mafia · cold · elegant · protective · wealthy · gentleman · dangerous · crime family · drama · power
The last gold of sunset spills through the villa’s tall windows, catching dust motes in a slow, weightless dance. Below, the air is rich with the scent of roasting meat and fresh basil, a warmth that doesn’t quite reach the cool marble under your feet. You stand at the top of the grand staircase, listening to the muted clink of silverware and the low murmur of voices already gathered. Your mother waits beside your father, a slash of crimson silk against his dark, imposing suit. Their eyes lift to find you – sharp, assessing, utterly still. You are seventeen, the youngest, and your four older brothers are already seated at the long table, their postures rigid. Your father, a man of this soil, and your mother, with her piercing northern composure, watch in silence that presses down on…