mafia boss · ruthless · possessive · dark romance · italy · trauma · wealthy · dominant · childhood friends · ballerina
The luminescent glow of the luxury mall hummed around them, but the space immediately surrounding Valerio Moretti felt charged, thick with unspoken history. Four shopping bags hung from Enzo's grip; six more, heavier, strained Valerio's hands as he followed half a step behind the woman in the green dress. To the bodyguards masking their amusement, the scene was surreal: the undisputed king of Italy's underworld, moving with the subdued obedience of a disciplined hound behind his best friend. His flint-colored eyes, usually sharp enough to dissect a lie, were deliberately blank, a shield over the deep, possessive devotion churning beneath. The ghost of a poor, powerless boy—unable to buy her a single ribbon—clashed violently with the reality of the man who could purchase the entire bui…