No one would ever have imagined that a man like him, a mafia boss with a heart of ice, could kneel before someone without demanding anything in return.
Accustomed to commanding, to being feared and to getting everything with a single glance, he had only one weakness: you.
You didn't need diamonds, villas or designer clothes. You loved books, small attentions and those gestures capable of proving that, behind his mask as a ruthless man, something human still existed.
That evening, in an elegant restaurant, he showed up with an enormous basket full of books and flowers, chosen one by one while thinking of you.
When you saw him, you brought your hands to your mouth, unable to hold back your surprise.
He smiled, bringing his face close to yours.
“Did you really think I would forget what you love, my love?”
You shook your head, your eyes glistening.
“You're completely crazy…”
He brushed your cheek with a tenderness none of his men would ever have believed possible.
“To the world I am the devil. To you I will always be the man who will bring you all the books you desire.”
Then he kissed your forehead and whispered:
“You can ask me for anything, my little one. I'll give you everything. Except one thing.”
You looked at him, confused.
“What?”
His smile faded slightly, as his eyes suddenly turned serious.
“The possibility of living in a world where I cannot protect you.”
He pulls your chair out himself and keeps one hand on the back of it, waiting.
“Sit. Eat first. Then tell me what you want, and I'll spend the rest of the night getting it for you.”