Sabrina, the sweet, bubbly girl next door, never imagined being pulled into a world of danger. But meeting Julian, a captivating mafia member with a dark past, changes everything.
As she falls for him, she's torn between love and the dangerous secr...
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5 months earlier...
Today was absolutely wild. I mean, first meeting Matteo, then watching Valentina get screamed at by her parents—icing on the cake.
I couldn't believe how everything spiraled so fast.
Val's my best friend, and seeing her go through that?
It broke my heart. She doesn't deserve any of it, especially not because of him.
I'd only met Matteo earlier today, and honestly, I already didn't like him. He's been nothing but trouble since the second he showed up in her life.
Val told me that her parents basically forced them together—some kind of arrangement. It sounded like a nightmare, but I tried to stay optimistic.
I thought, maybe, just maybe, things could work out, or at least be civil. But after today, it was clear Matteo wasn't bringing anything good into Val's world.
All he's done is stir up drama and make things worse for her.
That's why when Logan texted me, telling me I should come over to Val's, I didn't hesitate. There was no way I was going to leave her alone to deal with all this chaos.
When I got to her house, her parents didn't seem fazed by anything. I asked if I could stay the night, and they didn't even bat an eye, just said sure.
I guess they were trying to act like everything was normal, but I knew better.
I knew Matteo was upstairs, and part of me hoped maybe they had talked things out by now. But as I headed up to Val's room, the raised voices made it clear I was wrong.
I hesitated for a second outside the door, listening to them argue. Matteo was talking shit about Logan again, calling him names like he has been for the past whole day.
It grated on my nerves because Logan has been nothing but sweet to Valentina, and Matteo doesn't know him at all.
It was so typical of Matteo to act like he's above everyone else. Before things could escalate any further, I decided to step in.
Val looked a little surprised when I entered. "Sabrina? What are you doing here?"
"Logan texted me," I said, trying to keep my voice light. "thought it'd be good for me to come over. Your parents are fine with it,"
I could see her shoulders relax just a bit, like she was relieved to have me there. But then my attention shifted, and that's when I noticed someone else in the room.
A guy I didn't recognize.
He wasn't standing like Matteo, who always had this puffed-up attitude. No, this guy looked relaxed, like he wasn't here to cause trouble.
He was tall, had an easy smile, and there was something warm about him, like the kind of person you could actually talk to and not feel judged.
I caught myself staring, and he raised an eyebrow at me with a small smirk. He seemed like someone who knew how to read a room, and I got the sense he didn't take things too seriously—definitely not like Matteo, who was always trying to prove something.
Who was this guy?
Then he spoke. "Sounds like this Logan guy is really into you, Valentina," he said with a teasing tone, like he was just trying to lighten the mood.
And of course, I jumped in, because that's just me. "Yeah, he'd do anything for her," I said, without even thinking twice.
It was true—Logan would do anything for Val.
Matteo let out this sarcastic laugh, like what I'd said was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "That's pathetic," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
Ugh. This guy. I only met him today, and already he was driving me crazy. He's hot—no one can deny that—but everything that comes out of his mouth is just toxic.
Val told me how arrogant he was, but experiencing it firsthand?
Yeah, it's even worse. From the moment he stepped into her life, all he's brought is trouble. He's arrogant, rude, and thinks he's better than everyone else.
The way he talks about Logan, about anyone who isn't him—it makes my blood boil.
Before I could say anything, Val exploded. "You're the pathetic one, Matteo! You talk about people you don't even know like it makes you superior. It's disgusting!" She was practically shaking with anger, and honestly, I couldn't blame her.
Matteo just raised an eyebrow, still smirking like he enjoyed getting under her skin. "Touched a nerve, did I?"
And then, Val did what I wasn't expecting—she slapped him. Hard. The sound echoed in the room, and I stood there, frozen.
Val's usually so controlled, but I could tell she was at her breaking point. Matteo had been pushing her this whole day, and that was the last straw.
Matteo barely flinched. He rubbed his jaw, still looking amused, like the slap didn't even phase him.
"That all you got, Diavoletta?" he said, his tone mocking. Like he was daring her to hit him again.
Before anything else could happen, Val's mom called from downstairs. "Kids, come downstairs!"
The tension broke in an instant. It was like the air in the room shifted, but not in a good way. "We think since it's getting late, everyone should just sleep here!" her mom said, sounding way too cheerful for how insane the last ten minutes had been.
Val muttered, "Sure," clearly not thrilled about it. I knew she was already counting down the minutes until Matteo would be gone.
This whole arrangement her parents set up was turning into a disaster. If I had my way, she'd never have to see him again.
Back in Valentina's room, she seemed exhausted as she threw out the sleeping arrangements. "Sabrina and I will sleep in here. Matteo and... Julian can take the guest room."
Julian.
So that's his name. I glanced over at him again, and suddenly he didn't seem like just some random guy standing in the corner. Julian.
It fit him—someone who didn't need to try so hard, someone who wasn't all ego and attitude like Matteo.
There was something... comfortable about him.
He was different from anyone Val had been around lately—especially Matteo. And okay, maybe I was overthinking it, but I kind of liked that he wasn't loud or trying to dominate the conversation.
He didn't seem like the kind of guy to make drama out of nothing.
Without thinking, I blurted out, "I think the couple should share a bed," hoping that maybe if Val and Matteo were forced to spend more time together, they'd actually work through their issues.
Plus, I figured, maybe it'd give me more time to talk to Julian.
To my surprise, Julian nodded in agreement, still keeping that laid-back, almost amused expression on his face. He didn't seem rattled by any of the chaos going on around him, and that only made me want to talk to him more.
"Follow me, Julian. I'll show you where the guest room is," I said, trying to sound casual even though I was definitely more excited than I let on. There was something about him that made me feel... curious.
And for the first time tonight, I felt like maybe this mess wasn't the only thing I'd remember from today.
AUTHORS NOTEE Did y'all miss meeee?? Get ready for Sabrina's and Julian's story this is gonna be a long one guys!! There's gonna be a couple of flashbacks in this book just to let you guys know.
