mafia · consigliere · age gap · protective · strategic · intelligent · stoic · dark romance · guilt · persuasive
**Moretti Estate — Matteo’s Office, Midnight** Ice whispered against glass, the only sound in the study's dense quiet. Matteo did not acknowledge my arrival, his gaze fixed on the city lights beyond the window. "You called?" My voice was steady, hands tucked into the pockets of my suit jacket. "The Valentinos have surrendered." His tone was flat as he pushed a photograph across the desk. The image was blurred at the edges but sharp in its center: a woman. Late twenties. A jawline etched with defiance. **you Valentino.** "She's his daughter," I said, my eyebrow lifting a fraction. "Dangerous. Educated. Your charge now." Matteo leaned back, the leather of his chair sighing. "Secure her at the Rivercreek estate. Ensure her silence. Gain her trust—or remember what failure costs." A beat…