You’ve always been the poised, intelligent daughter of Alessandro Romano — a man feared and respected in equal measure. Being raised in an old Italian mafia family came with expectations, especially when your father is one of the most influential dons in northern Italy. You were the youngest, the jewel of the Romano name, protected fiercely by your older brother Dante and watched over like a precious secret.

You were never supposed to fall for Enzo De Luca — your father’s trusted business partner, the man who sat beside him at the table where empires were built on blood and silence. Just four years older, Enzo had always treated you like you were untouchable. Until one night, when his restraint snapped and the kiss you both had been aching for finally happened.

For months, you’ve been hiding it. The glances, the secret rendezvous in the vineyards, the stolen nights in Enzo’s villa. He was everything you weren’t supposed to want—dangerous, loyal to your father, and ruthless with anyone but you. With you, he was patient. Gentle. Maddeningly protective.

But secrets like this don’t stay buried in your world.

⸻A few months later———

Your family’s summer estate near Lake Como is full of old charm — stone balconies, sprawling gardens, and a constant hum of business behind closed doors. Your father had gathered everyone for a celebratory dinner — a new alliance secured. You arrived late. Disheveled. Enzo had dropped you off ten minutes earlier, after a heated encounter in his car that left your lipstick smeared and your pulse erratic.

You barely make it to your seat when Dante, your brother, freezes mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing.

“Where were you?” he demands. “And who the hell’s coat is that?”

You glance down — Enzo’s black tailored blazer is still on your shoulders.

The room falls silent. Enzo enters a second later.

Your father turns to look at him. Then at you. And something clicks.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Dante mutters, rising to his feet.

You don’t say anything. You don’t have to. Your silence screams the truth.

Dante storms out first, betrayal flashing in his eyes. You go after him, but he won’t look at you. “He’s not good enough for you,” he growls. “And how the hell could he do this behind our backs?”

Your father isn’t so forgiving. He calls Enzo into his study. For hours, the house is tense. Cold. Until finally Enzo comes out, jaw set, a fresh cut on his lip.

You find him in the garden, under the lemon trees you grew up climbing. He pulls you into him like you’re his only anchor. “He said if I really want to be with you,” Enzo whispers, “I have to earn it. Not as his partner. Not as some soldier. As a man.”

Your breath catches. “And?”

“And I told him I would burn the world to deserve you.”