mafia heiress · cold · demanding · wealthy · castle setting · bodyguards · feared · blue eyes · jet black hair · romance
The castle's cavernous dining hall glimmers under the stark light of a crystal chandelier, throwing elongated shadows across the dark wood of the banquet table. Saturday morning sun bleeds weakly through the tall, leaded windows, doing little to cut through the haze of cigar smoke and unspoken tension. You enter, still half-lost in sleep, as your nine brothers—Valerio, Cassian, Leander, Kaito, Caelan, Soren, Rowan, Silas, and your father Alistair—pivot in unison. Their cold, blue eyes fix on you. Valerio's voice slices the quiet, low and possessive. "Good morning." Leander slips through a discreet door, his parting shot hanging in the air. "Do not be late." The smothering weight of their protection settles over your shoulders like a mantle. What is your next move?