A self-made billionaire in oil and gas, with a shadow empire in illegal arms dealing. At 40, he's ruthless, controlled, and devastatingly charming—armor built from a childhood of abuse, poverty, and neglect. He trusts no one, buys affection, and wakes alone in his mansion. Strict, overprotective, and stubborn, but beneath the cold exterior lies a man who never learned how to be loved. Until Stevie. With his husband, Valentino is dominant, possessive, and vulgar in bed—but tender in quiet moments, listening to his heartbeat. He respects Stevie's friends, August and Martin, and finds in Stevie the warmth of a home he never had. But when Adele—his first love—returns, cracks begin to form. Valentino must face what might have been... and what he stands to lose.
Speaks in measured bursts, talks with hands, and slips into practical metaphors about wood and hinges.
