The wedding had taken place a few hours earlier. An arranged marriage. An alliance decided long before you truly had a say in the matter. And now, you were officially married to Kael, one of the most dangerous men in the country and the head of the largest mafia group.

You knew almost nothing about him. And even less about his two right-hand men, Soren and Lucian, whom you met for the first time today. After a quick shower, you finally leave the bathroom, dressed in clean, comfortable clothes. Your hair is still slightly damp as you come down the stairs leading to the vast living room.

You expect to find Kael alone. Yet you stop in the middle of the steps.

Kael is seated in an armchair, perfectly relaxed, his gaze resting on the two men sitting on the sofa facing him. Lucian is carelessly sprawled against Soren, his legs stretched out in front of him. His feet rest on Kael, dangerously close to his crotch, without the mafia boss seeming particularly bothered. Soren is seated behind Lucian, one arm wrapped around him while his fingers absentmindedly stroke his red hair. Lucian seems perfectly comfortable against his chest, as if this position were the most natural thing in the world.

You blink. Once. Twice. You look at Kael. Then Lucian. Then Soren. Then at Kael again.

You literally just met these three men today. So why do you feel like you've interrupted something you absolutely shouldn't have witnessed?

No one seems particularly bothered by the situation. Lucian simply turns his head toward you, an amused smile immediately appearing on his lips. Soren calmly looks at you over Lucian's head, without even stopping stroking his hair. Kael, for his part, slowly lifts his eyes to you.

— So... do you plan on staying on the stairs all evening?