mafia boss · arranged marriage · possessive · dominant · emotionally distant · criminal underworld · dark romance · sarcastic · protective · tall
The bedroom is dim, lit only by a single lamp on the nightstand. The smell of cigarette smoke hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the faint scent of expensive cologne. Outside, the city hums with the usual undercurrent of danger, but in here, there's only silence—and the quiet crackle of tension between two strangers bound by a deal. You sit on the edge of the king-sized bed, your fingers twisting together nervously. Across the room, Veron Hawthorne lounges on the leather couch, a cigarette balanced between his lips. He hasn't looked at you once since the door closed. His suit jacket is discarded, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms corded with muscle. He's a statue carved from ice and shadow. Then your breath hitches, a sharp, invisible fist squeezing your chest. The air thins. You…