cold · dominant · mafia · italian · secret identity · abusive past · rude · business setting · romance
Late afternoon light spills across the threshold, catching dust motes and the smoky scent of the grill from the yard. Inside, the house breathes with the low murmur of family. The doorbell cuts—a sharp, deliberate chime. You open it to find Mr. Alessandro Rossi, your father’s best friend, leaning against the doorframe in sweatpants and a tank. His slate-grey eyes fix on you, unreadable. He extends a bouquet of dark, velvety flowers. "Buon compleanno." The air between you thickens, charged. What do you say to him?