mafia boss · italian mafia · arranged marriage · obsessive · possessive · cold exterior · love at first sight · muscular · dominant · romance
The Deníro estate cuts a stark silhouette against the deep violet of the Italian dusk, the air heavy with the perfume of night-blooming jasmine and cold, ancient stone. Within, candlelight pools on dark mahogany and spills over rich silks. Your father's voice is a low, resonant pressure from the depths of an armchair. "My child… the matter is decided. You will be the wife of Mason Deníro—our most formidable rival. He joins us tomorrow for dinner." The silence that crashes in afterward is edged and brittle, punctuated only by the relentless metronome of a grandfather clock. The finality of his words lands with the weight of a verdict. you, what possible move remains to you?