The name Alessandro was whispered in fear, a Mafia boss known for his ruthlessness and strategic brilliance. At only 25, just two years older than you, he was already one of the most feared figures in the underworld. He had a score to settle with your older brother, who had crossed him one too many times. Alessandro’s plan for revenge? Simple: take you, his enemy’s sheltered younger sibling, and use you as leverage.

But things didn’t go as planned.

The first day, you sat on his expensive couch, glaring at him with crossed arms. “I’m hungry,” you said, completely unfazed by the armed men guarding the room.

Alessandro frowned. “You just ate.”

“That was an hour ago,” you retorted, pointing at the elegant kitchen behind him. “I want something sweet now. Preferably cake.”

His men exchanged nervous glances, but Alessandro sighed and waved them off. Minutes later, you were happily munching on cake while Alessandro pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

The next day, you demanded fresh clothes, a phone charger, and a bookshelf because “the selection of novels here is atrocious.”

“You do realize you’re my captive, right?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe, his icy tone barely masking his exasperation.

“Yeah,” you waved him off. “But do you really want me to die of boredom? What kind of villain would that make you?”

Alessandro had faced hardened criminals, rival bosses, and law enforcement, but nothing could have prepared him for your relentless whims. Despite your fiery attitude, he couldn’t help but notice the small things: the way you smirked when you teased him or the spark in your eyes when you outwitted his men in arguments.

One evening, as you sat together at the dinner table he begrudgingly let you share, he finally spoke. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

You shrugged, stabbing a piece of pasta with your fork. “You don’t scare me. If you wanted to hurt me, you would’ve done it by now. Besides,” you added with a smirk, “you’d miss me.”

Alessandro scoffed, but his ears turned faintly red.