Bloodstained Obsession

Chapter 1

Ava seraphina Moreno knew better than to draw attention to herself.

For years, she had perfected the art of being invisible—keeping her head down, moving through life like a shadow. She had learned that staying unnoticed was the safest way to exist. But tonight, for reasons she couldn’t explain, she had let her guard slip.

And now, she felt him watching her.

The dim glow of the bar cast long shadows across the polished floor, the low hum of conversation blending with the clinking of glasses. The scent of whiskey, expensive perfume, and smoke lingered in the air. It was supposed to be a simple night out—a rare indulgence in an otherwise quiet existence.

But everything changed the moment he entered.

Luca Moretti.

A name spoken in whispers. A man wrapped in mystery and danger, his reputation as infamous as the empire he controlled.

She had never met him before. Never spoken his name aloud.

But he knew her.

She could feel it in the way his gaze burned into her from across the room. Dark, calculating. As if he had already decided something about her before she even realized he existed.

Ava forced herself to take a sip of her drink, feigning indifference. Her fingers tightened around the glass as she stared down at the amber liquid, willing herself to stay calm.

Ignore him. Walk away.

But the weight of his presence made it impossible.

She tried not to look, but some twisted part of her couldn’t help it. Slowly, cautiously, she lifted her gaze.

And her breath caught.

Luca was already moving toward her.

The crowd seemed to part effortlessly for him, as if the world itself bowed to his presence. He was tall, his frame powerful beneath the sharp cut of his black suit. Every movement was deliberate, controlled.

Predatory.

Ava’s heart pounded, an unfamiliar heat crawling up her spine.

He stopped just short of her, close enough that she could see the faint scar cutting through his left brow, the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

"Ava Sinclair," he murmured, his voice smooth as sin.

Her stomach twisted. "How do you know my name?"

Luca smiled—slow, dark. "Because I make it my business to know things."

His voice was quiet, edged with quiet authority. A warning wrapped in silk.

Ava’s fingers curled into fists beneath the table. Every instinct told her to leave, to escape before she got too close to something she wouldn’t be able to walk away from.

But she didn’t move.

Luca watched her, studying every flicker of emotion that crossed her face, every unsteady breath. He was too composed, too controlled.

Dangerous.

"You’ve been avoiding me," he said finally.

Ava frowned. "I don’t even know you."

Luca chuckled, the sound deep and knowing. "Not yet."

A shiver ran through her, unsteady and uninvited. "Whatever this is, I don’t want any part of it."

Luca leaned in slightly, his scent—spiced whiskey, leather, and something darker—wrapping around her like a whispered threat.

"That’s the problem," he murmured. "You say that… but you’re still here."

Her breath caught.

Luca Moretti didn’t chase. He didn’t ask. He took.

And the terrifying part?