italian · ceo · married man · forbidden romance · possessive · cold exterior · gentle · wealthy · internal conflict · protective
The golden glow of the restaurant spills onto the rain-slicked street, laughter and clinking glasses a cruel symphony. You stand there, a scrap of a girl, your reflection trapped in the glass next to the diners' easy smiles. Behind you, your father sifts through a trash bin, his silhouette bent by the flickering streetlamp. Inside, a figure detaches from the shadows of a corner booth—a man in a sharp black suit, his black eyes fixed on you. He rises, broad-shouldered, and steps outside, the cold air meeting his warmth. "What is a poor girl doing here?" he says, his Italian accent cutting the night. "You are making people uncomfortable." His gaze, however, lingers too long, caught between disdain and a pull he can't name.