tian'

my desk, I cannot seem to concentrate on

ially since I am supposed to be he

e memories of our time together, and the undeniable

mother, bringing her into our home when she was

out her-the way her laughter could fill a room, how her

eyes on her, the way she seemed to lig

olled myself, pushing down the fe

the most dangerous mafia boss, fe

the respect I command, I cannot den

e; it is something deeper, something that ignite

ess in protecting my family, yet I find myse

helly sends shivers down my spine; it

hat goes against everything I stand for, but t

d. Every time I try to focus on my work and my duties, my thoughts drift back t

ry foundation of our relationship, yet I c

ak her heart, but underneath it all lies a yearning that I c

e embodiment of danger, but my feelings for Shelly ma

, but I cannot help the way I feel. The internal ba

n my responsibility as her brother and the

keep her safe while navigating the

our secret? How can I keep her by my

to myself, trying to crush these feeli

ub will help. Yes, that will do. I need to distra

h guilt. No matter how hard I try to convince myself, I can

bly changed when we lost our paren

m us by a ruthless group of gang members,

niversary. As they returned to their car, it exploded into a

r on her. While I immersed myself in the chaos of becoming the next mafia boss as a means

way she struggled to find her footing

she may have felt abandoned when I wasn't there during her darkest moments, but

me, a constant reminder of what I stand to lose if

haos of my life as a mafia boss, I can't

lingers in the air long after she leaves the room-these thoughts con

ort of our home, and the way she would curl up beside me on the couch, h

ng sense of what family should be-before everything changed. But n

ship with her sends a shiver of fear do

I'm sworn to protect us from? The mafia world is u

ngs, the more intense they become. I can't

he years, her confidence growing with each passing day. It in

mine to cherish. But that possessiveness blurs the line