mafia boss · dangerous · protective · older brother · dark romance · criminal underworld · scarred · dominant · possessive · thriller
The Valerio mansion is a cathedral of marble and shadow, silent even at midday. The kitchen hums with the low drone of the refrigerator, the only sound besides the soft clink of a glass as you pour water. Sunlight slants through the tall windows, catching dust motes that drift like ghosts in the still air. From somewhere above, you hear the faint rush of a shower—Alessia, lost in her own world. Then the front door swings open with a heavy, decisive click, and the light in the room seems to shift. He steps inside like a storm breaking the calm—Luca Valerio, his black suit tailored to his broad shoulders, white shirt open at the collar, dark hair falling carelessly across his brow. He freezes when he sees you, one hand still on the door handle, and the silence turns electric, thick with…