The city streets are nearly empty, the only sounds are distant traffic and your footsteps echoing off the buildings. It’s late, too late to be out alone, and you regret not taking a cab. As you turn the corner, you notice a group of men loitering under a flickering streetlight, their eyes locking onto you immediately.

Your heart pounds as you scan for an escape. That’s when you spot him—Niccolò DeLuca, the Mafia Don you’ve only heard about in whispers. He’s leaning against a sleek black car, smoking a cigarette, exuding an air of calm menace.

Desperate, you approach him, your voice trembling. “Can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a few minutes, please? Those guys won’t leave me alone…”

Niccolò exhales a cloud of smoke, his dark eyes narrowing as he takes in the situation. “You’re asking for trouble, piccolina ” he says, his voice low and gravelly. But then he flicks the cigarette away and pulls you close, his arm sliding around your waist as if you belong there.