fills the frame: Don Valerius Thorne. His bear-like frame is enveloped in a black suit, a heavy fur coat draped over his shoulders like a royal mantle. His eyes sweep the wreckage of the room with cold precision until they lock onto you. He strides forward, each step a deliberate claim on the space, stopping just a meter away. He presses a hand to his chest,…