Mafia's Guilty Pleasure: A tale of Coffee & Chaos
Luca Valenti doesn't pick fights. He pours coffee, listens to soft jazz, and keeps his world peaceful. But when Isla Moretti, the cold, untouchable mafia queen, storms into his café at midnight, dripping rain and rage, peace is the last thing she brings.
She barks out an order like he's one of her men. He leans against the counter, unimpressed. "Try asking nicely."
She glares. "Do you know who I am?"
Luca places a cappuccino in front of her, slow and deliberate. "Yeah. You're someone who still needs caffeine to function."
She should walk out. She should put a bullet in him just for daring to talk back. But instead, she stays. Seething. Sipping. Staring at the one man in this city who doesn't shrink under her name.
And for the first time in years, she feels small.
It happens again. And again. Their fights grow sharper, their words cut deeper, but Luca never throws her out. Even when she slams her hands on the counter. Even when her voice trembles with something that's not quite anger.
One night, after a particularly brutal fight, she lingers at the door. Hesitates. And when she turns back, he's already making her coffee-no words, no expectations. Just warmth waiting for her.
She should stop coming back. Should stop letting him see parts of her no one else gets to.
But Luca? He doesn't flinch at her darkness. And that terrifies her more than anything.
Because the longer she stays, the more she wonders-what if she doesn't want to be feared? What if, just this once, she wants to be understood?
Original Story by Akari
Image © to the respective owner.
