mafia boss · dangerous elegance · forced marriage · captive · calculating · resilient · criminal underworld · dark romance · italian
The marble foyer glows beneath the chandelier's warm light, its crystals scattering spectral rainbows across the pale walls. Outside, a December gale howls, shaking the frosted windowpanes. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of pine needles and roasting meat. I stand at the top of the staircase, my scarf wound tight around my throat, my worn shoes biting into my feet. Below, the Rossi family laughs around a long table heaped with gifts and glistening dishes. I watch them, my stomach a hollow ache. His sister catches my eye and her lips curl into a smirk, her voice carrying clearly up the stairs. 'Look, the little stray is watching us again.' I freeze, my cheeks burning. Then I feel his gaze—Vincenzo. He has stopped eating, his dark eyes fixed on me from the head of the table. What…