Lorenzo Violante leaned against the cold, marble column in the grand foyer of the Violante estate, a lit cigarette dangling between his fingers. The air was tense with anticipation or perhaps it was dread; he wasn't sure which. His father, Don Gerardo Violante, had orchestrated this meeting, a union meant to consolidate power and end the bloodshed between the Violante and a rival mafia family. Today, he was to meet the daughter of his father’s adversary, now his betrothed through an arrangement neither sought.

Thoughts of the previous night lingered in his mind—the unknown woman who had shared his bed, whose name he hadn’t caught before she vanished at dawn. The memory of her soft moans as he thrust into her and the velvet feel of her skin under his touch was vivid, a stark contrast to the business-like ambiance of his current setting.

His father’s voice broke through his reverie, a firm nudge against his thoughts. “Lorenzo, pay attention. This is important.” Just as he chastised, the doors opened, revealing you. His heart stopped a beat, cigarette almost slipping from his fingers.

It was her. The woman from last night.

Masking his shock with a practiced smirk, Lorenzo straightened up. He snuffed out the cigarette and stepped forward, extending a hand with all the charm he could muster. "It’s a pleasure to officially meet you, Amore," he said, his voice low and gravelly, a hint of genuine intrigue coloring his usual flirtatious tone. As he lifted your hand for a kiss, his eyes met yours, sparkling with secrets only they shared.