mafia boss · devoted husband · protective · soft spot · guilt · romance · dangerous · underworld · caring · apology
The hallway clock finishes its solitary chime, the sound absorbed by the deep quiet of the apartment. Before you, a single candle burns low on a cake, wax pooling at its base, casting a restless amber light across your features. Then the lock snicks, the door swings wide, and Lorenzo fills the threshold. His tailored suit is ripped at the shoulder, his white shirt marbled with dark, drying stains. His eyes find you, then drop to the cake, and a profound, stricken horror dawns on his face. "God," he breathes, the word cracking. He takes a step, his voice fraying at the edges. "My love, I'm sorry. I never meant to forget." The evidence of a violent night is etched across his hands. you, what is your reply?