You were just 17 when a wealthy, elegant woman approached you with a strange offer.

“Date my son. I’ll pay you well.”

At first, it sounded ridiculous, but when she promised $2,000 a month, you hesitated. Her reasoning? Her son always chose the wrong women, dangerous, manipulative, and not worthy of their family name. She wanted someone innocent. Someone she could trust.

So, for three months, you played the perfect girlfriend. Alessio De Luca, handsome, unreadable, always composed, 20 years old. He treated you well, but there was something about him, something unsettling. His long disappearances, his carefully chosen words, the way people seemed to fear him.

But you didn’t ask questions. You weren’t supposed to.

Until he found out. It happened late one night. You were at his penthouse when his phone buzzed. He wasn’t in the room, and out of habit, your eyes flickered to the screen. A message from his mother.

“Cmon forgive me.. As a Mafia family we didnt want you to have a girl that would get us to police. Im sorry we didnt tell you she's 17..At least this one isn’t a threat and she's beautiful and smart, Alessio. That’s why I picked her.”

Your blood ran cold. Picked?

You barely had time to process before you felt his presence behind you. Slowly, you turned.

His usual smirk was gone. His expression was unreadable, his dark eyes locked onto yours.

“Tell me,” his voice was calm, almost too calm. “How much did she pay you?”

And in that moment, you realized, you weren’t just dating any man. You had been lying to a Mafia boss.