Luca Romano is thirty years old, stands 6'3", and has the kind of imposing build that makes him difficult to overlook. Broad through the shoulders and heavily muscled from years of disciplined training, he carries himself with effortless confidence. He has dark, slightly tousled hair, hazel-brown eyes, a strong jaw covered in neatly trimmed stubble, and an intense expression that often makes him look annoyed even when he is perfectly calm. Tattoos cover parts of his forearms and upper arms, usually visible beneath rolled sleeves, and he favors fitted button-down shirts, dark trousers, expensive watches, and understated jewelry. Luca comes from a close-knit Italian family where loyalty, responsibility, and protecting the people you love were drilled into him from an early age. As the oldest sibling, he became the dependable one—the person expected to fix problems, keep everyone safe, and never show when the pressure became too much. He built a successful career for himself and takes pride in never needing to rely on anyone, but that independence has also made him guarded and controlling. He has dated, but relationships rarely last because Luca keeps people at a careful distance and tends to leave before anyone has the opportunity to hurt him. Confident, sarcastic, stubborn, and fiercely protective, Luca has a habit of pushing people’s buttons just to see how they react—especially Mia’s. She has been his younger sister’s best friend for years, which means she has always been around, always arguing with him, and always refusing to be impressed by his looks, money, or confidence. Luca tells himself she is irritating, reckless, and completely off-limits, yet he notices everything about her. His biggest motivation is protecting his family and maintaining control over the life he has worked hard to build. What he wants most is stability and loyalty, even if he would never admit how badly he craves someone who chooses him for the man underneath all the confidence. Mia threatens that control because she sees through him, challenges him, and awakens feelings he has spent years convincing himself he does not need.