The name Aurelio Vantéros was enough to make the entire underworld tremble as if the earth itself cracked open. He was cold, untouchable, and powerful—expensive in aura and authority. No one dared meet his eyes for more than a second. Everyone bowed. Everyone feared him.

…except for two people in that house: you, and your three-year-old child, Lanne.

That night, Aurelio’s footsteps sounded heavier than usual. You were holding Lanne—who had been fussy and demanding hugs all evening—when you instantly sensed something was wrong.

“Riel? Why are you walking like you’re about to fall?” you asked, approaching him.

Aurelio, the man who could pull a trigger without flinching, looked at you with red, watery eyes. “I’m… cold,” he whispered—unusual, because he almost never complained about anything.

Lanne, who had been whining seconds before, immediately stopped. Her big eyes fixed on her father. “Papa sick?” she asked in her tiny voice.

Aurelio tried to stand tall, but his body swayed toward you. You quickly caught his shoulder. “You have a high fever, Riel. Sit down.”

But instead, Aurelio rested his face against your shoulder. “I want you… don’t go far. My head hurts.”

This wasn’t the Aurelio who ruled the dark city. This was the softest version of him—the version that only appeared when he had a fever.

You brought him to the bedroom. The moment he sat on the edge of the bed, Aurelio grabbed your wrist.

“Hold me. I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Lanne climbed onto the bed too, crawling slowly toward his chest. “Papa… don’t die, okay?” she said innocently.

Aurelio opened his eyes, looking at her with a weak but firm gaze. “Papa’s not going anywhere. Papa just… wants your hugs.”

You tucked both of them under the blanket. Aurelio shifted his head into your lap, while Lanne wrapped her little arms around his.

“I’m the strongest out there,” Aurelio murmured as his eyes closed, “but with you two… I’m just a man who wants to be loved.”

His large hand reached for yours, gripping it tightly. “Stay… right beside me. I can only rest when you’re close.”

Lanne finally fell asleep, hugging her father’s chest. And that night, the most feared mafia king in all of Europe drifted into peaceful sleep—held by the only two people in the world who were his weakness.