Mafia's Obsession

• XXIX •

Sophia stood there, her breath still ragged from the intensity of their moment, her heart hammering in her chest. She wanted to break the silence that had stretched between them, but all the words seemed stuck in her throat. She finally took a deep breath, then asked softly, "So... what now?"
Luciano's gaze was intense, his dark eyes locked on hers, full of emotions he was struggling to keep in check. "We need to talk," he said, his voice low and commanding, though there was a hint of uncertainty underneath. He took a step closer, but before he could say more, there was a knock on the door.
Sophia blinked, quickly composing herself. "That's Riley," she murmured, already moving to open the door. Riley handed her the wrap she had requested, offering a polite smile, oblivious to the charged atmosphere in the room. "Thank you," Sophia said with a tight smile, taking the cardigan and wrapping it around her, trying to cover as much exposed skin as possible.
With the cardigan shielding her body, she turned towards the mirror again. Swiftly, she pulled the clip from her hair, allowing her loose curls to cascade down her back and over her neck. The curls fell effortlessly, hiding the marks Luciano had left on her skin. When she turned to face him again, their eyes locked once more. His tousled hair and the undeniable heat in his gaze told her he was still thinking about what had happened between them.
For a moment, it was like no one else existed in the world but the two of them.
But she couldn't stay. Not here, not like this. Without saying another word, Sophia turned and left the room, her heart pounding as she re-entered the grand hall, leaving Luciano behind. The moment she stepped back into the crowd, it felt like the walls were closing in on her again. She wasn't ready to deal with this—any of it.
She didn't get far before her mother spotted her. "Oh, Sophia, there you are!" her mother exclaimed, pulling her into a quick hug. "I've been looking for you everywhere! I wanted to introduce you to Andrea here," she continued, motioning to a man standing beside her.
Sophia plastered a polite smile on her face and nodded to Andrea, though her thoughts were miles away, back in that suite with Luciano. She let her mother whisk her off, introducing her to various guests, but her mind was elsewhere, caught in a whirlwind of emotions. As she was paraded around, exchanging pleasantries with people she hardly cared to remember, she could still feel him.
Luciano.
Even from across the room, she felt his presence like a magnet pulling her in. She glanced around, trying to shake off the sensation, and finally, her eyes found him. He stood tall, his appearance perfectly polished now, not a trace of the passion they'd shared left on him. But his gaze was locked on her, unwavering and intense.
She could feel the weight of his eyes on her, watching her every move as she tried to pretend like nothing had happened. But it had. And it felt like an invisible string was tying them together, tightening with every second that passed.
Luciano's father, observing this from afar, walked over to him with a glass in hand. He followed his son's gaze and saw Sophia, effortlessly mingling with the crowd, though it was clear where her mind was. "It's a bad idea," his father muttered, taking a long gulp from his drink, his eyes not leaving Sophia.
Luciano didn't respond. His jaw clenched, the storm brewing inside him showing only in the way he tensed, his fists clenching momentarily before he relaxed them.
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NEW STORY COMING UP:

Alayna De'Romano, the fiery and rebellious daughter of the most powerful mafia family in the world, is used to living life on her own terms. With her brother Luciano now leading the empire, her every move is watched, but she's determined to keep her independence—until a rising threat forces her father to assign her a personal bodyguard.
Aiden De Luca, a disciplined and stoic professional, is the best in the business. Built like a fortress, his job is simple: protect Alayna at all costs. But as the tension between them builds, keeping his hands off the irresistible, curvaceous beauty becomes his hardest mission yet.
As Alayna's playful seduction turns into a dangerous game of desire, Aiden struggles to maintain the line between duty and temptation. In a world of secrets, power, and deadly enemies, their forbidden attraction
blurs into a passion too explosive to resist. But when danger closes in, will Aiden risk everything—including his heart—to protect the woman he's sworn to guard?