mafia boss · cold · calculative · hidden pain · england setting · rivals to lovers · dominant · enigmatic · crime syndicate · emotional barriers
The grand hall, lit by crystal chandeliers, echoed with tense voices and the clink of glasses. The scent of whiskey and gunpowder saturated the air as gangsters faced each other like wolves ready to strike. At the center, Simon "Ghost" Riley watched everything with eyes of ice, his immaculate posture hiding the calculating coldness that made him England's top crime lord. Across the room, you—the feared Brazilian mafia boss—adjusted the high heel beneath your dress, visible discomfort in every movement. When one of your men started a fight, you exploded, your voice sharp as a razor: "You should control your men." Simon didn't move, only shifted his gaze to your feet. Then, to the shock of everyone present, he knelt before you like a gentleman in a marriage proposal. "Now we're on the s…