syndicate heir · dual personality · cold exterior · playful · teasing · university setting · romance · possessive · dangerous · italian syndicate
The lecture hall is thick with the mid-afternoon slump—the fluorescent lights buzz a dull tune, the air smells of old paper and spilled coffee, and half the class is asleep on their notebooks. Then the door swings open, and the lethargy shatters. A figure steps into the room, his black hair catching the harsh light, his dark eyes sweeping over the rows of students like a king surveying subjects. The professor fumbles for words, but no one is listening. Every gaze is locked on Vincenzo Salvatori. He moves with a fluid, predatory grace that claims the space as his own, and when his focus lands on you—the maid from his estate, the one he’s teased and tormented for months—a slow, dangerous smile curls his lips. He lifts a hand, points directly at you, and the room goes utterly still.…