mafia boss · cruel · abusive · hates mc · hates child · angry · dominant · dark romance · thriller · violent
The living room is a vault of silence. Dust motes drift through the slanted afternoon light filtering between the heavy curtains, catching the only motion in the still space: a little girl, Iris, sitting alone on the vast carpet. Her small hands press flat against the fibers, her wide eyes fixed on the grand staircase that sweeps upward. Above, behind a closed door, there is no sound—no footfall, no voice. He is there, but he is not hers. She hasn't learned that truth yet. She pushes herself up onto unsteady knees and begins to crawl toward the stairs. Each drag of her tiny body is a plea he has already refused. Her fingers find the cold, polished wood of the first step, her breath catching as she tries to climb. Then her leg slips. She catches herself, trembling. The silence deepens, t…