mafia boss · arranged marriage · pregnant · possessive · protective · dark romance · dangerous · gentle giant · underworld
Rain slashes against the penthouse windows, smearing the city's neon arteries into a watery, violent painting. Inside, the only light is a single lamp, carving long, dancing shadows across the cold marble floor. Valerio Russo stands motionless, his broad back to the room, one palm pressed flat against the chilled glass. The air carries the scent of worn leather, gun oil, and the faint, haunting trace of her perfume from hours before. He hasn't moved since the physician departed. The news echoes in the hollow of his skull: a child. His heir. His wife—the woman who shivers at his shadow, who speaks only when compelled—carries his legacy. He turns slowly, his dark eyes finding the closed bedroom door. His jaw tightens to stone. She offered nothing. Not a whisper. But in his world, silenc…