Dark Romance | Mafia

Chapter Seventeen

Stella's POV:

It was 10 o'clock in the morning, the sun was at its peak, blazing overhead like a merciless eye watching everything unravel.

The heat clung to my skin, suffocating and relentless, but it couldn't compare to the fire raging inside me.

After meeting Giovanni, I stormed into the coffee shop, slamming the door open with a burst of anger.

Thankfully, scar hadn't arrived yet.

The aroma of roasted coffee beans and vanilla was thick in the air, usually it felt comforting but today it was suffocating me.

Sam was tying the knot of his apron behind the counter, unaware of my presence. His back was to me, and he looked completely lost in thought, as if he were imagining how to build a whole new world from scratch. He didn't feel the fire I was dragging in with me.

I marched around the counter, my breath shallow and uneven. Tossing my bag onto a chair, like it was worthless, without a second glance, I closed the distance between us.

Without warning, I grabbed the back of his collar and yanked hard. He spun around, startled but before he could react, I shoved him hard, my palms slamming into his chest.

He stumbled back, hitting the edge of the counter with a thud. The cupcake liners tumbled off the counter, skidding across the floor around our feet.

"Whoa-- what the hell?" Sam raised his hands defensively, like I had pointed the gun at him. His mouth agape as he tried to process the situation.

"You tell me what the hell is going on?" I snapped, my voice came out raw, venomous, shaking with the effort it took not to scream, fists were balled at my sides and eyes burning with fury.

He narrowed his eyes, dazed, trying to catch up.

"What are you talking about?"

"Who did you tell about the event at Mr. Romano's mansion?" I demanded.

"No one! Why would I even tell anyone?"

I stepped closer, grabbing his collar again-this time even harsher. Fingers curled in the fabric like claws.

"I only told you and Scar. And you were the only one asking all those damn questions."

"That doesn't mean I--"

"Don't you dare lie to me!" I cut him off.

"I'm not--"

"Then who are you working for?" I pressed.

"Nobody," he mumbled, lowering his gaze.

"Giovanni, right?" I asked.

The moment his name left my mouth, Sam's head snapped up, eyes widened in horror, breath caught in his throat. That was all the confirmation I needed.

I released his collar, my hands fell to my sides and I stepped back, letting out a cold, bitter laugh.

"I knew it."

He said nothing. The silence between us throbbed.

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, trying to calm the anger surging inside me.

"Why are you doing this?"

"He threatened to kill my family."

Of course he did.

"That scumbag. This is his standard move," I scoffed.

"What are you feeding him?" I asked, my tone harder now as my brow furrowed and eyes narrowed into slits.

He looked away, clearly ashamed of himself.

"Ev....everything. What Romano eats. Who he talks to. His movements, his moods... Giovanni wants it all. If I don't give it to him...he said he'd make me watch." His voice faltered.

A single tear slid down his cheek, and he quickly wiped it away. Something broke inside me, I couldn't bear to see my best friend in such a miserable condition.

"You know, Stella, I was never a bad person... but they made me into one," Sam said quietly.

I took a deep breath, stared at him, the anger in me cooling into something colder....something sadder.

"We're both in the same boat," I sighed.

"You work for them too?" his eyes searched mine.

"It's a long story.... but from now on, you will tell me first.....before you tell them anything," I said firmly.

He nodded.

"Deal." A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"So that's why you kept disappearing and giving us lame excuses," a voice rang out from behind.

We both froze.

My breath caught in my throat.

God. That was the last thing I needed right now.

I turned slowly. Scar stood in the doorway, her figure still, her eyes glassy with tears that clung to her lashes like they were afraid to fall.

"I thought we were best friends, I thought you both were good people."

Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She quickly turned her face away, hastily wiping them with the back of her shaking hand, trying to hold herself together.

"But that was only a thought," she whispered.

"Scar--" I took a hesitant step forward, my hand reaching for her, but she flinched and stepped back, refusing to let me in.

She raised a trembling hand.

"Don't. Just... don't. Don't talk to me. Either of you."

Her gaze swept over us with pure disgust, like we were nothing but trash. Then she turned on her heel and stormed out of the cafe.

Tears slipped silently down my cheeks.

I'm losing everyone....

I ran after her, flinging the door open and rushing outside. The heat of the sun smacked me in the face, but I barely felt it.

I didn't get far.

I crashed straight into a solid chest and stumbled back.

Two strong arms wrapped around me, steadying me. Without thinking, I threw my arms around his neck and held him tight.

The world was cold....so bitterly cold....but in his embrace, I found warmth.

I closed my eyes, letting myself sink into the safety of his hold, my face buried against his shoulder. The chaos faded. Everything else disappeared.

The heartbreak, the grief.... it all melted away.

I had wished time would freeze... that the world might end right there, in that moment.

I clung to him, my fingers gripping his shirt like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Maybe if I stayed still long enough, time would too.

In his comforting embrace, for a heartbeat, I wasn't falling anymore.

Until then....