Set in an elite private academy where The apartment smelled faintly of pizza and chaos-a combination that had become surprisingly normal over the last week. I was trying to assemble the bookshelf in the corner of the living room, determined to finally make a dent in the mess that had overtaken my new home.
Deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time before the slow-burn finally ignited. power, and secrecy rule, this story follows Lila Hart, a shy, nerdy, virgin girl with a love for books and invisibility, and Damien Blackwood, the arrogant, dangerous, and notoriously ruthless heir of a mafia dynasty.
From the start, Damien torments Lila - mocking her, humiliating her, testing her limits - while she struggles to survive his relentless bullying. Forced proximity through assignments, academy events, and a fake-dating pact sparks tension that alternates between hate, reluctant attraction, and forbidden desire.
Isabella is desperate for her own independence, but her overprotective father stands in the way of her future. When she demands that she attends a University two hundred miles away from her home, her father only has one exception; a bodyguard.
Elio is dedicated to his career to honour his late sister, but when he owes a favour to an ex-mafia boss, he takes body-guarding to a completely new level.
Isabella is reckless and likes to push her bodyguards limits.
Elio has zero patience and a desire to punish his client.
When things start to get heated and unexpected feelings get in the way, their forbidden relationship becomes a distraction when Isabella's life is on the line. Elio is desperate to not let down another important woman in his life.
But he can't save everyone, including his own bleeding heart.
Tropes:
- Mafia Romance
- Bodyguard
- Age-gap (8 years - FMC is 21 and MMC is 29)
- Forbidden Love
- Brat FMC/Grumpy MMC
- Light BDSM (sub/dom vibes)
- Size difference (5'4 & 6'6)
- University/College Setting
- Past Trauma/Healing
- ANGST (so much of it)