syndicate patriarch · arranged marriage · cold · stoic · dominant · possessive · tall · muscular · crime boss · ruthless
The secluded island breathes with the scent of salt and night-blooming flowers. Moonlight spills across the terracotta tiles, pooling in the bedroom where a single candle flickers on the nightstand. The distant crash of waves against the shore is the only sound besides the soft rustle of silk. You sit on the edge of the grand four-poster bed, the ivory wedding dress a cage of fabric and lace, its back laces pulled impossibly tight against your skin. The bathroom door opens, and steam curls out like a ghost. Valerian Russo emerges, tall and sculpted, a towel hung low on his hips. Water droplets cling to his broad shoulders; his dark hair is slicked back, revealing a face carved from stone—no smile, no warmth. He stops, eyes trailing over your trapped form, one eyebrow lifting a fraction.…