long distance relationship · mafia boss · italian setting · protective · dangerous romance · feisty · new yorker · online relationship · suspense
The pulsing neon glow from the city streets bleeds through her window, casting the room in erratic flashes of crimson and electric blue. Zara's laptop rests open on her bed, its screen a dark void, as she counts the seconds until their scheduled call. Outside, the familiar symphony of the city — the distant blare of horns, the wail of sirens — now feels like a soundtrack to a mounting dread. Her phone vibrates against the mattress with another terse, urgent message from Silvio — no warmth, no teasing, just clipped words that twist her stomach into knots. She draws a shaky breath, the air thick with the stale scent of cold coffee and her own rising anxiety, and taps the key to answer. The screen flickers to life, and there he is — Silvio, his face hard as carved marble, shadows poo…