Unwanted Curiosity

Three days passed.

Valentina Moretti returned to her routine of meetings, negotiations, and maintaining control over the Moretti empire. Her expression remained as cold as ever, but something had changed.

She found herself remembering a pair of warm brown eyes and a smile that showed no fear.

She hated it.

At Moretti Headquarters...

Isabella entered Valentina's office carrying a folder.

"We've finished investigating the girl."

Valentina looked up from the documents on her desk.

"I didn't ask for a full investigation."

"You asked why Marco's men were following her. This is everything we found."

She placed the folder on the desk.

Name: Aanya Sharma

Age: 20

Occupation: College student

Record: Clean.

Valentina closed the file after reading only the first page.

"Enough."

"Boss?"

"She has nothing to do with our world."

Isabella nodded, though she noticed Valentina didn't throw the file away. Instead, she quietly placed it in a locked drawer.

Meanwhile, at Riverside College...

Aanya sat beneath a large tree, sketching the campus gardens.

Riya leaned over her shoulder.

"You're drawing someone."

Aanya quickly closed the sketchbook.

"I'm not!"

Riya laughed.

"You totally are! Is it that mysterious woman?"

Aanya felt her cheeks warm.

"I only remembered her face because she's... unique."

"Sure," Riya teased. "Keep telling yourself that."

Before Aanya could reply, a black luxury car stopped outside the college gates.

Students immediately began whispering.

"Whose car is that?"

"It looks expensive."

"Is some celebrity here?"

Aanya looked up.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The rear door opened.

Valentina stepped out.

Dressed in another elegant black suit, she walked through the gate with Isabella beside her.

Every conversation on campus stopped.

People instinctively moved aside.

Her presence alone demanded respect.

Valentina ignored the stares.

She was there to meet a university trustee about a charitable donation from Moretti Group.

Nothing more.

As she crossed the courtyard, someone accidentally collided with her.

Books scattered across the ground.

"Aah! I'm so sorry!"

Valentina looked down.

Aanya.

Again.

Aanya sighed dramatically.

"Why do I keep crashing into you?"

Valentina stared at her for a moment before kneeling to pick up a notebook.

"You should watch where you're going."

"I know..."

Aanya accepted the notebook with an embarrassed smile.

"Thanks."

Valentina stood.

"You apologize too much."

"...Is that a bad thing?"

"It makes people think you're easy to manipulate."

Aanya frowned.

"Maybe. But I'd rather be kind than rude."

For a brief second, Valentina had no reply.

Kindness.

It was a language she had almost forgotten.

Without another word, she continued toward the administration building.

Aanya watched her disappear around the corner.

Riya ran over, eyes wide.

"Do you KNOW who that woman is?"

"No."

"Then why does she keep talking to you?"

Aanya smiled softly.

"I don't know..."

But deep inside, she realized something.

The cold Mafia Queen never smiled.

Yet every time they met...

She stayed just a little longer before walking away.

Far away, from the balcony of the administration building, Valentina glanced down at the college courtyard one last time.

She immediately looked away.

"This curiosity," she muttered to herself, "will only become a weakness."

But fate had already begun pulling their worlds together.

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