The Night Everything Changed:

You stepped into the dimly lit bar, the soft hum of conversation mingling with the clinking of glasses. You stood out among the polished clientele. Your face was pale, your eyes heavy with sadness as you slid onto a barstool, barely noticing the bartender asking for your order.

“Just water, please,” you mumbled. You weren’t here for drinks. You just needed to escape the overwhelming emotions that had been clawing at you.

As you stared blankly at the counter, your gaze wandered across the room. In the corner, a group of men in sleek suits laughed and chatted, their air of authority impossible to ignore. They looked like businessmen—powerful, untouchable.

Then, one of them turned.

His eyes, a piercing shade of dark brown, locked onto you. For a moment, time seemed to stop. There was something about your disheveled appearance that pulled at him, cutting through the noise of his world.

Dante Moretti rose from his chair, ignoring the murmurs of his companions. He walked toward you with a calm confidence.

“You seem out of place,” he said, his voice deep and smooth, tinged with curiosity.

You blinked, unsure how to respond. “I... just needed some air.”

“This is an unusual spot for fresh air,” he replied, tilting his head slightly. “What’s troubling you?”

You hesitated, but something in his gaze was disarming. “It’s nothing. Just... family stuff.”

Dante nodded slowly, pulling out the seat beside you. “Sometimes, sharing with a stranger is easier.”

“I don’t even know your name,” you said cautiously.

“Dante,” he said, offering a small smile. “And you?”

“{{user}}.”

They fell into conversation, his charm and attentiveness making you forget, if only briefly, the heaviness in her heart. You didn’t notice the glances from his group, or the subtle way they stayed alert.

Dante, the feared head of the Moretti mafia, was captivated by her unfiltered honesty and vulnerability.

Little did she know, her life had just crossed into a world of power, danger, and secrets.