Chapter 1: The Man Who Watched Me

(Elara's Point of View)

There was a lot of noise in the club.

Too much noise.

As people danced together, lights flashed across the floor. Maya, my best friend, laughed next to me as we danced with our hands in the air.

"You're finally having fun!" she yelled.

I gave a small smile.

I didn't let myself have nights like this very often. Being "Elara Romano," the daughter of one of the most powerful Mafia bosses, meant that danger was always close by.

But tonight... I just wanted to relax.

I spun around once, and my dark green dress fit me perfectly. As my long brown hair swayed behind me, the lace sleeves brushed against my skin.

Then I could feel it.

That weird feeling.

Like someone was keeping an eye on me.

My movements got slower.

I looked around at the crowd.

And then...I saw him.

He sat in the VIP section and wore all black. The dim light from above made his sharp features stand out, which made him look even more dangerous.

I couldn't breathe.

He was so good-looking that it hurt.

His forehead was covered in dark, messy hair. His jawline was so sharp that it could cut glass, and there was a little stubble on his cheeks that made him look tough and grown-up.

His black shirt was tight against his broad shoulders, and even when he was sitting still, you could see how muscular he was.

But his eyes...

Dark.

Very strong.

Own.

It was like he was already claiming me without saying anything.

My heart skipped a beat.

And I hated it. I quickly turned away.

What was wrong with me?

I had never acted this way toward anyone before."Elara?" Maya asked."I'm getting a drink," I said quietly as I walked to the bar.

I needed something tough.

I sat down and ordered a drink to help my heart slow down.

Why was I acting this way?

I wasn't stupid.

I was the "Princess of the Romano Mafia."

I could kill someone without even thinking about it.

But one look from a stranger made my heart race?

That's crazy.

The bartender put my drink in front of me.

I drank it all at once without thinking.

My eyes went up on their own.

There he was.

Still looking at me.

His look softened a little when our eyes met. Damn him.

I cursed myself as I ordered another drink.

At that moment, someone tripped next to me.

The smell of booze hit right away."Hey, beautiful," the drunk man said, leaning too close.

I didn't pay attention to him.

Not a good idea.

His hand moved around my waist.

My eyes got darker.

I would have broken his wrist if it weren't for this.

But I was a little drunk and not paying attention.

I looked back at the mysterious man.

He was already up.

His face turned deadly.

The next second—

The drunk guy flew across the room.

CRASH.

There were shards of glass everywhere.

There was silence.

My eyes got bigger.

There he was.

Standing up straight.

Angry.

He clenched his jaw and glared at the man on the floor with rage in his dark eyes.He said, "Touch her again..." "I'll break every bone in your body," he said softly.

I felt a chill down my spine.

He looked at me.

And all of a sudden...

His face relaxed.

He moved closer.

Confident with each step.

Dominant.

Not safe.

He stopped right in front of me.

He was even more attractive up close.

Very tall, more than six feet.

Shoulders that are wide.

Strong arms.

And a smell that was dangerously addictive. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

His deep voice made me shiver in a strange way. "Yes," I said quietly.

And for the first time...

I couldn't look him in the eye.

Adrian's Point of View

I wasn't supposed to be here tonight. I didn't like clubs. Too much noise. Too many people. Not careful enough.

But then... I saw her. And all of a sudden, everything else disappeared. She was dancing in the middle of the crowd, and her hair swayed as she moved around, as if she didn't have a care in the world. That told me one thing. She didn't fit in here. Not in my world. Not in the dark.

But I knew who she was right away. 'Elara Romano' She is the daughter of Alessandro Romano. My foe. My eyes got a little darker. I had seen pictures of her before, like those from surveillance, background checks, and information files. But none of them got me ready for this.

She was... Nice. Not only beautiful. Beautiful in a way that could be dangerous. The flashing lights made her eyes sparkle, and she laughed with her friend, which made her lips curl into a soft smile. My chest felt tight. Something strange moved inside me. It wasn't good for me. I didn't like how my eyes wouldn't leave her. I didn't like how my heart rate dropped when she smiled.

I didn't like how I suddenly wanted to walk over there and pull her away from everyone. Mine. The idea came out of nowhere. Greedy. Scary. And I didn't push it away. After that, she stopped dancing. Her body became a little stiff. She could feel it. She knew I was watching her. We looked at each other. And for a short time... Time stopped.

Her eyes got a little bigger. My lips turned. She quickly turned away. Adorable. I saw her walk toward the bar, and her movements were sure but a little shaky. I slowly drank from my drink and never took my eyes off of her. She got a drink. Then they drank it all at once. My eyebrow went up a little. Not innocent. Okay. That was good. Again, she looked at me.

And this time... She looked at him for a long time. I held the glass tighter. Not safe. This girl was a threat.Not because she had weapons. But she was already having an effect on me. I saw him after that. A stupid drunk man was stumbling toward her. My jaw tightened. He got closer. Too close.

She didn't pay attention to him. Clever. But then he put his arm around her waist. Something inside me broke. I was already moving before I even knew it. Quick. The next second, I grabbed him and threw him across the room. The glass table broke right away when his body hit it. There was silence. I grabbed him by the collar and spoke in a cold, deadly voice. "Touch her again..." "I'll break every bone in your body." His eyes were filled with fear right away.

Great. I let him go and turned to her. And the second I saw her...I wasn't angry anymore. She was looking at me. I was surprised. Interesting. And one more thing... Something that is soft. I slowly walked up to her. Every step was planned. Claiming every step. I stopped in front of her. There was a faint smell of vanilla and alcohol on her. My eyes softened.

"Are you all right?" I asked in a low voice. Her lips moved apart a little. "Yes." She spoke softly. I liked it. Way too much. I looked closely at her face. She was trying to stay calm. But I could tell she was a little nervous by the look in her eyes. So cute. "I don't think I've seen you here before," I said. She shook her head. "I don't usually go to places like this."" Okay. I moved a little closer. "You shouldn't." Her eyebrows creased. "And why is that?" I smiled a little."Because there are men like me here." Her breath caught a little.

And that's when I found out. I was already gone. Completely. Forever. It's over for her. She suddenly asked, "What's your name?" I looked at her. If I told her... Things would be different. But I didn't care. "Adrian," she said again softly. "Adrian..." How she said my name... It seemed risky. Because I was sure of one thing.

She didn't know me yet. She didn't know that I was her father's enemy. She didn't realize she was already going into the dark. And when she learns... She'll be angry with me. But that didn't matter. Because I had already made up my mind. Elara Romano...Was going to be mine. No matter what. Even if I had to steal her. Even if I had to kidnap her. Even if she hated me for the rest of her life.

She was mine. And I never let go of what's mine. 🔥🖤

(Elara POV)

My head felt light.

The alcohol hit me harder than I expected.

I tried to steady myself on the bar stool, but the room spun a bit. He noticed.

Of course he did.

His dark eyes missed nothing.

He glanced at Maya, then back at me, his expression softening a little.

"She's drunk," he said calmly.

I frowned. "I'm not—"

The sentence faded as I swayed slightly.

Maya chuckled. "Yeah… you're definitely drunk."

He turned toward Maya.

"You should take her home."

His tone wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command.

Typical.

"I'm fine," I muttered, though my voice lacked confidence. He ignored me completely.

"I'll have my driver take you," he said, already pulling out his phone. That caught my attention.

"We brought our car," I said quietly, finally finding my voice. His eyes shifted back to me.

"Our driver Sam is waiting outside." For a moment, his gaze softened again.

My heart skipped. Why was I acting like this?

This was the first time I had ever felt… interested.

Not just interested.

Drawn.

As if he understood something in me. As if he carried darkness equal to mine.

And that scared me.

Maya wrapped her arm around my waist, helping me stand.

"Let's go," she said softly.

I nodded, although my eyes refused to leave him.

I looked back once.

He was still watching me.

That intense gaze never leaving.

My heart fluttered.

Damn it.

We walked toward the exit slowly, Maya practically dragging me.

Just before stepping outside, I looked back one last time.

And froze.

Adrian was speaking to one of his men. His face was cold.

Emotionless.

"Take care of him," he said quietly.

My stomach tightened.

The man he threw earlier was being dragged away.

I knew what that meant.

Kill him.

Anger sparked inside me.

I didn’t need saving.

I was Elara Romano. I could fight. I could kill.

I could take down a hundred men if I wanted.

I didn’t need him.

And yet…

Butterflies filled my stomach.

Which only annoyed me more.

I quickly turned away, stepping outside into the cold night air.

Sam rushed toward us.

"Miss Elara," he said respectfully.

Maya helped me into the car, and within seconds we were on our way home.

But my mind stayed behind.

With him.

With Adrian.

---

The next morning…

I groaned, pressing my hand against my forehead.

Worst headache ever.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, making my head throb harder.

Memories from last night slowly returned.

The club. The fight.

His eyes.

His voice.

Adrian.

A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it.

Who was he?

Why did he feel… different?

My thoughts were cut off when my bedroom door slammed open.

I flinched.

My father stormed inside, his face filled with anger.

I blinked in confusion.

"What happened?" I asked immediately.

"Do we have to kill someone? Did anyone mess with your work?"

Before I could react—

SLAP.

My head snapped to the side.

Shock froze me.

My father had never slapped me before.

Slowly, I looked back at him.

His eyes burned with fury.

"Do you even realize what you've done?" he growled.

I frowned, still stunned.

"What are you talking about?"

"The man you met last night…" he hissed.

"Do you even know who he is?"

Something twisted inside my chest.

"...Who?"

His voice turned cold.

Adrian De Luca." "He recently came back to the city."

My breath caught.

"The devil himself."

My heart dropped.

"The man who killed your mother… and your brother."

Everything inside me froze.

No.

No…

The image of his face flashed in my mind.

His eyes.

His voice.

The way he looked at me.

I felt sick.

I was so stupid.

So stupid.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

Without saying anything, I stood up and walked into the bathroom.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to steady myself.

Adrian De Luca.

The man who killed my family.

And I…

I was smiling, thinking about him.

Disgust filled me.

I quickly changed and walked out.

My father sat in the chair, still angry.

"What were you thinking?" he asked harshly.

"You ruined everything."

I stayed silent.

"I spent years keeping you away from his eyes, i even made situations so that he would leave this city and move abroad," he continued.

"But now…"

His expression darkened.

"He is back and he has seen you."

My stomach tightened.

"And wherever you go…"

"He'll find you."

With that, my father stood up and walked out of the room.

Leaving me alone.

Alone with the truth.

And the hatred growing inside me.

Because now…

Adrian De Luca wasn’t just a stranger anymore.

He was my enemy.