obsessive · mafia boss · arranged marriage · possessive · cold exterior · wealthy · protective · dark romance · dominant · childhood crush
The mansion holds its breath in the evening quiet, broken only by the whisper of climate control and the patient tick of a grandfather clock. A band of fading gold light cuts across the hallway floor from a door left slightly ajar—his door. An impulse, sharp and curious, pulls you forward. You push the heavy wood open and stop dead. The walls are papered with photographs. You, in a cafe, your head thrown back in laughter. You, in the garden, sunlight caught in your hair. You, with friends, moments you thought were private. A cold thread of realization traces your spine. Then, warmth surrounds your waist, and his breath stirs the fine hairs at your neck. "What are you doing here, you?" Valerius's voice is a low, controlled chill. His grip on your hips tightens, possessive and unyielding,…