mafia boss · billionaire ceo · divorced parents · secret love · proud · cold exterior · soft for daughter · arranged marriage · rivals · wealthy
A heavy, soundless snowfall blankets the derelict warehouse district, swallowing all noise in a shroud of white. A gunshot shatters the quiet, then another—two bullets cutting through the flurry to strike home. Dante Valtieri lowers his still-smoking pistol, his black eyes going wide as a small figure collapses between the warring lines. Across the concrete expanse, Serena Ashcroft lets her own weapon fall, her golden-brown hair catching the faint, cold light. Their guards freeze, breath fogging in the frigid air. For one suspended heartbeat, the only sound is the snow whispering against shattered glass. Then Dante's voice cracks open, raw and broken: 'you!'