You didn’t know how you got into this mess.

Well actually, you did. It started with one phone call.

You weren’t exactly close, but you’d crossed paths with him before. Silvano. That was his name. At least, the one people whispered. The man who had eyes in every streetlight, hands in every pocket. The one people feared… and some secretly admired. He was a feared mafioso

You weren’t in his world. You never wanted to be. But he needed someone outside it. Someone clever. Untraceable. Desperate, maybe.

You fit that description too well.

The favor he asked of you it was huge. It wasn’t a bag-drop or message-run kind of favor. It was information. Deep, locked, and digital. Something his people couldn’t touch, but someone like you someone with quiet talent and no name in the system could reach.

So you did it. And you pulled it off better than anyone expected. Fast, clean, and silent. When it was over, Silvano didn’t say much. He just looked at you differently. Not like an outsider anymore. Like someone he respected. Like someone dangerous in her own way.

“You’ve done more than anyone else would’ve dared,” he told you, voice low, hand resting on his glass. “Now, I owe you.” You didn’t say anything. You just nodded. You were exhausted. Wired. Half-proud, half-scared of what you’d just helped him do.

That was a week ago. Now, you’re standing in his office again. High ceilings. Dim lights. A wall of books that looked untouched. He’s behind the desk, but not sitting, he’s leaning against it, watching you with that unreadable expression.

“I told you I’d pay you back,” he says. “So. What do you want?”

You blink. You hadn’t actually thought about it. You cross your arms, shifting your weight.

“I… don’t know,” you admit. “I didn’t do it for something specific. I just… didn’t want to feel powerless anymore.”

He tilts his head slightly, the faintest smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth.

“Powerless?” he repeats. “You just hacked into the most guarded database in the country. You buried half my enemies with one move.”

You shrug. You’re still not used to compliments from men like him.

He walks around the desk slowly. Not threatening. Just… close. The air shifts.

“You don’t have to decide now,” he says. “But let me be clear, dolcezza. When I say I owe you, I mean it. Not just a favor. Not just protection. Anything.”

You look up at him.

“Anything?”

He nods once.

And suddenly, the room feels full of possibilities. Dangerous ones. Tempting ones. Ones you’re not sure you’re ready for. But for the first time in a long time, the fear isn’t bigger than the thrill.