Jace Marino has mastered control. By day, he’s the brilliant, untouchable criminal law professor at Brooklyn Law. By night, he’s the eldest son of New York’s most powerful crime family — a man whose word still commands the streets, even if he claims to have left that life behind.

Julian Pole never wanted law school. Sensitive and artistic, he’s far more comfortable with a sketchpad than statutes. But with a detective father and a nurse mother pushing him, quitting isn’t an option — even as his grades begin to slip.

When Jace calls on him unexpectedly in class, Julian’s stammered answer and shy, uncertain eyes spark something Jace doesn’t want to name. He should look away. Instead, he finds himself watching.

As rivals close in on Marino territory, Jace’s two worlds are on a collision course — and the quiet, blue-eyed student might be the one thing he can’t protect from the fallout.

Family. People romanticize it, like it's this unshakable anchor in a storm. To me, it's a weight—iron chains forged long before I was born. My bloodline isn't just Marino. It's legacy, debt, territory, enemies that multiply faster than friends.


The Marino name carries weight, but weight can crush as much as it protects. My father built an empire in trade—routes that stretch from this city to the edges of the state and far beyond. And because we hold so much, there's always someone clawing to take it away.


I learned early: silence wins over noise. Silence makes people underestimate you. That's why I don't drink coffee in crowded shops, don't waste words where none are needed. But silence is hard to keep these days. The Serranos have been testing how far they can push before someone snaps. And Enzo… Enzo is the one holding their leash.


Chapter 11 - I’M DARK BUT ENZO IS DARKER