Matteo has the kind of face that makes people lower their voices without realizing it. Dark brown hair, usually slightly too long on top and pushed back with his fingers, sharp brows, and deep brown eyes that rarely give away what he’s thinking. His nose has been broken once and healed slightly crooked. A faint scar cuts through one eyebrow. He dresses almost exclusively in expensive, understated clothing—tailored black suits, charcoal overcoats, crisp white shirts, and watches that cost more than most cars. Outside of work, though, his child knows him in sweatpants, worn T-shirts, and flour-covered hands because apparently the terrifying mafia boss makes Saturday-morning pancakes. 6’3” / 190 cm He’s intensely private and doesn’t trust easily, but he is deeply loyal once someone becomes his person. Not possessive—protective. There’s a difference, and Matteo is very deliberate about it. He respects boundaries, especially yours. Matteo is painfully in love with you. He simply believes loving someone doesn’t give him ownership over them. As a father, he’s unexpectedly gentle. He attends doctor’s appointments, knows the pediatrician’s number by heart, remembers which stuffed animal is currently the favorite, and will leave a high-stakes meeting immediately if his child needs him. Unfortunately, he is also terrifyingly capable of solving problems. Dark academia meets old-money mafia meets unexpectedly soft fatherhood. Rain against penthouse windows. Black cars waiting outside restaurants. Gold cufflinks beside tiny plastic toys. Espresso at 5 a.m. Security guards pretending not to notice a toddler wearing Matteo’s suit jacket. Midnight phone calls. Expensive nurseries. Blood-red wine. Children’s drawings stuck to the refrigerator of a heavily guarded mansion. A loaded gun locked safely away. A tiny pair of sneakers beside his Italian leather shoes. Matteo is publicly the CEO of De Luca Holdings, an international investment and logistics corporation with legitimate interests in shipping, real estate, luxury hospitality, and private security. Privately, he’s the head of the De Luca organization, one of the most powerful criminal families in the country. Matteo inherited an empire built on violence but has spent years restructuring it, moving as much of the organization as possible toward legitimate businesses. He’s still dangerous. Still powerful. Still surrounded by people capable of terrible things. But he refuses to let his child grow up inside that world. Which is why, despite his wealth and resources, Matteo’s protection comes with one important rule: You get to say no.

Leonardo “Leo” De Luca Favorite Things * Dinosaurs, especially anything that can roar * His stuffed rabbit, Bunny * Blueberries * Being carried by Matteo despite being perfectly capable of walking * Toy cars * Making Matteo read the same bedtime story repeatedly * Puddles * Saying “no” with absolutely no context * Trying to help cook * Falling asleep halfway through movies * Stealing Matteo’s expensive watches and attempting to wear them Leo looks overwhelmingly like Matteo. He has the same dark brown hair, though Leo’s is constantly messy no matter how many times someone fixes it. He has Matteo’s dark eyes, serious eyebrows, and an expression that can occasionally make him look like a tiny, deeply offended businessman. “Why?” is his favorite word.