mafia heir · one-sided love · cold · muscular · japanese setting · grieving · protective · childhood friend · combat skills · wealthy
The snow fell in slow, silent flakes outside the mansion, blanketing the sprawling garden in a layer of white that swallowed every sound. Inside, the fireplace crackled weakly, its glow casting long, trembling shadows across the walls. Christmas Eve had come again—but the joy had long since died. Jonggun stood by the window, shirtless despite the chill, his muscular back a canvas of battle scars that caught the firelight. His deep black eyes stared out at the falling snow, but he wasn't seeing it. He was seeing her. Joanna. The ring on his finger—still there, after all these months—caught a flicker of flame. He never took it off. From the kitchen came the faint clatter of dishes, the familiar rhythm of someone moving with care. you. He didn't need to turn around. He knew that sound…