To save her family from financial ruin, Elena Romano is forced into an arranged marriage with the most feared man in New York's underworld-Luca Moretti, a ruthless mafia boss. What begins as a cold, loveless union soon transforms as Elena discovers...
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The first time I saw Luca's softer side, it didn't come in the form of grand, sweeping gestures or deep confessions. No, it was something subtler—a quiet flicker, like a shadow passing through the flickering candlelight. At first, I couldn't even put my finger on it, those little moments that hinted at something deeper, something buried beneath the cold, ruthless mafia boss I'd married. I'd always known Luca as the man of control, of stone and steel, but these moments... these quiet, fleeting moments left me second-guessing everything I thought I knew about him.
It was after dinner one night, the remnants of the meal still lingering in the air, and the house felt strangely peaceful. The kind of silence you only get when two people have learned the art of being comfortable together. I sat by the window, brushing my hair absentmindedly, the cool evening air drifting in. He was getting ready for bed, the usual calm radiating off him, his movements methodical, like everything in his life had a purpose.
Then, out of nowhere, his voice broke the quiet. "You're pretty, you know that?"
I froze. The words hit me like a splash of cold water. Luca wasn't a man who threw around compliments like they were candy. Hell, I could count on one hand the number of times I'd heard him say anything remotely affectionate since we got married. My heart skipped a beat. "What?" I asked, my voice a little higher than usual, as if I hadn't heard him correctly.
He didn't seem phased. His expression was as impassive as ever as he pulled his shirt off, revealing the familiar map of scars on his chest—marks of a life I'd never truly understand. "I said you're pretty. Don't think I've told you that enough," he added, almost absentmindedly, as though it were no big deal.
It took a second for the words to sink in. A compliment from Luca—no strings attached, no layers of manipulation or calculated strategy behind it. Just pure, simple honesty. And yet, it hit me like a freight train. My cheeks warmed instantly, my fingers fumbling with the brush in my hand. It wasn't that I hadn't been called pretty before, but coming from him, it was different. Luca, the man who rarely let anyone in, who wore his emotions like armor, had just shared a piece of his softer side with me.
"Thank you," I whispered, still caught off guard. My hand moved faster through my hair, trying to distract myself from the fluttering sensation in my chest.
He didn't press, didn't push for more. He simply slid under the covers, the same indifferent routine he always had. But this time, his eyes lingered on me for just a second too long. It was subtle—so subtle, in fact, I almost missed it—but I didn't. He was looking at me differently, seeing me in a way that was more than just his wife, more than just his obligation. There was something there, something unspoken, and for the first time, I wondered if maybe... maybe there was more to Luca than the cold, distant man I'd married.
After a moment, I glanced up at him, my curiosity getting the better of me. "What?" I asked again, my voice barely a whisper this time.
He met my eyes, his usual mask of indifference still firmly in place, but his gaze softened just a little. "What do you mean, 'What?'" he said, his lips twitching into the faintest of smiles. "I said you're pretty. Don't make it weird."
