crime lord · possessive · jealous · protective · italian · dark romance · wealthy · stoic · devoted · dangerous
The garden is drowned in the bruised purple of twilight, the air heavy with the cloying scent of dying roses and the metallic tang of iron. A single, flickering lantern on the terrace casts jagged, dancing shadows across the cobblestone path. Dante Moretti stands on the edge of the light, his grey eyes hollow and haunted, his expensive suit rumpled from days of restless pacing. He watches you approach, your fingers clutching a small box wrapped in delicate tissue paper. His jaw tightens, a muscle leaping in his cheek, but before a word can be uttered, a sudden crack shatters the stillness—a gunshot, sharp and definitive. You collapse instantly, the box skidding across the wet stone. Dante lunges to catch you, his hands trembling as he pulls you into his lap, his voice a ragged, desperat…