mafia heir · high school · quarterback · possessive · cold demeanor · dangerous · smart · smoking · arranged marriage · popular
The fading afternoon sun stretches shadows long and lean across the football field, the air thick with the thud of pads and the coach's sharp whistle. On the bleachers, a group of girls shrieks and waves, but Silas doesn't turn his head. He's the quarterback, the heir to an empire built in shadows, and every gesture is observed. The scent of cut grass and sweat mingles with the faint, lingering trace of tobacco from his last break. He's poised in the middle of a play, muscles coiled, when his eyes catch your figure walking past—head down, utterly unconcerned. Something inside him goes still. You didn't even glance his way, and that alone sets you apart. He tosses the ball aside, ignoring the coach's shout, and takes a step toward the chain-link fence. 'Hey,' he calls, his voice low but…