Hi everyone this is J.B.C., and I am beyond thrilled to finally share this story with you. To those who have picked up this book thank you. You are about to enter a world of contradictions: innocence and danger, gentleness and cruelty, tenderness and fire. It is a world where fate plays its most mischievous game, weaving together two souls who should have never crossed paths, and yet, destiny demands otherwise.

Allow me to introduce the boy at the heart of this tale Clark Reyes Villa. He is young, earnest, and untainted by the darker shades of life. A nurse, dedicated to healing and saving, Clark’s days are filled with quiet acts of kindness. He belongs to the light, someone who walks through life with steady steps and a heart that believes in goodness. His world has no room for bullets or blood, for crime lords and shadows that rule the night. And yet, it is precisely into that darkness he is about to be thrown.

For opposite him stands Steven Monadragon. His very name strikes like thunder, whispered in fear and awe. He is wealth beyond measure, power beyond reach, and danger wrapped in the elegance of a man who has everything but mercy. Steven has built his empire on fear, blood, and unyielding control. A Mafia lord with no softness in his heart or so the world believes. But even the cruelest of kings can be shaken when their gaze falls on something they never expected.

When Steven first laid eyes on Clark, it was not a meeting of equals. It was a clash of worlds an innocent boy, too fragile, too pure, suddenly caught in the gaze of a man who could burn empires to the ground. That single moment was enough. The Mafia lord, feared and untouchable, found himself ensnared by something far more dangerous than rivals or guns an unassuming nurse with eyes that reflected only truth.

And then comes the twist of fate: an arranged marriage. Neither Clark nor Steven asked for it, neither dreamed of it, yet it is forced upon them like chains that bind their futures together. For Clark, it is the shattering of everything familiar how does a boy of light stand beside a man who thrives in darkness? For Steven, it is the first test of something he has long denied himself: vulnerability.

This story is not about love at first sight, nor is it the usual fairytale. No, this is a journey where love will come last, after battles of will, moments of danger, and stolen glances that whisper of something forbidden. It is a tale of romance born from chaos, of action laced with tenderness, of hearts learning to trust when everything screams they should not.

Marriage before love. Danger before safety. Fire before comfort. And yet beneath all of that, a promise of something breathtaking. This is their story. This is our story.

Welcome, dear reader. Welcome to the world of Clark and Steven.

...-------Remember this story is fictional, the place, person, name is not true---------...

[Clark Pov]

Morning sunlight streamed through the thin curtains of my small apartment. The smell of freshly brewed coffee drifted from the kitchen, but the warmth of it could never truly battle the exhaustion etched into my bones. Nursing was never an easy job but it was a calling, a life I chose not because it promised me riches, but because it gave me purpose.

My name is Clark Reyes Villa, twenty four years old, a nurse in St. Dominic’s Medical Center. People often told me my eyes carried a certain softness, the kind that calms even the most restless patients. Sometimes, though, I wondered if being “soft” was a blessing or a curse.

I slipped into my white uniform, ironed neatly the night before, and fastened the name pin over my chest. I had always taken pride in the little details. Perhaps it was my way of keeping my world intact organized, clean, far from the chaos that lurked outside hospital walls.

In the kitchen, my cousin and roommate, Mara, was already munching on toasted bread while scrolling through her phone. She looked up with a teasing grin.

Morning, Doctor Clark. Oh, wait…you’re just a nurse, she teased.

I rolled my eyes, though the corner of my lips tugged upward.

Good morning to you too, Mara. Don’t choke on your sarcasm I say to her.

She chuckled. One day, you’ll thank me for keeping your ego small. Anyway, are you on the night shift again? She say and ask.

Day shift. Pediatrics. And maybe ER later if they need me I say to her.

Good luck then, she said, softening. You always give too much of yourself. Just… don’t lose who you are.

Her words lingered longer than I wanted them to. Lose who I am? Sometimes, I felt like I didn’t even know who that was anymore.

At the hospital, chaos and compassion collided as always. Children cried, machines beeped, doctors rushed, and yet somehow, I felt at home here. Each wound I cleaned, each patient I comforted it reminded me why I endured the long hours, the low pay, the aching feet. Because somewhere out there, kindness still mattered. Or so I thought. If only I knew that beyond the walls of this hospital, a man lived whose world was built not on kindness, but on fear—and soon, fate would tie our lives together in ways I could never undo.

[Steven’s POV]

The world outside bowed to me or rather, to my name. Steven Monadragon. Mention it in the underworld, and men trembled. Utter it in high society, and they raised their glasses in respect. A contradiction, perhaps but I was both devil and god, feared and worshiped.

I leaned back on the leather seat of my black Aston Martin, cigarette smoke curling lazily in the air. Beside me sat Marco, my right hand man since childhood, eyes sharp, scanning every corner as though danger lurked in shadows.

Tonight’s deal is risky, Marco murmured.

Every deal is risky, That’s why it’s mine I replied coolly, blowing smoke out the window.

We pulled into the private docks where men in black suits stood like statues, waiting for my arrival. Weapons hidden under tailored coats, loyalty etched on every scarred face. This was my kingdom illegal trades well some are legal, hidden fortunes, and power earned not by birthright but by blood.

As I stepped out of the car, silence fell. The kind of silence only respect or fear could summon.

Señor Monadragon, one of the men greeted with a bow of his head.

I nodded once, walking toward the steel containers stacked along the dock. Inside lay millions worth of contraband, but all I saw was leverage, currency for more power. And yet, power was a lonely companion.

Later that night, as champagne fizzed in my glass inside my penthouse, the city lights sprawled beneath me like conquered stars. Beautiful women draped themselves around the velvet couches, laughter echoing like broken chimes. Music throbbed, people worshiped, but my heart remained untouched, caged in iron.

I had no time for love. Love was weakness. Love made men fall. And I was not a man who fell I was a man others fell before.

But life has its cruel humor. I did not know that somewhere in a quiet hospital, an innocent boy with kind eyes was destined to cross my path. A boy who would challenge everything I believed about power, mercy, and love.

[Clark Pov]

The shift dragged late into the evening. A child with a broken arm cried until my gentle words calmed him. A grandmother clutched my hand, whispering thanks after I adjusted her IV. By the time I left the hospital, the city was already blanketed in the hum of nightlife.

Mara had texted me to buy bread on the way home. I ducked into a convenience store, humming softly as I picked the cheapest loaf from the shelf. My life was simple, ordinary and maybe that was enough. But as I stepped outside, I noticed a convoy of black cars racing down the street, sleek and intimidating. They passed by so fast that the night air seemed to tremble. I didn’t know whose world they belonged to or how soon it would entangle with mine.

[Steven Pov]

From my balcony, I watched the same city. Neon lights, endless cars, and millions of lives unaware of the empire that thrived in their midst. My phone buzzed.

Boss,There’s a small issue. Rival gang tried to cut in on our territory Marco’s voice came through.

I smirked coldly. Then remind them who owns this city.

As I ended the call, my eyes flicked toward the reflection in the glass wall. For just a second, I saw the man I used to be the boy before the blood, before the power. But he was gone. Or so I thought. Because fate had already chosen to reawaken him… through a nurse named Clark Reyes Villa.

...--------End of chapter 1--------...

[Clark Pov]

The next morning arrived like any other too early, too bright, and far too heavy with the weight of endless tasks ahead. I rubbed my eyes and dragged myself into the shower, the cold water shocking me into wakefulness. Mara had already left for her part-time job at a café, leaving only a scribbled note on the table.

Don’t forget to eat breakfast, or I’ll haunt you.

I chuckled, shaking my head. She always worried, though she hid it behind jokes.

At St. Dominic’s, the halls were already filled with the symphony of footsteps, the shrill beep of machines, and the muted groans of patients. My first stop was pediatrics, where little Liam, a boy battling leukemia, was waiting for his morning vitals. His pale face lit up the moment I walked in.

Nurse Clark! he exclaimed, weak but excited.

I smiled, crouching to his level. Good morning, buddy. Ready to beat me at another drawing contest later?

He grinned. I already started! He pointed to a crayon sketch by his bed bright suns and superheroes with capes.

Moments like these reminded me why I stayed. The innocence in their smiles, the way their little hearts believed in hope it was worth every sleepless night. But not everyone I encountered was as gentle.

By midday, I was called to the ER to assist. A man had been brought in, beaten, bloody, and clearly caught in something darker than a bar fight. His tattoo peeked out beneath his shirt, a symbol I didn’t recognize but one that made the doctor exchange uneasy glances with the police.

I did my job anyway. My hands didn’t judge; they healed.

Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was inching closer, brushing against the edges of my quiet life.

[*Steven’s P**ov*]

The night had been unkind. Rival gangs were growing bolder, trying to slice pieces of my empire. Last night, I had ordered Marco to send a clear message. Today, news came back two of my men were hospitalized, one barely hanging on.

They hit harder than expected, Boss. *We took care of most of them, but Luis didn’t make i**t*, my jaw tightened as Marco gave the report.

Silence fell heavy in the room. I crushed the cigarette between my fingers, ignoring the sting. Death was not unfamiliar to me but losing loyal men left scars only I knew.

Find the one responsible,” I ordered. “I don’t want a warning sent. I want an example made.

Marco nodded grimly.

Business resumed as always. Meetings with allies, transactions over encrypted lines, and threats delivered through shadows. But behind every deal, I felt a flicker of unease. Rivalries were one thing but something about this week carried a different weight, as if destiny itself had shifted.

And in moments of stillness, when I caught my reflection in the tinted glass, I saw not only the merciless lord but the emptiness beneath it.

[Clark Pov]

Night shifts were harder. Fatigue clung to my body, but there was no room for weakness here. I was halfway through rounds when Mara called.

Clark, don’t freak out, but… She hesitated. There were black cars circling near our apartment earlier. I don’t know if it’s just rich people or…

Stay inside. Lock the door I frowned.

You sound like Dad, she teased lightly, but I could hear the tremor in her voice.

I promised to check when I got home, though unease gnawed at my chest. Black cars. Convoys. The same kind I had seen last night.

After ending the call, I glanced at Liam’s room through the glass window. He was asleep, clutching his superhero drawing close. Innocence sleeping in a world so easily stained by darkness.

I wanted to protect it, protect him, protect Mara, protect myself. But against what?

I didn’t know then that the danger circling closer wasn’t meant to destroy me but to claim me.

[*Steven’s P**ov*]

By midnight, I needed air. I left the penthouse without ceremony, slipping into the backseat of the Aston Martin.

Where to, Boss? Marco asked.

Drive. Nowhere. Everywhere.

The city blurred past, neon bleeding into night. When the car slowed near St. Dominic’s Medical Center, I glanced out the window. Hospitals had always unsettled me places where blood was cleaned, but never forgotten.

And then I saw him.

A boy in a white uniform stepped out of the hospital doors, exhaustion written in the curve of his shoulders. Yet even from a distance, there was something unyieldingly gentle in his aura. Soft. Untouched. For a heartbeat too long, I forgot to breathe.

Boss? marco notice it.

Nothing, I said quickly, though my gaze lingered.

I didn’t even know his name then. But the innocence in his eyes though I had only seen them for a second struck through me sharper than any blade.

For the first time in years, the ruthless Steven Monadragon faltered.

[*Clark’s P**ov*]

I adjusted my bag, ready to walk home. A low hum filled the street a sleek black car idling by the curb. Its tinted windows gleamed under the streetlight, the kind of car that screamed both wealth and danger.

I tried not to stare, but a strange chill crawled down my spine.

As I walked past, I felt it. Someone’s gaze. Heavy. Piercing. Watching me.

I turned my head just slightly and caught the faint outline of a man inside. Dark suit. Sharp features. Eyes that felt like fire even from a distance. Our worlds touched for the first time in that fleeting moment. And though I looked away, my heart was no longer steady.

...--------end of chapter 2--------...