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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The idea of going away had just sort of spilled out, almost like a reflex to do whatever I could to make her feel a little better, to give her a break from all this.
But looking at her now, the way her face lit up at the thought, I realized it was actually a good plan. She needed this—and honestly, I did too.
Hopefully, Matteo would understand. Sabrina deserved a real break, a chance to breathe, and seeing her happy again only confirmed that this was exactly what we both needed.
I glanced over at her, feeling more determined than ever. "Hey, before we go, we should swing by your place to grab some of your things."
Sabrina's expression faltered for a second, her eyes clouding with that worry that'd been following her everywhere lately.
She looked at me, uneasy. "Julian, I... I don't know if I can go back there right now."
I reached over, taking her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to go in alone, I promise. I'll be right outside. And if anything happens, you just call, and I'll come right in, no questions."
She took a breath, considering it, and I could tell she was trying to gather her courage. "Okay," she finally whispered.
"Good," I said, smiling at her. "We'll make it quick, in and out. Then we'll get out of here for a while—just you and me."
The hint of a smile crept onto her face, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of relief. As much as I'd come up with the idea on the spot, it felt right.
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As we got closer to my house, the anxiety I'd tried so hard to push down started creeping back, filling my chest with a tightness that made it hard to breathe.
Just the sight of the familiar street, the front yard, and the door I'd walked through a thousand times—it all felt different now.
It felt cold, distant, and completely unwelcoming.
Julian's hand gently tightened around mine as we parked, grounding me for a moment. "Remember, call if you need anything," he murmured, his voice filled with quiet confidence, like he knew I could handle this, even if I didn't feel like it.
