chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Dangerous Game

Lena knew she was playing with fire.

Every whispered conversation with Asher, every lingering glance, every moment spent in his presence—it all led her deeper into a world she didn’t belong to. A world where power ruled, where blood was the price of loyalty, and where Asher Romano was king.

And yet, she couldn’t stay away.

Her father had warned her.

“Stay away from him, Lena. He’s not a man you want to be involved with.”

But it was too late. She already was.

---

It started with the car that followed her.

Lena first noticed it a few days after their rooftop conversation. A sleek black SUV, tinted windows, always lingering a little too long near her university gates, outside her favorite café, down the street from her house.

At first, she thought she was imagining things. But the feeling of being watched never left her.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

She called Asher.

She hesitated before pressing dial, but the moment his deep voice answered, steady and controlled, she felt something inside her settle.

“Asher…” she breathed, glancing over her shoulder at the car parked across the street.

He must have sensed her unease because his tone hardened instantly. “What’s wrong?”

“I think… I think someone is following me.”

Silence. But it wasn’t empty—it was the kind of silence that came before a storm.

“Where are you?” he demanded.

“At the café near campus.”

“I’m on my way.”

He hung up before she could say another word.

---

Fifteen minutes later, the black SUV was gone.

And in its place stood Asher.

He walked into the café like he owned the place, his presence a force that made people turn and stare. He was dressed in all black, his sharp suit making him look even more dangerous than usual. But it was his eyes that unsettled her the most—dark, stormy, filled with something lethal.

Lena didn’t know what she expected him to do, but she certainly didn’t expect him to grab her wrist and pull her out of the café without a word.

“Asher, wait—”

He didn’t stop until they were outside, away from curious eyes. He turned to face her, his grip firm but not painful.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

Lena swallowed, caught between fear and something else—something unspoken that lingered between them.

“There was a car,” she started. “It’s been following me for days. At first, I thought I was overthinking, but today… today, I was sure.”

Asher’s jaw clenched, and she could almost hear his teeth grinding.

“Describe it.”

“Black SUV. Tinted windows. I never saw who was inside.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked. He let out a slow breath before cupping her face with both hands, forcing her to look at him.

“Listen to me, Lena. You don’t go anywhere alone. Do you understand?”

Her heart pounded at the intensity in his gaze. “Asher, you’re scaring me.”

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if trying to control himself. When he opened them again, his touch softened.

“I don’t mean to,” he murmured. “But I can’t have anything happening to you.”

Lena didn’t know what to say to that.

Instead, she whispered, “Do you know who it is?”

His expression darkened. “I have a guess.”

She frowned. “Who?”

He hesitated, then finally said, “Your father has enemies, Lena. But so do I. And you… you’re connected to both of us.”

A shiver ran down her spine. “So this is because of you?”

His grip on her tightened slightly, as if he feared she would pull away. “I don’t know yet. But I’ll find out.”

Lena should have been angry. She should have told him that she never asked for this, that she never wanted to be a pawn in whatever dangerous world he was part of.

But instead, all she could think about was how safe she felt with him.

“How do you plan to find out?” she asked.

His lips curved into a smirk, but there was no warmth in it—only pure, deadly intent.

“I have my ways, princess.”

---

That night, Lena lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything in her mind.

Her life had been normal once. Simple. Safe.

But Asher had shattered all of that.

And the most terrifying part?

She didn’t want him to stop.

---

To be continued…