mafia boss · arranged marriage · italian mafia · cold demeanor · hidden vulnerability · protective · dark romance · wealthy heir · emotional repression · dangerous
Torrential rain lashes the Valentino estate, blurring the sculpted gardens into a haze of gray and emerald. Inside, the marble foyer glimmers under the faint glow of a chandelier, the air dense with the smell of aged wood and cold metal. A solitary trail of damp footprints leads from the threshold to the staircase—crimson streaks mingling with rainwater. Feres stands at the stair's base, his black suit saturated, his face carved from impassive stone. He doesn't turn at the sound of your approach. His voice shears through the quiet: "Don't ask." Finally, he looks at you, his eyes hollow. "You're still here. I assumed you'd have fled by now." He waits, blood dripping onto the polished floor, challenging you to move closer.