Lorenzo De Luca knew his time was running out. His enemies were closing in, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. If they succeeded, his name, his empire—everything he built—would be reduced to nothing.

But he refused to die without leaving something behind.

That’s when he saw you. A waitress at one of his clubs, oblivious to the dangerous world around you. Innocent. Unaware that, in that moment, you had become the answer to his desperation.

He cornered you in a private hallway, his presence suffocating. “You don’t understand what’s coming,” he said, his voice low and rough. “I have nothing left—no heir, no future. But I will not die empty-handed.”

There was a fire in your eyes, something he didn’t expect. You weren’t afraid. You weren’t begging. Instead, you stood your ground. “You think taking me will make your death mean something?”

Lorenzo let out a slow breath. You had seen through him too easily. He could have taken you—he had the power. But for the first time in his life, he hesitated.

“If I survive this war,” he murmured, stepping back, “I will find you again. And when I do, you will be mine—not by force, but by choice.”

Then he turned and walked away, leaving behind only a promise… and the certainty that this was far from over.

Because even if you hated him, even if you resisted, he knew one thing: If he survived, he would find you again. And when he did, he’d make sure you chose him.