(Adraino pov)

I stared down at her sleeping face, so innocent, so peaceful, with those soft lashes brushing her cheeks and her lips slightly parted in quiet breaths. My hardened, ruthless heart softened, just a fraction, from the moment I spotted her at the bar, I had knew she was special and different, pure light in my endless night, and I wasn't letting her go, not ever.

But the fear of her finding out who I really am, the Mafia Don who ruled this city with an iron fist, enemies trembled at my name. Rivals begged for mercy I rarely gave. They called me the Devil, and for good reason. Blood stained my hands, deals sealed in shadows, power built on fear and bullets. She could never know. Not yet.

My phone vibrated sharply on the nightstand, shattering the silence. I snatched it up, my expression hardening instantly as I saw the caller, I answered on the second ring, my voice low.

"Talk."

"East warehouse," Roman said, breath tight. "We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"Shipment's compromised."

My eyes lifted slowly from her sleeping form. "Define compromised."

"Security's down. Cameras went dead ten minutes ago. Guards aren't responding."

"Who hit it?" I asked.

"We don't know yet."

"You don't know?" My tone dropped. "Or you haven't looked hard enough?"

"We're still pulling feeds from nearby blocks-"

"Stop talking," I cut in. "Are you there?"

"Two minutes out."

"Good," I said, already reaching for my jacket. "Stay outside. No one goes in until I get there."

"Yes, boss."

I ended the call, for a second, I didn't move, "Damn it," I muttered under my breath. I glanced back at her one last time, memorizing the curve of her face, then leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep, pajarito I will be back before you wake."

I moved like a ghost, grabbing my jacket and signaling my men waiting in the hall. Within seconds, they were armed, each one with a sleek black gun holstered or gripped tight.

"Boss all set," Marco said as I stepped outside.

"How many?" I asked.

"Six cars. Full crew."

"Good," I replied. "We go in, we secure the shipment, we get out."

"You think it's a hit?" Luca asked as I got into the SUV, engines roared to life, and the convoy sped through the rainy city streets toward the warehouse district. I sat in the lead SUV, jaw clenched, fingers drumming on my knee.

"How bad?" I asked my right-hand man, Luca, without looking away from the window.

"Bad, boss. Looks like a setup. Shipment's hot, automatic rifles, enough to arm a small army. If we lose it..."

"I think someone wants my attention," I said.

"And you're giving it to them," Marco muttered.

I glanced at him. "That's how you find out who's stupid enough to ask for it."

We pulled up to the warehouse under cover of night. The air was thick with tension. No lights. . My instincts screamed trap, but the shipment was too valuable to abandon. We moved in formation, guns drawn, shadows blending with the crates stacked high inside

"Where the hell is everyone?"

"Stay sharp," I said as I stepped out. "No one spreads out. We move together."

"Yes, boss."

"Doors are unlocked," Luca said.

"That's not a good sign,"

Then all hell broke loose. Gunfire erupted from multiple directions, ambush. Police sirens wailed in the distance, but these weren't just cops. Special teams poured in, backed by what looked like rival informants. Bullets ricocheted off metal, shattering glass and wood. My men returned fire with precision, but they were outnumbered.

"Cover the exit!" I barked, my own gun blazing as I dropped two officers with clean shots. Blood sprayed. Chaos reigned. I spotted Luca pinned down behind a crate. Without hesitation, I charged forward, laying suppressive fire, grabbing my lieutenant by the collar and shoving him toward the back door.

"Get the others out! Now! I'll hold them!"

"Boss, no-"

"Go!" My roar cut through the noise. I protected my crew one by one, taking hits that grazed my arm and side, but never faltering. My men escaped into the night, vanishing like smoke.

Alone now, surrounded, I lowered my weapon slowly as officers closed in, rifles trained on my chest. I locked eyes with the lead detective, a smug bastard who'd clearly orchestrated the tip-off, the one who'd tricked us here.

"You think this ends me?" I asked ,voice low and lethal, even as cuffs clicked around my wrists. Blood trickled from a cut on my lip. "I will wipe out your entire family from the face of the earth, every last one, slowly, you will beg for death before I'm done."

The detective smirked, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. "Big words for a man in cuffs, Devil."

I just smiled a cold, promise-filled grin as they dragged me away. "Count the days."

Hours later, in the cold interrogation room, I sat chained to the table, my expensive suit torn and stained, the detective paced, slamming files down.

"We got you this time, Adraino Rossi. Gun trafficking, assault on officers, ties to half a dozen murders. You're done."

I leaned back, unfazed, my dark eyes piercing. "Am I? You have nothing but a setup, my lawyers will have me out by morning. And you... you just signed your death warrant."

The detective laughed nervously. "Keep talking. We raided three more of your spots tonight."

My phone had been taken, but I knew my empire was already moving. Loyal men on the outside, contingencies in place. But my mind drifted back to her, the girl sleeping safely in my bed, she couldn't know about this, not the arrest, not the blood.

"You think fear will break me?" I said quietly, almost to myself. "I've built my life on it."

The detective leaned in close. "Who was the girl at the bar? The one you were talking to? We know about her now."

My eyes flashed with pure rage. I lunged forward as far as the chains allowed, my voice a deadly whisper: "Touch one hair on her head, and I'll burn this city down with you in it. That's not a threat. That's a vow."

The room fell silent. Even the cops shifted uncomfortably, I settled back, heart still soft for her, but the Devil fully awake now, they just threatened her, I would get out, I would protect her, and I would make them all pay.

(Melissa pov)

"Melissa! Wait-!" Fuck it's Daniel, I didn't stop.

"Melissa, please!"

I walked faster, my grip tightening around my bag.

"Mel-!"

I broke into a run, by the time I reached the lecture hall, my chest was tight and my hands were shaking, but I didn't turn back, I didn't look for him, I didn't give myself the chance to hear whatever excuse he was ready to throw at me.

"Rough morning?"

I dropped into my seat, barely glancing at the girl beside me.

"You could say that."

The room quieted as Dr. Nathaniel Carter walked in, placing his notes neatly on the desk.

"Today we'll be discussing criminal psychology in high-risk offenders," he said, scanning the room. "This is not just theory. This is a real-world application."

"Melissa."

I straightened slightly. "Yes, sir?"

"What motivates individuals in organized crime?" Dr. Carter asked.

I swallowed. "Power," I said. "Control... influence. And fear."

"And how do they maintain that authority?"

"By making people afraid to challenge them."

"Exactly," he nodded. "Fear becomes their strongest weapon."

But my mind wasn't in class anymore, It was somewhere else, in a room with him.I woke up alone, the bed was cold on his side, like he had been gone for a while, and for a moment I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out if last night had even been real.

"Miss?"

I sat up quickly, a woman stood by the door, neatly dressed, calm, like she had always been there.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Maria, the housekeeper," she replied politely. "Breakfast is ready."

I frowned. "Where is he?"

"Mr. Adriano left early."

"Left?" I repeated.

"Yes, miss. He had an urgent business matter."

I stared at her.

"He didn't say anything?"

"No, miss."

I laughed under my breath, how could you be so trusting to leave a stranger on your bed.

"Of course he didn't."

"Would you like your breakfast now?" she asked.

"I guess."

"You can sit here," she said, guiding me to the table, I sat down slowly, still trying to process everything.

"He does this often?" I asked.

"Mr. Adriano is a very busy man."

"That's not what I asked."

She paused slightly. "He leaves when needed."

I scoffed. "Without saying a word?"

She didn't answer.

"Right," I muttered. "Figures."

"Melissa?"

I blinked, snapping back to the present.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're distracted."

"I'm sorry."

"Focus," he said firmly. "You'll need this knowledge in the field."

"I understand."

Class ended faster than I expected or maybe I just wasn't paying attention, and I was out of my seat before anyone could stop me.

"Hi, what can I get for you?"

I looked up at the counter. Aisha stood there with her usual bright smile.

"A coffee," I said. Aisha smiled wider.

"Coming right up."

She placed the cup in front of me a moment later. "Here you go."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said, still smiling like she always did, like nothing in the world could take that away from her.

I took my coffee and sat down, trying to clear my head, trying not to think or replay everything about last night.

"Breaking news this afternoon" My attention shifted to the TV without thinking.

"Adriano Rossi, the alleged crime figure long suspected of controlling major operations within the city, has been taken into custody earlier today"

My hand froze around the cup, the screen showed him in handcuffs, surrounded by officers, he was calm and unbothered, like none of it mattered.

"Oh my God, that's him," one girl gasped from the next table.

"Wait-that's Adriano Rossi?" another leaned forward. "He's even hotter than I imagined."

"Are you serious right now?" a third whispered. "That man is dangerous."

"Dangerous and fine," the first girl said quickly. "Look at him, he doesn't even look scared."

"He looks like he owns the place,"

someone else added.

"I heard he runs half the city."

"They call him the Devil."

"And I still wouldn't mind fucking him"

"Girl! He is a killer"

"What? I'm just saying!"

Their laughter filled the space, light and careless, like they were talking about a celebrity instead of someone who could destroy lives without blinking.

I couldn't breathe, because all I could see was him, the man from last night, the one who looked at me like I was the only thing in the room, the one who left me in his bed without a word, I can't believe I gave my virginity to a killer

"No..." I whispered.

Everything started making sense, the house, the silence, the way people moved around him, the way he spoke, the man I couldn't stop thinking about was the most dangerous man in the city and I had no idea what that meant for me, because the truth was right there on the screen.

Adriano Rossi, the most dangerous man in the city, and somehow I had spent the night in his world.

(Melissa pov)

"It's been two months... and I still feel like I never really escaped him."

Two months since Adriano Rossi appeared on every screen in handcuffs, and I still couldn't breathe without feeling his shadow on my neck, I told myself he was gone, I stopped watching the news, I stopped saying his name, I stopped looking over my shoulder, Lies, all of it.

"It's obvious, Melissa," Emily said as we walked toward the campus café. "You flinched at a fucking car."

"It was just a car," I snapped.

"A black tinted one that slowed down right beside us," Chloe added, voice too casual.

I stopped walking, my pulse spiked, Zara studied me with those quiet, knowing eyes.

"You're not sleeping. You're barely here."

"I'm fine," I lied, forcing my legs to move again.

But I wasn't fine, I noticed everything now, every slow-moving vehicle, every set of eyes that lingered too long, every silence that felt like it was waiting for me, I was drowning in my own paranoia, and my friends could see the water rising.

"How did we even meet you?" Emily asked suddenly.

I frowned. "Why does that matter?"

"Because it feels like you appeared out of nowhere," she said. "One day you were just... sitting there. Alone. Looking like someone was hunting you."

Chloe smirked. "You did look like you wanted to vanish."

Zara's voice was softer. "You still do."

I didn't answer, the memory of that first day in the café flashed through my mind, me staring at a book I wasn't reading, Emily stealing my table, Chloe talking too much, Zara looking at me like she could already see the cracks.

They had pulled me in before I could disappear, now they were the only thing keeping me tethered.

At the café, Aisha placed our drinks down with a gentle smile. "You look exhausted, Melissa."

"I'm fine," I said quickly.

She nodded gently. "Take care of yourself."

Emily leaned in the second Aisha left.

"She's nice."

"She is," I agreed quietly.

"Party tonight, you're coming."

"I don't want to-"

"You're coming," Chloe cut in. "Zara's friend's birthday. No excuses."

"I hate parties."

"You hated people too until we forced you," Emily said with a grin that didn't reach her eyes tonight.

I looked down at my untouched drink, the truth was, the idea of staying alone in my room tonight terrified me more than a crowded party, so I decided to go.

Music slammed into us the moment we stepped inside, lights everywhere, bodies pressed together, the air was thick with sweat, alcohol, and something heavier I couldn't name, Emily grabbed my hand and dragged me into the chaos.

"Okay," Emily said, grabbing my hand, "No overthinking."

"I don't overthink everything."

"You absolutely do," Chloe said.

Zara stepped closer. "Just stay with us."

"I am staying with you," I replied.

"Good," she said.

We moved into the crowd, music swallowed everything, for a moment, it almost felt normal.

"Dance with me," Emily shouted, pulling me forward.

"I don't know how"

"Too late," she laughed.

We danced, at first, I was stiff, then slower and lighter I was feeling the best of the song

"You're smiling!" Chloe shouted.

"I am not"

"Yes, you are," Zara said calmly.

And maybe I was but just a little, a guy approached eventually, he was tall, handsome and confident, smiling like the world belonged to him.

"Hey," he said. "Dance?"

Emily immediately nudged me. "Yes."

"I didn't say yes," I muttered.

"You didn't say no either," she replied.

"Ryan," he introduced himself.

"Melissa," I said.

He moved closer, gently guiding me into rhythm.

"You don't come to places like this often," he said.

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little," he smiled. "But it's not a bad thing."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you feel real," he said simply.

That made me pause.

"Most people here don't?" I asked.

"No," he said softly.

Something in my chest tightened slightly, but I ignored it, then It came back, that feeling of being watched, I slowed slightly, Ryan noticed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I said quickly. "I just need some air."

"Want me to come"

"No," I interrupted too fast, "I'm fine."

I walked away before he could respond, the hallway outside was quieter, I exhaled slowly, when will this feeling ever stop.

"Stop it," I whispered to myself.

But I felt it again, not fear, something worse, expectation.

I stepped into the restroom, as if I was expecting to see someone but it was empty of course, I walked to the sink, gripping the edge.

"You're fine," I whispered. "Nothing is happening."

Then silence broke behind me, I turned quickly.

"What-"

Something pressed against my face, a cloth, my eyes widened instantly.

"What-mm-!"

A familiar voice leaned close, low, calm and dangerously soft.

"Easy, pajarito," Adriano murmured.

Everything stopped, my body froze for half a second, not because I understood but because I was scared, many thoughts crossed my mind in that half a second, no, my hands moved weakly.

"Stop-!"

But my strength was already fading, the world blurred at the edges.

"You've been running," he said quietly.

I tried to fight, but my body stopped obeying me, the last thing I heard before everything went dark, was his voice again.

"Now you stop."