Little Flame

CHAPTER SIX: ZANE

I grabbed my phone and unlocked it, sending a quick message to Mark, my go-to hacker. Mark wasn’t just some tech guy I hired for basic tasks. He was a ghost in the system, the kind of person who could dig up anything—and anyone—without leaving a trace.

*“Get me everything on her. I want her full history—every detail you can find.”*

Mark knew what to do. I wasn’t just interested in her as a fleeting attraction; there was something about her that made me want to dig deeper, to understand the puzzle she presented.

I hit *Send*, leaning back in his chair. I had the power, the influence, and the means to find out everything. I was always in control. Always.

But there was something about her . She hadn’t asked for my attention. She hadn’t tried to gain my approval. She simply *was*, and that was what made her dangerous.

Mark’s reply came a few minutes later. It was short, to the point, and as always, a little too casual for my taste.

*“Got it. I’ll get back to you when I have it all. No one’s clean, Zane. I’ll find everything.”*

I read the message, a slight smile pulling at my lips. Mark was right—no one was clean. Everyone had something, some kind of skeleton in their closet, and I didn’t care what it was. I just needed to know what made her tick.

The thing was, I didn’t just want to know her past—I wanted to *control* it. Once I understood her, once I had all the pieces, I would have the power to make her bend to my will. And she would—eventually. They always did.

Minutes turned into hours as I reviewed some paperwork, my mind constantly circling back to her. I picked up the phone more than once, staring at her number, wondering what it would be like to have her at my side. To have her see me for what I was—and not what she wanted me to be.

Another buzz from my phone broke the train of thought. Mark had sent an update.

*“I found some things, Zane. You’re going to want to see this. It’s not just her past I’ve dug up. It’s the people around her. Turns out there’s a connection you might find interesting. She’s more tied to your world than you think.”*

"Her name is Brianna Castellano".

The name caught my eye—Brianna Castellano. The last name stopped me cold for a second. I'd heard it before. The Castellano family. Not a name people tossed around lightly.

"Brianna isn’t just some quiet boutique owner with a penchant for silk scarves. No, she was born into the Castellano family—a powerful, well-established name in the underground world. Her father, Matteo Castellano, was a respected and feared figure in the syndicate. Not the head, but close enough to make things happen when needed. The family had ties that stretched across continents—bribery, extortion, arms deals. They had their hands in nearly everything, from legitimate businesses to the darkest corners of the criminal world".

My heart skipped a beat. That wasn’t what I had expected. I quickly typed back. *“Tell me what you’ve found.”*

Mark’s response came swiftly.

*“She’s got ties to someone in your circle—someone who owes you a favor. I’m still digging, but I’m betting you didn’t know she was this close to someone like that. You should have known better than to think she was just another random.”*

I sat up straighter in my chair, my pulse quickening. This was unexpected. I had assumed she was just a woman with a quiet life, someone who had no real connections to my world. But now? Now it seemed like there was more to her than I thought.

I leaned back in his chair, thinking. It was time to make a move, but it had to be calculated. She couldn’t know what I knew—not yet.

*“Keep digging. Don’t stop until you have everything.”*

I locked my phone, the tension in my chest growing. She was becoming something more than just a challenge. She was becoming a puzzle I wasn’t sure I wanted to solve. But I would, because that’s what I do—I don't back down. I dont let anything slip through my fingers.

And if she was tangled in my world, tied to someone who owed me, then she was already a part of it. Whether she knew it or not.

Author's note:

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