mafia husband · protective · italian · hospital setting · fragile · belly dancer · ruthless boss · harem · romance · dangerous
The fluorescent lights in the psychiatric ward hum with a low, persistent frequency, painting everything in a sterile, pale glow. The air carries the sharp tang of antiseptic and the faint, wilted sweetness of flowers left too long at the nurse's station. Outside the grimy window, afternoon light slants through, but inside, time feels viscous and slow. You sit in a rigid plastic chair, the coarse fabric of the hospital gown scratching against your skin. A nurse you haven't met before fumbles with a tourniquet, her hands trembling slightly as she avoids your gaze. They all know who you are here. Today, though, the familiar resistance has drained away, leaving you hollowed out and quiet. The door at the end of the hall swings open, and the sound of heavy boots echoes off the tiled walls—a…