Dark Romance | Mafia

Chapter Twenty-three

Stella's POV:

He slowly unwrapped his arms from around my waist. I lifted my head from his chest. As I pulled back, a strand of my hair got caught in his shirt's button.

I froze for a moment, feeling the slight tug. His eyes moved down, then at my face. He gently freed the strand, and looked into my eyes. His gaze was searching mine, quietly and deeply.

He raised his hand to my face and wiped away the tears streaming down my cheek. His touch was so light, so gentle, it made me close my eyes for a brief moment, letting the peace sink in before opening them again.

His hand traced down from my face to my shoulder, and he gripped it tightly yet gently. His eyes were still on mine.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his voice unusually gentle, sending a comforting wave through my entire body. He was never this polite to me before. What changed now? Why is he behaving like this?

Does he like me too?

No, I'm just imagining too much. He's only kind to me out of pity.

"Are you okay, Chef?" he asked again, eyes scanning my face.

I nodded and took a step back. His gaze narrowed slightly, studying me, trying to figure out what might have happened to me.

I took another step back. Our eyes stayed locked, unwilling to let go. Maybe this was the last time we'd ever look at each other like this.

A few hours from now, one of us might not make it, or we might stand on opposite sides, as enemies.

I turned toward the exit and ran out of the mansion. Tears refused to leave my eyes, as if they had found a permanent place there. They always stayed, constant, uninvited. Maybe someday, happiness would find its way to my door.

............

The night was cold, wrapping around me like a ghost. The air tonight was unforgiving, biting at my skin as memories I didn't want to remember began to flood my mind, memories of how and when I ended up in that monster's shed.

I crossed my arms tightly around myself and kept walking, step after step, until I reached that massive mansion. Whose name glowed outside in golden letters,
'SS Mansion'.

Maybe it belonged to one of Mr. Romano's friends. As I entered, my eyes wandered across the grand hall.

The place was breathtaking, sparkling with lights, glittering with color. Chandeliers dripping with crystals, and walls covered in gold and silver drapery. The place was alive, glowing with laughter and music. Party lights flashed against every wall, bathing the crowd in waves of red and blue, filling the air with energy.

Despite the glow and the cheerfulness around me, my heart was bleeding, as if someone had torn it with a sharp dagger. That sharpness… I could still feel it, like a wound that refused to heal.

It was a masquerade party. Every guest wore a mask, faces hidden behind mystery.

The women shimmered in gowns that sparkled under the lights, while the men moved with confident ease, their eyes betraying secrets behind ornate masks.

I slipped mine over my eyes and blended in with the crowd. Everyone was laughing, chatting, dancing their hearts out.

My eyes kept searching, scanning every face, every shadow. I was looking for him.

Mr. Romano

But no matter how hard I looked, he was nowhere to be found.

Then suddenly..... I froze.

My gaze fell on a familiar face. Those eyes, I knew them. Although, half of his face was covered in a mask, I could still recognize him. A wave of disbelief washed over me.

I took a step forward. He was on the phone, his tone sharp and focused. I moved closer, my heart pounding in my chest, heartbeat quickening with every step.

"Sam?" I called out, astonished.

He turned his face toward me, eyes widening the moment he saw me.

"Stella? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're also here for the mission."

I nodded. "You too, right?"

"Unfortunately," he muttered, letting out a deep sigh.

"Are you alone?" I asked.

"No. There are five more men with me. They told me the task was given to some girl but never mentioned your name," he replied.

I just nodded, my throat tight. We both knew this wasn't what we wanted.

"I know you don't want to do this, me neither. I know you love him."

I opened my mouth to reply him but he cut me off before I could even say a word.

"Stella, you can't deny it. I won’t bear it if something bad happens to you. You're my best friend, and you deserve happiness. Let's go and tell Romano everything. Let's close this chapter forever, for good."

"No, we can't, you know-"

"Maybe you should."

A groggy voice cut through my words.

I turned around.

AK stood before me, same mask, same posture, and the same commanding presence, as if he owned the place. The crowd around us seemed to fade away.

"AK…" the name slipped from my lips, barely audible.

"I told you to stay out of this mess, didn't I?" His voice was low but sharp, the kind of voice that didn't need to rise to command fear.

For a second, I couldn’t move. His eyes held mine, cold and certain. A chill ran down my spine.

A flash of the note I found on the café door crossed my mind.

"Now we'll see what fate decides."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We'll see tonight," he said and then, like smoke dissolving into the air, he was gone.

I stood there, frozen, my heart racing, his words echoing in my head. The music around me grew louder, the laughter sharper, the lights brighter.... but all I could feel was the darkness closing in.

Until then....