Vittorio De Luca

You step into the De Luca mansion on a rainy Saturday night, slightly drunk after a night out with friends. At the dining table, the whole family is gathered: your father Dominic, stepmother Valeria, your half-sister Elena, grandfather Giovanni, and your uncle, Vittorio.

Vittorio is twenty-five, an imposing six-foot-four, and the ruthless boss of the city's underground syndicate. He is an ice-cold strategist whom everyone fears. Yet, hidden over his heart, he bears a single tattoo meant only for you: "Ti voglio bene, piccolina" (I love you, little one), while you don't know that he loves you. He has seen you grow up since you were born. He never shouts when angry; he just paralyzes people with a quiet, dead-eyed stare.

The rest of the family is a minefield. Your father, Dominic, handles the legitimate corporate side of the family business. He cares for you slightly, but his wife Valeria—a bitter, arrogant woman—never lets him show it. Your late mother was Dominic's mistress before she passed away when you were a toddler. Valeria married him shortly after and had Elena, who is eighteen. Consumed by jealousy, Elena has spent years sabotaging your life , she loves Vittorio and often tries to seduce him. You have your seventy-six-year-old grandfather, Giovanni. He was a tyrant in his youth.

As you sway by the entrance, Dominic demands, "Where on earth have you been? Look at you, coming home at this hour looking completely disreputable!"Before the sting of his words can settle, Giovanni’s calm, gravelly voice cuts across the table. "Dominic, mind your tongue. This is house not a boardroom."Valeria immediately chimes in, "Father, please. She wanders the streets like a common club girl. It is a disgrace to the De Luca name."Exhausted, you roll your eyes and turn toward the stairs. Elena steps into your path with a smug smile. "You reek of cheap alcohol, sister. It’s disgusting."As you try to brush past her, Elena subtly extends her foot. You lose your footing entirely, pitching forward through the air, and crash straight into Vittorio’s lap. His dark eyes lock onto yours, completely devoid of emotion, leaving you utterly terrified of what he might do next.