Run, fight, hate me all you want, Sofia—but understand this. You are mine. In this life, the next, and every damn one after that. No god, no man, not even death will take you from me."——— Alex Luciano

The night reeked of blood.

Gunfire crackled through the air, drowning out the dying screams of men who dared stand against him. Smoke curled in the night like a demon's whisper, and the mansion that once stood as the heart of the Italian Mafia was now a battlefield.

Alex Luciano walked through the carnage, his presence alone a death sentence. His black combat shirt clung to his sculpted frame, soaked in both sweat and the blood of his enemies. His men flanked him-merciless shadows eliminating anyone foolish enough to raise a weapon.

A soldier lunged at Alex with a blade, desperation in his eyes.

A mistake.

Alex sidestepped effortlessly, gripping the man's wrist and twisting until the sickening snap of bone echoed. With a brutal efficiency, he drove the same knife into the man's throat, twisting it deep before letting the body crumple to the ground.

Behind him, the sound of combat was relentless. His underlings fought against the remaining Italian forces, the clash of steel against steel, the thunder of gunshots, the raw violence of fists meeting flesh .

"Fall back! Fall back!" an Italian lieutenant screamed, but Alex's men were wolves in the hunt-unstoppable.

Alex continued forward, unbothered by the chaos around him. His target was inside.

Sofia.

They had taken her.

His Sofia.

The mere thought sent something dark spiraling inside him-a storm of rage and obsession, of a madness no man could hope to contain.

A group of men attempted to block his path. He counted six. Armed. Trained. But not enough.

One raised his gun-Alex shot first. The bullet tore through his skull, and before the others could react, Alex lunged.

A quick feint, a sharp pivot, and his boot slammed into a man's ribs, sending him crashing into another. The second he hit the ground, Alex fired again, ensuring he never stood again.

The last two charged him together.

Fools.

Alex dodged a sloppy punch, grabbing the attacker's wrist and twisting him into a chokehold, using his body as a shield. The other hesitated, and that was all Alex needed.

With a brutal snap, he ended the man in his grasp before launching a knife straight into the last man's heart.

The hallway was silent once more, save for the groans of the dying.

Alex exhaled. He barely felt the pain of his own wounds, the bullets grazing his arm, the bruises forming beneath his clothes. They were insignificant.

Nothing mattered but her.

Kicking open the final door, his gaze landed on the figure in the center of the room.

Sofia.

Her wrists were bound to the chair, her breathing shallow, her heart hammering against her ribs as her world shattered before her very eyes.

Because the man standing beside her held a folder. A folder filled with damning proof.

Proof that Alex had killed her brother.

And for the first time that night, a bullet to the heart might've hurt less than the look she gave him .

Blood painted the floor where Alex stood, gun still raised, his breath uneven but his posture unwavering.

He was a devil carved from flesh and bone

The Italian Mafia's underboss, a man in his late forties with a scar running down his face, smirked as he held up the folder-the very thing that had shattered her world.

"Ah, Luciano," he drawled, voice thick with amusement. "You came just in time. She finally knows the truth."

Sofia's lips trembled. "Tell me it's a lie," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Tell me you didn't do this, Alex."

His silence was worse than a confession.

Alex didn't look away from her. His emerald-green eyes, usually dark with an untamed hunger, were unreadable now. A storm raged within them, but she didn't know if it was regret or something else.

She wanted him to say it wasn't true. To tell her that the papers, the pictures, the evidence-all of it was fabricated.

But he didn't.

Because it wasn't.

The Italian underboss chuckled. "Ah, love," he mocked, shaking his head. "So blind, even when the truth is staring you in the face." He gestured toward the photos-the ones that showed Alex's men dragging her brother into a secluded alleyway. The ones that captured his final moments, a gun pressed against his skull.

Sofia felt bile rise in her throat.

"Why...?" Her voice cracked. "Why did you do it?"

Alex finally spoke. "Because he was in my way."

The simplicity of his words sent a shiver through her.

Her brother had gambled away everything-including her. She knew that. He was reckless, irresponsible, a fool. But he was hers. The only family she had left.

And Alex had taken him from her.

Sofia shook her head in disbelief, tears burning her eyes. "You-You killed him because of me?"

The Italian underboss grinned. "Oh, amore, you don't know the half of it." He leaned in close, whispering in her ear. "Luciano here? He's a madman. Obsessed with you beyond salvation. Your brother? Just a loose end. And your niece...?"

Sofia's breath hitched.

The underboss smirked, watching her reaction. "Oh, that hurts, doesn't it?" He clicked his tongue. "She had nothing to do with it. A sweet, innocent child . But Luciano-" he flicked his gaze toward Alex with a twisted grin-"didn't care. She stood in his way too. And you know what happens to people who stand in his way."

Sofia's body went cold.

The Italian mafia boss threw a stack of blood-stained papers onto the floor before her. Her breath hitched as she stared at them, her fingers trembling violently.

Sofia hesitated, her gut twisting as she knelt to pick up the papers. Her eyes skimmed the words, absorbing each agonizing detail. A cold-blooded murder. A small girl. Ten years old. Her heart stopped

Her trembling fingers slid to the attached photo-a familiar face. Her niece.

Gone.

Murdered.

By the man who claimed he would protect her.

Tears blurred her vision. "You..." Her voice shook. "You killed my niece?"

Alex didn't flinch. His expression didn't change. He simply stared at her, his gaze unreadable.

A strangled scream tore from her throat. "No... no, no, NO!" The papers slipped from her grasp as she clutched her chest, gasping for air. Tears blurred her vision as raw, uncontrollable agony crashed over her like a tidal wave.

The Italian boss took a slow drag of his cigar, watching her crumble. "Alex Luciano killed her. Your sweet, little niece. Shot her right in the head."

Sofia's body convulsed with violent sobs. Memories of the little girl's laughter, her bright eyes, her tiny hands clutching Sofia's dress-gone. Stolen. Shattered. Her hands clenched into fists.

Alex took a slow step toward her.

His voice was quiet but firm. "I did what I had to do."

A storm of emotions raged inside her-grief, heartbreak, disbelief... and then something darker. A blind, uncontrollable fury.

Sofia let out a broken laugh, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You had to kill my brother? My niece ? Alex, she was just a child . She-she would have never stood against you!

Her legs barely carried her as she staggered to her feet, her blood boiling, her vision painted in red.

She thought she had known Alex Luciano. Thought she had seen his worst.

She was wrong.

His lips curled into a smirk. A cruel, taunting smirk.

"You look so beautiful when you cry, tesoro."

A scream of rage ripped from Sofia's throat as she lunged at him, her hands gripping his collar with all the strength she had left. She shook him violently, her nails digging into his skin. "You MONSTER!" she shrieked. "You KILLED HER!"

Alex only chuckled. Deep, low, maddening.

"She was in the way," he whispered, leaning in, his voice intoxicatingly cruel. "And you... you were meant to be mine."

His fingers trailed over her tear-streaked cheek, his touch almost tender. But his eyes-those wicked, soulless eyes-they held nothing but obsession.

Sofia was drowning in a whirlwind of grief and terror. This man was insane.

Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed, sobbing into the cold floor. Her world was gone. And the devil before her? He was reveling in her pain.

Alex knelt beside her, his breath warm against her ear. "You can hate me, scream at me, cry all you want... but you'll never escape me, Sofia."

The underboss clicked his tongue. "Well, Luciano, what now?" He spread his arms, daring him. "Are you going to shoot me? In front of her?"

Alex's finger hovered over the trigger.

Sofia sucked in a sharp breath.

"No!" she screamed just as the gunshot rang out.

The underboss's body jerked.

Alex had shot him.

But not in the head.

The bullet lodged into his shoulder, sending him sprawling to the floor, cursing in pain.

Alex walked forward, stepping over his writhing body. He crouched down, gripping the man's chin in an iron grasp.

"You talk too much," Alex murmured before slamming his gun across his face, knocking him out cold.

Silence filled the room.

Sofia was trembling. Not just from fear. From rage.

Alex slowly turned to her.

His voice was quiet, but lethal. "I told you before, mi amore. You belong to me."

Tears streamed down her face. "You're a monster," she choked out.

A dark, humorless smile curled his lips. "And yet, you're still looking at me like you don't know whether to hate me or fall apart in my arms."

Sofia flinched.

Because he wasn't wrong.

And that terrified her more than anything else.

---

The dimly lit chamber was suffocating. The air, thick with tension, crackled like a storm waiting to break. Sofia stood motionless, her breath uneven as she faced Alex Luciano-the man who had ruined her life, the man who had stolen everything from her.

He sat on the edge of the grand, dark mahogany bed, one leg casually resting over the other. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the sculpted lines of his chest, the faint scars that spoke of past battles. The dim light flickered across his face, sharpening the dangerous glint in his eyes. He held a glass of whiskey in one hand, swirling the amber liquid lazily as he studied her.

"You look like a deer caught in headlights," he murmured, his voice low, taunting.

Sofia's hands clenched at her sides. "Let me go, Alex," she whispered, hating the tremor in her voice.

Alex smirked, setting his glass aside. "You still don't understand, do you?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his gaze dark and unreadable. "You were mine the moment I laid eyes on you. And you will always be mine."

She shook her head, stepping back instinctively, but he was faster. In an instant, he was in front of her, towering over her, his fingers grazing her jaw. The touch was deceptively gentle, but she knew better-Alex Luciano was anything but gentle.

His lips crashed onto hers-possessive, unrelenting. The kiss was a claim, a reminder that her fate was sealed. No matter how far she ran, no matter how much she fought, she would always belong to him.

His hands roamed, teasing, torturing, drawing out every reaction he craved. Pleasure. Desperation. Need.

His fingers trailed down her neck, slow, deliberate. "Tell me, Sofia," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin. "Do you hate me?"

She met his gaze with defiance. "Yes," she hissed.

Alex chuckled darkly. "Good. Hatred makes things... interesting."

He reached for the delicate strap of her dress, letting his fingers slide over her shoulder. Sofia's entire body tensed.

"Stop," she breathed, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Alex tilted his head, amused. "If I stopped, I wouldn't be Alex Luciano."

His fingers traced the fabric, drawing it lower, baring her skin inch by inch. Sofia shuddered-not from pleasure, but from the overwhelming sense of powerlessness. She wanted to resist, to fight, but the moment she moved, Alex caught her wrist, pulling her flush against him.

"Let me go," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

His lips brushed against her ear, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. "Never."

Sofia swallowed hard, her body betraying her with the way it trembled against his. The scent of whiskey and something inherently Alex invaded her senses, suffocating her.

"Why do you fight me, Sofia?" he murmured, his lips ghosting over her temple. "You already know the truth."

She turned her face away, but he caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. His eyes, dark as the abyss, held her captive.

"You belong to me."

His words were a sentence, a promise, a curse.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. "I will never love you."

Alex's grip tightened, his jaw clenching. Then, slowly, dangerously, his lips curled into a smirk. "Love? Oh, Sofia," he whispered, dragging his fingers through her hair. "Who said anything about love?"

He leaned in, his lips mere inches from hers.

"This isn't about love," he said. "This is about possession."

Sofia shivered, knowing that, in this moment, Alex Luciano had already won.

The air in the room grew unbearably thick. Sofia trembled as Alex's fingers trailed down her spine, his touch both possessive and taunting. His breath was hot against her skin, teasing, savoring every second of her resistance.

"You're trembling," he murmured, his lips grazing her collarbone.

She whimpered.

"Say it, baby." His voice was a low growl.

"Say it."

"I..." Her voice broke.

His hand wrapped around her throat, not to hurt-but to remind her.

"You. Are. Mine. EVERY. INCH. OF. YOU. BELONGS. TO. ME. "

The words dripped like poison, sinking into her bones.

Sofia squeezed her eyes shut, her body betraying her with every shiver. "I hate you," she whispered.

Alex chuckled darkly, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist. "Lies," he mused, dragging his lips down to her bare shoulder.

Her mind screamed at her to push him away, to resist, but her limbs felt heavy under his control. His grip on her hips tightened, pulling her closer, molding her against him. Every touch was slow, deliberate-a silent declaration that she belonged to him.

His fingers trailed down her stomach, past her navel, teasing, not giving her what she needed. Her body was his playground, and he knew every weak spot, every hidden ache waiting to be unraveled.

Her wrists strained against the cuffs, her body caught between surrender and defiance. But when his fingers slipped lower, she shattered, lost in the madness of him.

The world blurred. The pleasure burned.

But just as she reached the peak-he stopped.

Sofia's breath hitched. A cruel pause. A dark tease.

Alex smirked, dragging his fingers down her thigh, watching her struggle.

"I should leave you like this. Desperate. Needy.

Her pride waged war with her body, but the need was too much.

"Alex, please-"

"Beg me."

Sofia's chest rose and fell, her pride a crumbling wall.

He dipped his fingers between her thighs-just enough to make her gasp.

"Beg me, or I'll leave you like this."

Her eyes burned with defiance, but the ache inside her won.

"Please..." she whispered.

He flipped her over in one swift motion, pulling her hips up, forcing her knees apart. His hands gripped her waist like a brand, and when he thrust back inside her-it was pure devastation.

Hard. Deep. Merciless.

Sofia's fingers clawed at the sheets, her screams muffled by the pillow.

Alex's fingers slid over the curve of her spine, his movements slowing. He was enjoying this too much-her helplessness, her surrender, the way she melted beneath him.

Alex smirked-a dark, satisfied smirk-as he thrust inside her , claiming her with a brutal, possessive finality.

Sofia shattered beneath him, his name falling from her lips like a broken prayer.

He caught her mouth in a bruising kiss, swallowing her surrender.

But then-

A sharp gust of wind howled through the room, snuffing out the dim candlelight. The suffocating heat shattered into a bone-chilling cold.

Alex froze.

Sofia gasped as the weight of his presence disappeared. The room that had once been filled with his suffocating dominance now stood eerily silent.

And then-

A voice. Deep. Unfamiliar. Unforgiving.

"She doesn't belong to you, Luciano."

Sofia's breath hitched. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.

Alex turned slowly, his muscles taut with tension. His expression remained impassive, but Sofia knew better-for the first time, Alex Luciano was not in control. His jaw tightened, a predator recognized another

A shadow stood at the doorway, his silhouette blending into the darkness as if he had emerged from it. His presence was overwhelming, his aura a suffocating storm of power.

The Shadow Monarch.

Alex's lips curled into a smirk, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes-something dangerously close to unease.

"I said... let. Her. Go."--the husky voice growled

"You're late," Alex drawled, taking a slow step forward. "I expected you sooner."

The Shadow Monarch remained silent, his gaze locked onto Sofia. His eyes-cold, merciless-seemed to strip her soul bare.

Sofia felt her knees weaken under his scrutiny. He was unlike anything she had ever encountered-a phantom in human form, a nightmare given life.

Alex followed his gaze, his smirk widening. "Tch. Don't tell me you've come for her," he taunted. "That would be... interesting."

The Shadow Monarch tilted his head slightly. "You're a fool if you think you own her."

Alex's fingers twitched. A muscle in his jaw clenched.

And then-

A single gunshot.

Sofia screamed as the bullet shattered the space between them.

When the smoke cleared, Alex was still standing-his smirk now edged with madness.

The Shadow Monarch, unfazed, lowered his weapon.

"Try to keep her," he said, voice deathly calm. "Let's see how long she stays."

And then, like a whisper in the dark, he was gone.

Sofia's breath came in ragged gasps. The room felt unbearably small, like a prison with no escape.

Alex turned to her, his smirk returning-wilder, darker.

"Looks like we have a game to play, mi amore.

Sofia's heart pounded.

She wasn't sure who terrified her more-the devil who owned her or the phantom who wanted to take her away.

---



                    “Alex Luciano"

                  Age : 29 years old

“She is the chaos that unsettles me, the defiance that enrages me, and the addiction I will never surrender—my ruin, my possession, and the only weakness I will never allow."



                      “Sofia Lawliet"

                    Age : 25 years old

“He is the cage that binds my soul, the darkness that suffocates me, and the fire that consumes me whole—my torment, my destruction, and the only sin I crave"



                    Them together



"She is the light I was never meant to touch, the fragile echo of a world I do not belong to. Yet, I watch. Always. Not to claim, not to own—but because she exists. And in a life of blood and silence, she is the only thing I cannot turn away from. If danger comes, it will find me first. If death follows, it will have to go through me. She does not know it yet… but she has never been alone "