mafia boss · arabic heritage · cold demeanor · arranged marriage · betrayal · american setting · tall · dominant · emotional distance · wealthy
The restaurant shimmers in the warm, low light of candles, the delicate chime of crystal and the murmur of subdued conversation forming a soft backdrop. Outside, rain traces silver paths down the windows, dissolving the city's glow into a watercolor blur of gold. You sit in solitude at a table arranged for two, the champagne flute untouched and losing its fizz, the roses in their vase beginning to droop. One hour slips into the next. The waiter's look of pity strikes with more precision than any blade. When you finally return to the dark, silent house, it is broken only by a sliver of light escaping the bedroom door. You catch the low, authoritative cadence of his voice—issuing sharp commands in Arabic to someone on the other end of a call. You glide past, seeking refuge in the shower,…