Love Between Chaos (Parisan Mafia #1)

3

Chapter 3: Crossroads of Loyalty

The rain had started just as Sabrina slipped out of her family’s estate that night, her coat pulled tightly around her. The streets of Paris were slick with water, reflecting the golden glow of the streetlights. Her heart raced with every step she took, but it wasn’t just from the cold air biting at her skin—it was the weight of what she was doing.

She was on her way to meet Justine again.

For the past week, they had been exchanging secret messages, brief but filled with unspoken thoughts. Each time, they had met in the same place—the secluded balcony of the old opera house. It was a hidden corner of Paris, shielded from prying eyes, where they could be alone, if only for a few stolen moments.

Sabrina had spent every waking moment thinking about Justine since their first encounter. He was her enemy, the enemy, but with him, she felt something she couldn’t name—something that scared her as much as it excited her.

---

The balcony was empty when she arrived, the rain now only a faint drizzle. She leaned against the stone railing, the cold seeping into her hands. Her breath came out in soft puffs as she stared down at the quiet streets below, waiting.

Then she heard the familiar sound of footsteps behind her.

“Sabrina.” His voice was low, but even in that single word, she could hear the tension, the restraint.

She turned, and there he was—Justine Monteverde. His hair was damp from the rain, his dark coat framing his broad shoulders, and those piercing blue eyes she couldn’t seem to forget.

“You’re late,” she said softly, though there was no anger in her voice.

Justine gave a half-smile as he approached. “Blame the traffic. Paris can be a nightmare at night.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the rain falling softly around them. Sabrina’s heart was pounding in her chest, her thoughts a whirlwind of everything she was risking just by being here. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, knew it was reckless. But there was something about Justine—something about the way he looked at her, the way he made her feel like she wasn’t just a pawn in her family’s game.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” Justine said after a beat, his voice quieter now.

“I wasn’t sure if I should,” she admitted, turning her gaze back to the street. “But here I am.”

Justine took a step closer, his presence warm despite the cold night air. “You’re taking a huge risk, you know. Your father would k1ll me if he knew.”

Sabrina glanced up at him, a hint of a smile on her lips. “You’re assuming he’d get to you before my brothers do.”

Justine chuckled softly, though there was no real humor in it. They both knew the truth. If their families found out about these meetings, it wouldn’t just be them who would suffer—their entire worlds could crumble.

---

“I’ve been thinking,” Justine said after a long pause, his voice more serious now. “About what you said last time. About how our families would never allow this.”

Sabrina didn’t respond immediately. She had tried not to think too much about their last conversation—about the way her heart had skipped a beat when he had suggested they didn’t have to follow their families’ rules. But reality always came crashing back, and she knew better than to entertain those thoughts for too long.

“You know they wouldn’t,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes on the distant lights of the city. “This... whatever this is... it’s dangerous. We’re putting ourselves in a position where—”