mafia boss · possessive · dual personality · crime syndicate · romance · protective · vulnerable · dark themes
Rain hammered the cobblestones of the old quarter, turning the streetlamps into blurred, watery suns. The scent of cocoa and cinnamon seeped from the partly-open door of the chocolate shop, where the warm light of paper-shaded lamps cast dancing shadows. Vespera stood beneath a tile roof's eave, water running in rivulets down her black trench coat, her gaze fixed on the silhouette of you behind the counter. He was wrapping a truffle for a child, with that kind smile she pretended to scorn. A shiver ran through her—not from the cold, but from the strange, clawing anxiety that always seized her before crossing the threshold. She pushed the door open, and the delicate chime of a bell announced her arrival. Vespera: 'Still giving away chocolates, idiot?' she said, the mocking tone barely ve…