Dark Romance | Mafia

Chapter Thirteen

Stella's POV:

I glanced around in a hurry, my eyes darting to the alley across the street. It was dark, barely touched by the yellow light of the streetlight. The shadows were thick, unmoving....but I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was still there.

The street was quiet, like always.

Scar looked over, catching the change in my face.

"What’s wrong?" she asked, her voice calm but curious.

"Nothing, let's go." I said quickly, grabbing her arm.

She let herself be pulled. "Alright, alright, I’m coming. Why are you rushing though?"

"I’m just tired."

She didn’t notice the note. Thankfully, she was on her call, distracted.

We walked for what felt like forever. At this hour, finding a cab was nearly impossible. The streets were half-asleep.

Eventually, after waiting by the curb for what felt like ages, a cab finally pulled up. We climbed in and headed home.

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I was setting up my knives and pans in Mr. Romano’s massive kitchen. There was a event tonight, and I’d been told I’d be staying late.

The house was chaos.... all the staff were darting around like headless chickens, trying to make everything just right.

Apparently, the owner of the house didn’t tolerate anything less than perfection. Because he is our Mr. Perfect.

This event was for his bussiness associates. That's what his assistant had called it.

It sounded more like a power show than an event.

I was lost in my thoughts, running over the menu in my head again and again, afraid to make any mistake....because that's the last thing I needed. My mind had drifted off, a voice snapped me back to reality.

"Do you always work this slow, chef? Or is today an exception?" He mocked.

Leaned casually against the counter, sleeves rolled up, that same cold look on his face. It was the first long sentence I’d heard from him, and of course, it had to be a dig.

"Sir, actually, the menu is as excessive as your arrog--"

My hand flew to my mouth before the rest could slip out, eyes squeezing shut.

" I mean--"

But he didn’t let me finish.

"Try not to poison anyone."

I just stood there, staring at him, mouth agape.

But he turned and walked off toward his room like he hadn’t just slapped me with words.

Why did he never noticed the poison in his own words? That could kill anyone in a minute.

He's strange. Totally strange.

It was 7 p.m. already, and the event had kicked off.

The soft clink of glasses, the laughter, and the endless buzz of gossip filled the air.

Businessmen from all over the city gathered in their finest suits. The lights were flashing, casting sharp glimmers across the room, almost like the house itself was alive for the first time. Since the day I started working here, I had always seen this house dimly lit.

I had already wrapped up my work in the kitchen....everything was set, the food was prepped, and now I had time.

Time to do what I needed.

With a quiet sigh, I slipped away from the noise downstairs and made my way upstairs.

His study was tucked at the end of the hall. Tonight, though, it was my chance. He was downstairs, busy with his guests, and I knew he wouldn’t come up to the study. Not while the party was in full swing.

I moved quickly. The door creaked slightly as I pushed it open, and I stepped inside. The dim light from the desk lamp flickered as I walked over to the computer.

When I went to turn it on, something strange caught my attention.

"No password? Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath.

It felt almost too easy. The computer purred to life, ready to be used by anyone who knew how to work it.

I couldn’t help but feel a strange unease. He was careful about so many things, yet this? It was an open invitation for anyone to poke around.

Maybe he was so confident about his power that he thought no one would dare to mess with it.

"But I'm so special. I can definitely dare to mess with it," I whispered, flipping my hair.

I went through his files quickly but carefully, my eyes scanning page after page of business documents, contracts, and transactions.

"Come on Stella, you can do it," I encouraged myself.

My fingers trembled slightly as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small USB drive I had brought with me. I had kept it close, since the day I joined, always hoping for a moment like this. If I ever got the chance, I wanted to be ready. And now, finally, I was.

I slid the USB into the port and the computer blinked in response. My heart thudded louder than ever as I opened the folder and began selecting the files. Just one click, and everything could change.

But then—

A deafening gunshot rang out, tearing through the silence like a scream. The walls reverberated from the impact....I froze.

The USB slipped from my fingers and hit the floor. My entire body went rigid. My eyes widened in disbelief, my chest tight with panic. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I could feel my pulse hammering in my ears.

Swallowing hard, I tried to calm the rising wave of fear. My throat felt dry, and my hands were slick with sweat. Slowly, hesitantly....I turned my head, trying to figure out, where the sound had come from.

The man stood at the door, a gun in his hand, aimed directly at me.

Before I could even breathe, gunshots erupted downstairs....loud, chaotic, and rapid. My heart jumped in my chest. My eyes widened in horror as the man fixed his aim on me.

He calmly loaded the gun, finger tightening on the trigger. And then.....he fired.

Yes. He shot me.

I don’t even know where the bullet hit. My body felt heavy, my vision blurred. Everything around me started to fade.

I couldn’t feel anything anymore.

All I could see was black.

Until then....