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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When Matteo asked me about the family dinner, I just sighed, already feeling the weight of last night settling heavily in my chest.
Where do I even start?
I told him what went down—how her dad threw her out, how they tore her down, and how she ended up here, needing a place to stay.
Matteo's face was a mix of shock and disbelief. He shook his head, saying, "Go home, man. Be there for her. It's okay; we'll handle things here."
I nodded, grateful for his understanding, and headed back as quickly as I could. When I unlocked my door and stepped inside, I heard Sabrina's voice coming from down the hall.
I stopped, going quiet as I moved closer. Her voice was tense, shaky with the sound of held-back tears. "I don't want to fucking meet up with you," she was saying, her tone laced with anger and pain. "You showed Ale the picture, Gabi. I thought I could trust you."
Hearing the betrayal in her voice, the tears she was struggling to hold back, made my heart clench.
I felt an intense surge of anger towards Gabi for putting her through this, but more than anything, I just wanted to go in there and pull Sabrina into my arms, letting her know she wasn't alone in this.
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When Gabi called me, her name lighting up my phone screen, I hesitated for a second, then picked up, unsure of what she could possibly want now.
"Sabrina, can we meet up? I really want to explain," she said, her voice sounding hesitant, like she knew she was already on thin ice.
"I don't want to fucking meet up with you," I snapped, my voice sharp with the anger and hurt I'd been holding back. "You showed Ale the picture, Gabi. I thought I could trust you."
There was a pause on her end before she muttered, "I'm sorry. I didn't know he'd do all that... I didn't think he'd show anyone."
A bitter, humorless laugh escaped me. "You know how Ale is," I said, feeling a tear slip down my cheek as the weight of her betrayal hit me again.
"You knew he'd use it to hurt me. But you still did it." My voice was cracking, and I could barely keep it steady.
As Gabi started to say something else, I was already pulling the phone away, ending the call.
As I sat there, lost in the ache of it all, I heard the soft click of the door opening. Quickly, I wiped at my eyes, straightening up as best as I could, even though the pain still lingered, sharp and raw.
Julian stepped into the room, his eyes finding mine instantly. He didn't say anything, but the quiet concern in his gaze was unmistakable.
"Shouldn't you still be at work?" I asked, hoping I sounded steady, though I knew he could probably see right through me.
He shrugged, his expression softening. "I'm off for the day," he said gently, stepping closer. "You alright?"
Julian sat down beside me, looking at me with that calm, patient expression he always had when he knew I was struggling.
I sighed, glancing down at my hands as I tried to organize my thoughts. "I don't know what to do anymore. Everything feels... broken. I don't even have a family to go back to."
He nodded, watching me carefully. "I know it feels that way, Sab. But it's not over. It's going to take time, but it's not always going to be like this."
I managed a faint smile, appreciating his attempt to reassure me, even if I couldn't quite believe it yet. "I don't know how you stay so calm. I feel like I'm losing my mind over here."
He let out a soft chuckle. "I'm not as calm as I look. I don't want you to go through this alone, so whatever it takes to make sure you don't, that's what I'm going to do."
Hearing him say that hit me harder than I expected, and I bit my lip, swallowing back the emotion welling up again. "I just feel like I need... I don't know, space. A chance to breathe without all this hanging over me."
Julian watched me for a second, as if weighing something, then nodded, determination settling in his eyes. "You know what? I think we should go away for a bit."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Go away?"
"Yeah. Somewhere far from here, somewhere we can just... get away from all this for a while," he said, his voice serious but hopeful. "How about Connecticut? A change of scenery could do us both some good."
"You're serious?" I asked, searching his face.
He nodded. "Yeah. I think it's exactly what you need. And I could use a break from everything here, too."
A part of me hesitated, the reality of everything tying me down, but the idea of escaping, even just for a little while, felt like a lifeline. "But... you'd have to take time off work for a week at least. That's a lot, Julian."
He just shrugged, smiling a little. "It's worth it. Don't worry about that—I'll take care of everything."
I looked at him, completely taken by his willingness to just drop everything for me, to make this feel possible.
Before I knew it, I'd thrown myself into his arms, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me as if he could keep all the broken pieces of me together.
"Thank you," I whispered against his shoulder, meaning it more than he could know.
