The Mafia Prince's obsession (MM)

Elijah

The television flickered in the darkened living room, it's volume turned to a soft murmur–just enough to break the silence. I stopped paying attention hours ago. The news had looped  the same horrifying footage over and over. The warehouse. The smoke. The bodies.

I curl tighter beneath the throw blanket, body aching from how long I'd been on the couch, waiting.

The phone lay in my lap now. Drained. Silent.

I didn't even realize when my eyelids finally sank shut.

My dreams shallow and filled with smoke.

Then—

Click.

The sound of the front door unlocking slices through the stillness of the house like a blade.

My eyes fly open.

I sit upright, heart pounding. Every muscle in my body tense, alert. I hold my breath, staring into the foyer beyond the living room. The guards outside wouldn't let anyone in.....right?

I'm about to call out—

Then I see the silhouette.

Tall. Familiar.

Dante.

I bolted to my feet. The blanket falls to the ground as I run towards him.

"Dante—" My voice cracks.

He looks up, his expression —tired, bloodied but calm. That's when I see them.

Two figures behind him.

One with dark curls and a tense jaw.

The other with sharp eyes, blonde hair tight ponytail.

Maya.
And....who's —?

I blink.

I barely have time to register everything before Dante steps forward and gathers me into his arms.

"I'm okay." He whispers into my ear, his voice low and hoarse. "I'm here."

I cling to him tightly. "I tried calling—I thought —I didn't know if—"

"I know," He says, pressing his nose into my hair. "I know. I'm sorry. I couldn't answer. It wasn't safe."

I exhale shakily, grounding myself in his scent, in his warmth.

It was only when we pulled apart that my eyes drifted again to the figures behind him.

Maya was holding the other women's hand.

They looked tired....but unbroken.

"What's going on?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Who's this?"

Dante turns around, running a hand through his damp hair as he lets out a long sigh.

"It's time you knew everything," he says.

I blink.

Maya steps forward. Her eyes meeting mine—hesitant, regretful.

"Everything that happened on the wedding day.....all the sneaking around, all the phone calls, the stress....it wasn't about nerves," she says gently. "I didn't run away alone," The other women steps besides her, protective as ever.

"I was with her, Valerie," she says. "We've been together for three years."

My brows lift. "What....?"

"I never wanted the wedding," She says quickly. "None of it. Because I was already in love–with her. And I was terrified to say anything. I saw how hard it was for you....for being yourself. I thought if I just stayed quiet, I could get through it. But I couldn't."

I stood still, letting the truth wash over me in layers.

My mind goes back to all the moments Maya had seemed distant....distracted.

The ballet classes. The wedding dress fittings she'd skipped. The way her eyes never lit up the way a bride's should.

Valerie squeezed Maya's hand and looked at me. "We tried to leave quietly. We had a plan. But your father pushed the wedding earlier. We had to go....fast. Too fast."

"It could have gone terribly," Dante adds, stepping in now. "And it almost did. But I helped them disappear. I made a deal with Maya...I'd get to marry you and make sure no one hunted her down."

"You helped them?" I ask, stunned.

He nods, stepping closer, voice gentle. "You were never a mistake, Elijah. I knew what I was getting into. I wanted to be with you. But everything had to fall into place first."

I stare at him. The pieces, all scattered for weeks finally started aligning.

The missing glances, the tension. The silence.

"You did all that...." I whisper. "For me?"

"For us,"he says, brushing my cheeks with his thumb. "Because I wasn't going to let this world keep us apart."

I look at Maya. She nods at me, eyes glassy but smiling.

"I'm happy now," she says. Truly. And I want that for you too."

And for the first time in what feels like forever, I don't feel like I'm drowning in someone else's story.

I feel seen. I feel...choosen.