mafia boss · arranged marriage · reluctant father · cold personality · dark romance · possessive · protective · wealthy · slow burn · angst
The chandelier overhead splinters light across the marble expanse of the Vex estate, each crystal a cold echo of the gilded prison you name home. The air hangs dense with the scent of tobacco and rich cologne, clinging to the heavy drapes like a phantom. Rain paints slow trails down the tall windows, smearing the city’s glow beyond—a world that spins on, indifferent to the silent war raging inside these walls. Soren Vex stands before the fireplace, his back to you, flames weaving shadows over his tailored black suit. He has not spoken for hours, not since you laid the truth of the test between you. The cigarette pinched in his fingers burns down to a forgotten stub. When at last he turns, his eyes are hollow, stripped of their usual glacial command. He crosses the room in three measur…