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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I couldn't believe it—how perfect everything felt in that moment, kissing Julian, being close to him again.
The way he looked at me, the softness in his eyes, the familiar warmth of his touch... my heart hadn't felt this full in so long.
I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be wrapped up in him, forgetting everything else, just the two of us like this.
And then, of course, Gabi had to storm in, throwing it all into chaos. The second she snapped that picture, the calm I'd felt with Julian shattered.
I could practically feel the heat rising in my face as my mind spiraled, picturing my papas reaction if he saw that photo.
Sitting on Julian's lap, tangled up in him, looking so lost in the moment... my papa would be furious.
More than furious—he'd probably be disappointed. What would he think, seeing his daughter like that, in his own house?
My heart sank at the thought, and I felt a pang of guilt as Julian looked at me with that worried expression.
"It's going to be fine," Julian said softly, trying to catch my gaze. His voice was steady, his hand warm on my shoulder, as if he really believed he could just say that and make everything okay. "Gabriella's just messing around; she won't actually send it."
He just doesn't get it. To him, it's a joke, a little teasing from my cousin. But to me, this could be a disaster.
If my dad sees it... everything he thinks about me, the trust he has in me—it's all on the line. It isn't just a harmless joke.
To me, it's a threat, a promise of the storm I'd face if that photo ever reached my papas phone.
"No, no, Julian." My voice trembles, and I barely recognize it. "He can't see that picture. If he does, he'll be so angry at me—he won't understand. He'll think..." I couldn't even finish. The shame of it, the way my dad would look at me... it was too much.
Julian's hand tightened reassuringly on my shoulder, his thumb tracing gentle circles, trying to calm me. "Hey, breathe," he murmured. "It's going to be okay. Gabriella isn't going to send it. I promise."
But his words feel distant, unable to reach me through the panic building in my chest. I can't calm down.
As soon as my mom's voice called out from downstairs, I froze. Julian squeezed my hand, giving me a reassuring look, and together we made our way down to join everyone.
I tried to calm my nerves, forcing myself to act natural. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw my father looking directly at me, his expression unreadable.
"What were you two doing up there?" he asked, his gaze shifting between Julian and me.
My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my face as calm as possible.
"Nothing," I replied, sounding more confident than I felt. "Julian was just helping me clean up my room."
Papa gave a slow nod, looking satisfied enough. "Alright then."
I exhaled, trying not to let the relief show on my face. I noticed that most of my family members were gathering their things, heading toward the door.
My mama came over and smiled at Julian. "Later tonight, we're having dinner at Tia Isabella's. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."
Julian nodded politely. "That sounds really nice. Thank you for the invitation."
As everyone started filing out, I quickly made my way over to Gabi. I pulled her into a hug and whispered, "Please don't show anyone that photo. I mean it, Gabi."
She chuckled softly, rolling her eyes. "Relax, prima. I won't show anyone."
Despite her teasing tone, something in her voice made me believe her.
I sighed in relief as she pulled back, offering a quick smile before following the rest of the family out the door.
When it was just Julian and me again, I turned to my parents. "We're going to go finish cleaning up," I said, hoping they'd buy it.
My father looked at me, a bit suspicious, and then nodded, adding, "Leave the door open."
I shot him a quick smile, my face slightly flushed, and Julian and I headed back up to my room.
As we reached the top of the stairs, I could feel some of the tension leaving my shoulders, knowing the worst was probably behind us... for now.
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Back in Sabrina's room, I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I'd agreed to a family dinner tonight—round two with her family.
I wasn't about to admit it out loud, but, yeah, it was a little nerve-wracking.
But Sabrina's room was a retreat from all that, just the two of us away from her dad's watchful eye and Gabi's sneaky phone.
Sabrina looked at me, clearly still anxious, so I gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine," I said, drawing her back onto my lap.
"Everything's going to be okay." I let my hand rest on her back, feeling her relax a bit.
I looked into her eyes, smirking a little. "Now... where were we?"
She laughed softly, still looking skeptical. "And risk my papa barging in here?"
I nodded toward her door. "You have a lock for a reason, don't you?"
She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the door, weighing it over.
But in the end, she couldn't resist, and I watched as she quietly turned the lock.
When she came back, she settled on my lap again, that spark in her eyes returning. This time, when we kissed, it was deeper, both of us pushing aside the chaos of today.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her as close as possible, her hands tracing lightly along my shoulders as the world outside faded away.
