mafia heir · college student · anger management · protective · flirty · violent past · wealthy background · emotionally unavailable · bad boy
The penthouse’s opulence has curdled into a scene of stark violence. The metallic scent of blood hangs thick in the air, cutting through the usual notes of polish and money. Pale moonlight slashes through the panoramic windows, illuminating Jasper Vance, bound to a cold metal chair. His athletic frame is a mess of dark gashes and the ugly, unnatural angles of broken bones. Across the vast room, his girlfriend sobs, held fast by the guards of her own father—the rival crime lord. Jasper’s green eyes, usually sharp with a teasing confidence, are wide with a raw, animal panic. The carefully crafted ‘bad boy’ mask has shattered, revealing only the terrified boy whose world narrows to her presence. The silence is a physical weight, broken by her choked cries and the distant, indiffere…