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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was a Sunday morning when my phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling me out of a deep sleep.
I didn't recognize the number at first, but something in me knew I had to answer.
"Julian," came the voice of my dad, distant and hollow, as if he'd already spoken too many words to repeat them again.
"What's going on?" I asked, sleep still clinging to me. "Is everything okay?"
There was a pause, one long enough to make my stomach clench.
"It's your mother. She... she overdosed. The paramedics tried, but... she didn't make it."
My heart stopped, the air leaving my lungs as if someone had punched me. I felt the burn behind my eyes, and before I knew it, tears blurred my vision.
I hadn't cried in years, but hearing that my mom was gone—it undid me, no matter how complicated things had been between us.
She'd been in and out of my life, a shadow at the edge of every memory, more absent than present.
She wasn't the kind of mother who baked cookies or helped with homework; she'd been caught up in her own struggles.
And I'd resented her for it—more than once. But she was still my mom, still the person who'd held my hand when I was little, who'd promised me she'd do better, even if those promises were always broken.
A hollow ache settled in my chest. I wanted to be angry at her for leaving me again, but all I felt was the heavy weight of grief.
I'd never hear her voice again. Never get to ask her why she couldn't be the mother I needed.
Never get to hear her say she was sorry.
I reached for my phone, instinctively dialing Matteo. I needed him, even if I didn't know what I'd say.
Just the thought of having someone there was enough to make the pain feel manageable. The phone rang, each second pulling me further into the realization of my mom's absence.
Ring after ring until it clicked to voicemail. I waited, heart pounding, before trying again—and again.
But Matteo never picked up.
Eventually, I gave up, letting the phone slip from my hand as I stared out the window, the silence settling in like a weight I couldn't lift.
Alone, I tried to piece together how I felt, but the emotions kept slipping through my fingers like sand.
With a deep breath, I force myself back into the present, the memory leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. Nothing had been the same since then—not with Matteo, and maybe not even with myself.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"You look sad. Are you okay?"
It's such a simple question, but it cuts through me like a blade, piercing right through the walls I've been trying to keep up.
No one has asked me that—not really, not in a way that felt like they meant it. Julian is too wrapped up in himself, and Matteo and Valentina are tangled in their own mess.
And I'm left alone, trying to act like I'm okay when I'm anything but.
I try to brush it off, swallowing down the ache that's built up over these last few weeks. But something about the way Ale is looking at me, the concern in his eyes... it's like he's already seen through every last bit of my pretending.
The tears come before I can stop them, and I turn my face away, ashamed of how fast I'm breaking. I'm supposed to be the one who's there for everyone else.
But right now, all I want is to fall apart, and somehow, it feels safe to do that with him.
Alejandro doesn't hesitate. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close, holding me in a way that feels so solid, so real.
It's like the weight I've been carrying finally has somewhere to go, and I let myself collapse into him, burying my face in his shoulder.
The sobs come hard, wracking my whole body as I cling to him, unable to hold back anymore.
"Oh, Sabrina," he whispers, his voice so soft, like he's giving me permission to feel everything I've been holding back.
He holds me tighter, one hand rubbing gentle circles on my back, grounding me with each touch.
Between broken breaths, the words spill out, ones I didn't even know I was holding in. "I just... I feel so alone. Like nobody sees me, Ale. Like... like I'm invisible." My voice cracks, and I feel the shame building, but it's too late to stop. "Everyone's caught up in their own lives. Julian barely talks to me, Matteo and Val... and I just... I don't know what I'm doing wrong."
He pulls me even closer, his voice steady, sure. "Sab, you're not invisible. I see you, and I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
Something inside me crumbles even more, this time in a way that doesn't hurt. His words wrap around me like armor, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel like I'm not alone.
I feel seen, really seen, like someone finally noticed the cracks I've been hiding, the weight I've been carrying alone.
My sobs quiet, but I stay in his arms, not ready to let go of this moment. When I finally pull back, I look up at him, tears still clinging to my lashes. "Thank you," I manage to whisper, my voice raw.
He smiles down at me, his thumb gently wiping a tear from my cheek. "Anytime, Sab. I mean that."
The words settle into me, filling some hollow part of me I'd almost forgotten was there. I look at him, really look, and realize he means it—he's here.
And for the first time in weeks, I feel like I don't have to face this alone. I'm not invisible, not to him.
And somehow, that makes everything just a little bit lighter.
AUTHORS NOTEEE Julian and Sabrina's povs are making me so sadddd!
I'm sure a lot of people can relate to Sabrina feeling alone so I hope you all find your Ale☺️☺️
