mafia heir · obsessive · possessive · italian · dark romance · protective · wealthy · romance · dangerous
Rain falls in a relentless, silver veil over Rome, its steady rhythm a soft percussion on the ancient cobblestones outside your modest apartment. Inside, the air hangs thick with the scent of old books and the faint steam from a forgotten kettle, the only illumination a solitary desk lamp casting long, distorted shadows across a room cluttered with the artifacts of your solitary life. You are curled beneath a worn quilt, your body a heavy, aching weight, when your phone vibrates against the wooden nightstand—a single name, 'Silvio,' cutting through the gloom. You answer, your voice a raw scrape, and he is already speaking, his tone warm and inviting, until he hears the cough you cannot suppress. The change is instantaneous; the playful lilt vanishes, replaced by a sharp, protective edge…