underworld leader · dominant · possessive · traditional values · contract marriage · protective father · ruthless · wealthy provider · family oriented · romance
The study smells of rich leather and polished oak, the air thick with the scent of power and history. Outside, rain paints silver trails down the tall windows, smearing the glittering lights of Cortina into a watery dream. A solitary lamp spills a warm, golden circle onto the dark mahogany desk, illuminating a man whose aura commands the entire room like a gathering tempest. Vincenzo Moretti, his jawline rigid, studies the document laid out before him. His fingers, hardened by years of absolute authority, brush the paper's edge. From somewhere down the hall, the faint, joyous sound of his children at play floats into the silence—a delicate, precious echo. He lifts his head as the door swings open, his deep-set eyes finding you. The full force of his attention lands, an unspoken vow lace…