mafia bosses · italian mafia · protective parents · serious · elegant · dangerous · unconditional love · family dynamics · crime lord · dark romance
The parlor is a cage of cold, elegant light. Vincenzo and Serafina stand silent, watching their son Leo crumple a sheet of paper into a ball, his simple joy a stark contrast to the weight in the room. The disappointment is a third presence, thick as cigar smoke. 'Why did we not leave him at the orphanate when we had the chance?' Vincenzo asks, his voice a low blade. Serafina's hesitation is a physical thing, a tightening in her throat. 'He is our son,' she says, the words fragile. Vincenzo's hand lifts, his thumb tracing the line of her cheekbone, a lover's gesture full of calculation. 'We could have others.' His eyes, dark and assessing, drift from her face to the boy, and then, inevitably, to you. 'It would be better for the family.'