Breaking the Silence

Morning came too quickly.

Alessia woke to golden sunlight streaming through the windows, momentarily disoriented. The bed beneath her was too soft. The air smelled like something expensive—leather, cedar, and something undeniably masculine.

And then she remembered.

She wasn’t home.

She was in HIS world now.

A soft knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she called hesitantly, unable to decide who to expect right after waking up.

The door opened, and a woman stepped in—tall, elegant, and carrying a tray of food. Her sharp eyes studied Alessia before setting the tray down on a nearby table.

"You should eat," the woman said, her voice cool but not unkind.

Alessia glanced at the food—fresh fruit, eggs, toast, and a steaming cup of coffee. It smelled divine, but she wasn’t sure if she had the appetite.

"Who are you?" she asked, just for the purpose of introduction. Of course it was Alessia who was an outsider, not the woman.

The woman’s lips twitched. "Elena. I work for Mr. Russo."

Alessia swallowed. "And by ‘work,’ you mean…?"

Elena’s gaze didn’t waver. "I make sure things run smoothly around here."

Alessia nodded slowly. Right. Another piece of Damian’s empire.

She hesitated before sitting down and taking a bite of toast. It was warm, buttery, and perfect.

Elena watched her for a moment before speaking again. "Mr. Russo is expecting you downstairs once you’re ready."

Alessia’s stomach twisted.

"Did he say why?" she asked.

Elena shook her head. "He doesn’t explain himself to anyone."

That, Alessia already knew.

After finishing what little she could eat, she showered, changing into fresh clothes provided in the closet. Everything fit her perfectly, which meant someone had picked them specifically for her.

The thought made her uneasy.

When she finally made her way downstairs, she found Damian waiting in the grand dining room, sipping coffee like he owned the world. Which, in a way, he did.

For a moment she thought, what it would feel like to be in his shoes. The feeling of owning the world. The feeling of owning every person around you.

"Sleep well?" he asked without looking up.

She pulled out a chair across from him, feeling his attention shift to her even though his gaze remained on his coffee cup.

"As well as one can in a mafia king’s house," she muttered.

Damian smirked. "You’ll get used to it."

She met his eyes then. Dark. Unreadable.

"That’s what I’m afraid of," she whispered.

For the first time, something flickered in his gaze—something dangerous. Something that warned her of the upcoming chaos. Chaos that will change her life forever.

'Her life', that was currently controlled by the man sitting in front. The man, about whom her brother has warned her. Yet, here she was sitting on the same table across that man under his room.

Alessia had this sinking feeling of fear about what was happening between them.

More importantly, 'What will happen between them?'

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