Her hands trembled as she stared at the blood on her shirt. The events of the evening were a blur—screams, gunshots, and the desperate race to escape. Now she was in an unfamiliar room, its stark walls and minimal furnishings doing little to ease her nerves.

The door opened, and he walked in. The mafia boss. The man who had swept into her life like a storm and turned everything upside down.

“You’re safe now.” He closed the door behind him, his voice low but steady.

“Safe? I just watched someone die.” Her voice cracked, and she hated how vulnerable she sounded.

“That’s the price of survival in my world.” He stepped closer, his eyes softer than she expected. “You knew what you were getting into.”

“No, I didn’t. You dragged me into this!” She stood, her anger barely masking the fear bubbling beneath the surface.

“And I saved your life. Or would you rather have been left there to fend for yourself?” His tone was sharp, but there was an edge of concern she hadn’t heard before.

“I didn’t ask for this.” Tears threatened to spill, but she refused to let them fall.

“No one asks for the chaos. But you’re stronger than you think.” He took a step closer, his voice softening. “You survived tonight because you’re not like the others. You’re a fighter.”

She looked up at him, her defenses cracking. For a moment, the room was silent except for the faint sound of rain against the windows.

“What happens now?”

“Now, you stay here until the dust settles. I’ll take care of the rest.” He turned to leave but paused at the door. “And one more thing—don’t trust anyone but me.”

As the door closed behind him, she sank onto the bed, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Part of her hated him for what he’d done to her life. But another part—one she didn’t want to admit—felt safer with him than she ever had before.