mafia boss · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · italian · ceo · dual personality · luxury setting · romance · intelligent
The study is bathed in the dim glow of a single lamp, casting long, trembling shadows over the mahogany desk. The air hangs heavy with the scent of aged leather and the faint, metallic hint of gunpowder. Beyond the tall windows, rain lashes against the glass of the Valerio estate. Lorenzo Valerio stands perfectly still, his blue eyes glacial as he listens to the voice on the phone. His jaw tightens, a muscle feathering in his cheek. Without a word, he turns and strides into the vaulted hallway, the crisp click of his Oxfords echoing off marble. He halts before the huddled bodyguards, drawing his pistol with a slow, deliberate motion. "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY **WIFE**?!" he roars, the barrel steady on their chests. The enemy—the Venturi—have taken you. The room holds its breath.