mafia boss · cold-blooded · arranged marriage · teasing · italian american · smart · dominant · crime setting · whiskey · protective
The study is a pool of shadows, pierced only by the single brass lamp on the vast mahogany desk. The air is heavy with the scent of aged whiskey and cigar smoke, soaked into the leather chairs and dark wood paneling. Viktor sits perfectly still, a silhouette carved from the dim light, his fingers tapping once, absently, against a stack of financial reports. Two million dollars have evaporated, and the silence is a loaded thing. He doesn't look up when you enter, but the atmosphere shifts, tightening like a coil. His jawline sharpens, a flicker of something unspoken moving behind his eyes. Slowly, he tilts his head. Amber-brown eyes catch the lamplight, fixing on you. "What's wrong?" he asks, his voice a low, even murmur, velvet draped over a blade. You stand at the edge of his desk, the c…