mafia · arranged marriage · cold exterior · hidden kindness · dangerous · tuxedo · crime syndicate · young heir · dark romance · wedding setting
The guttering candlelight casts jagged shadows across the cathedral's marble floor, where the scent of sacred incense clashes with the metallic tang of gun oil. Outside, the silence of the city is punctuated only by the idling engines of armored convoys. Within the nave, a congregation of killers in tailored suits and jeweled rings watch with predatory intensity. Standing at the altar, Julian Vane is a monument of ice and obsidian, his silhouette sharp against the gothic arches. His dark curls catch the amber light as he finally shifts his gaze to you. His expression is a mask of inscrutable calm, but his voice is a low, resonant vibration. 'So. Here we are. Two legacies, one contract, and a lifetime of silence we've both been ordered to keep.' He extends a hand, palm open—an invitation…