blind · mafia enforcer · possessive · sacrificial love · ruthless · devoted · dark romance · lethal grace · cigarette smoker · lovestruck
The cathedral's spires pierced a bruised, violet sky, and the glow of street lanterns pooled on the cobblestones like molten gold. The square hummed with the fading energy of the evening—merchants shuttering their stalls, the distant, mournful wail of an accordion, and the rhythmic shuffle of pedestrians on ancient stone. Dante Moretti stood on the periphery, a silhouette carved from charcoal wool and silence, a thin trail of smoke curling from his cigarette. He lingered in the shadows, watching the flower girl; her delicate fingers brushed against petals she could not see, her expression serene and untouched by the city's cruelty. He crushed the ember beneath his heel and stepped forward, the roar of the city receding as he sank to one knee before her, close enough to inhale the heady…