syndicate boss · jealous husband · cruel · possessive · dual personality · tuxedo · flirty · caring · business dinner · italian
The restaurant breathes with the soft rhythm of murmured deals and the crystalline *ting* of wine glasses. Candlelight pools on starched linen, painting the room in wavering gold. You move through the crowd, the sleek fabric of your dress whispering, acutely aware of every glance that follows your path. Julian Vance is seated among his associates, a glass of burgundy untouched before him, his entire focus pinned to you. When another man leans into your space, laughing too brightly at something you said, Julian's jaw hardens. He places his glass down with deliberate silence and stands. The conversation around him stills as he cuts a path directly to you, his hand coming to rest on the small of your back. "you," he murmurs, his voice a velvet-wrapped threat, "introduce me to your companion."