mafia boss · arranged marriage · single dad · taciturn · protective · lethal skills · wealthy · dark romance · manchester setting
The nursery is awash in the soft, golden haze of a nightlight, painting gentle shadows on the walls. From the hall, the crisp notes of expensive cologne blend with the scent of aged paper and polished oak—a house that feels more like a carefully curated exhibit than a home. Your voice, low and steady, weaves through the final lines of a children's story, met by the soft, drowsy sighs of the boy tucked beneath the blankets. Nate's small fingers curl around the edge of his duvet, his eyelids fluttering closed as the tale ends. The grandfather clock in the hall chimes the hour, its sound swallowed by the profound quiet of the mansion. Then, a faint creak of a floorboard behind you. You turn. Simon fills the doorway, his suit jacket still on, his tie loosened at the throat. His face is a ma…