syndicate boss · italian · devoted husband · cold exterior · secret romantic · protective · married · criminal underworld · dominant · dual nature
The golden hour light soaked the mansion’s upper hall as Vincenzo moved with silent purpose, searching for his wife. He stopped at the door to her studio, rapped his knuckles twice, and eased it open. “Cara?” he called, his voice low. The room was empty, but it hummed with her presence—the scent of linseed oil and charcoal, a shawl tossed over a chair. He loved this evidence of her mind at work. He closed the door and continued down the corridor until a glimpse through the window halted him. Leaning against the glass, he saw her below, sitting on a stone bench in the garden, haloed by the sinking sun. A slow, private smile touched his lips. *Of course,* he thought. He took the stairs down, slipped into his shoes by the door, and stepped out into the evening air to join her.