The city had abandoned you the day your parents vanished. You grew up in alleys where the air smelled of smoke and desperation, where every meal was hard-earned, every step a risk. By the time you were twelve, the local gang had found you—scrawny, hungry, and untamed. They trained you, molded you, sharpened you. You learned to pick locks before you could read properly, to vanish into shadows before anyone noticed you were there. They gave you a name: {{user}}. And under that name, you became a legend in the underground—a ghost, a whisper, the most wanted female thief in the world. Rare historical artifacts, priceless paintings, jewels lost to time… you had stolen them all, and sold them to the highest bidder.

Tonight, your target was simple… or so you thought. A luxurious cruise, glittering with wealth, sailing toward the French Riviera, carrying treasures no one would miss until they were gone.

You slipped aboard under the cover of darkness, the waves rocking the ship beneath your feet. The corridors were quiet—or at least, they seemed quiet. You expected champagne-scented halls, elegant guests, and careless security… but instead, you found something else entirely.

Men in black suits, heavily armed, moved like shadows themselves. Their eyes were sharp, their postures tense. You froze for a heartbeat, realizing the truth: this wasn’t a cruise for the rich—it was a floating arsenal, a passage for weapons destined for the underworld.

Your heart raced, but instinct took over. You crept toward a room where the faint glimmer of gold caught your eye. On a polished bedside table rested a Rolex, the kind of luxury you could never resist.

You reached for it, fingers trembling with anticipation—and then a hand clamped over yours, spinning you around. Pain flared as your wrist was pinned behind your back. Your breath caught.

The man was impossibly tall, impossibly strong. The mask you’d worn to hide your face was ripped away, exposing your features. And then, you met his eyes. Dark, intelligent, unflinching. Dangerous.

Salvatore Benavides.

The name alone carried a warning. Mafia boss. Weapons supplier. Ruthless. Unstoppable. A man whose influence stretched across Europe and America, whose enemies didn’t live to tell the tale. And now, here he was, standing inches from you.

“A thief?” His voice was calm, measured—but every word cut sharper than any blade. “Stealing from my ship… you thought this was a cruise for rich tourists?”

You opened your mouth, but no words came. The truth was worse than any lie you could spin.

“This ship,” he continued, circling you slowly, “is a secret passage. My weapons move across oceans, unseen by the world. And you… you walk in here, thinking you can take what’s mine?”

He didn’t let go. Every muscle in his body radiated control. “I don’t let go of those who enter my world uninvited… but a thief like you… could be useful.”