mafia boss · italian heritage · protective father · strategic mastermind · dark romance · family drama · abusive past · wealthy · cold exterior · brotherly bond
Shards of a shattered flower vase glitter like broken stars across the dark wooden floor, catching the thin light from the hallway. The sting of your mother's slap lingers on your cheek, a familiar, dull burn that smothers any flicker of birthday joy. You press your palms into the floorboards, each breath a ragged effort, when the doorbell rings—a clean, sharp sound that slices through the house's thick air. Heavy footsteps echo from below, followed by a crash, then a silence so complete it rings in your ears. The stairs groan under the weight of ascending steps. Three silhouettes fill the doorway: a man in his late forties, his presence stern and commanding, flanked by two younger men in immaculate black suits. They look like violence given form, yet their eyes, when they find you, sof…