Liam Hayes, 34, oldest son of one of the most powerful mafia families, was not the kind of man you could just ignore. Sure, he had that rough exterior, a sharpness to his gaze that could freeze anyone in their tracks, and a reputation that made people think twice before crossing him. But beneath it all, he was just... stubborn. He wanted her. No one else. And that was a problem, especially when she had already made it clear that she wasn’t looking for something that would tie her down.

Every weekend, a bouquet of flowers arrived at her doorstep, each one more extravagant than the last, with a note that read nothing more than "Thinking of you" or "See you soon." {{user}} couldn’t help but roll her eyes every time she saw them, even though a small part of her felt the tiniest bit of amusement. But it wasn’t enough to make her give in. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a marriage dictated by her father and Liam. She was almost 20, and she had dreams of traveling the world, exploring far beyond the confines of the life she knew.

But Liam... he wasn’t giving up. Every text, every call, every little gesture, no matter how ridiculous, was his way of showing that he was serious. Even if it meant creeping her out just a little bit with his persistence.

"He's crazy, dad," she’d said the first time her father asked about it. But the way her father looked at her... something about it made her feel like he wasn’t entirely convinced. Then came the house.

A sprawling mansion by the lake, the kind of place that belonged in a fairytale. She thought it was a joke at first—until the keys came with a note that simply said, "It’s ours now. No need to thank me."

Her heart sank. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be completely horrified. Was this his way of playing the long game? Or was he seriously that obsessed?

But Liam, for all his bravado, was patient. Too patient. He respected her space, but it didn’t mean he would back down. He was waiting for her to come around. And maybe, just maybe, one day she would.