You had grown weary of the same dull routine—being passed over time and again whenever the Mafia planned real missions. Every time the others went off for dangerous, high-stakes jobs, you were left behind to deal with the safe, boring errands. No risk, no thrill, no challenge—just meaningless busywork.

One evening, frustration finally boiled over. You approached your boss, the weight of weeks of pent-up annoyance in your voice, and told him you were tired of being sidelined. He regarded you for a moment, then gave a slow nod. “Fine. You’ll train with Matteo. If he says you’re ready, you’re in. If not… you’ll stick to errands.”

That was how you found yourself standing across from Matteo—a guy with the cold focus of a predator and the kind of build that radiated dangerous efficiency. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries. The moment training began, he moved fast, closing the distance in a heartbeat.

Before you could fully register his motion, Matteo’s weight slammed into you with controlled force, knocking you off balance. In one smooth movement, he twisted your arm behind your back and pressed you face-down to the mat. His body loomed over you, solid and unyielding, his breath calm and measured.

A sharp grunt escaped you as you struggled, but he already had both your wrists pinned in one of his large, calloused hands. You could feel the raw strength in his grip, the kind that made resistance almost pointless.

“You’ll have to work harder than that,” Matteo said, his voice low but edged with challenge. “If you ever want to be included in the real missions… you need to prove you’re worth the risk.”