Shadows of His World
Mia sat in the booth long after Lorenzo disappeared, her fingers tracing the rim of her untouched wine glass. The warmth of his touch still lingered on her skin, but his words stayed with her more.
"I'll come back."
She wasn't sure why those three words affected her the way they did. Maybe because she wasn't used to men like him keeping promises. Maybe because a part of herâdespite all the warnings in her headâwanted to believe him.
The soft hum of conversation and the gentle clinking of glasses around her felt distant, like white noise against the storm in her mind. Lorenzo's world was different. It was dangerous. And yet, she was sitting right in the middle of it, waiting for a man she had no business waiting for.
With a quiet sigh, she reached for her purse. Maybe she should just leave. Maybe this was the out she needed.
Then, a presence settled beside her.
Mia stiffened, instinctively turning to face whoever had taken Lorenzo's seat.
A man she didn't recognize.
He was older, maybe mid-forties, dressed in an expensive suit that didn't quite fit his bulky frame. A slow smirk stretched across his lips as he leaned in just slightly, his cologne thick and suffocating.
"You must be special," he murmured, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Lorenzo doesn't usually bring outsiders into his places."
Mia's muscles tensed. She wasn't in the mood for this, and the way he was looking at her made her skin crawl.
"Who are you?" she asked, keeping her voice even.
The man chuckled, setting his drink down with an unnecessary amount of force. "Just an observer. A... friend of the business."
She doubted that.
Mia clenched her jaw. "Well, you're observing the wrong person."
He laughed, but there was something calculating in his gaze, something that made her stomach twist. "You've got fire. I can see why he likes you."
Mia's fingers curled into her lap. "If Lorenzo were here, would you be talking to me like this?"
The man's smirk faltered for just a secondâso fast that if she weren't watching closely, she might've missed it.
Then, he exhaled through his nose, shaking his head with amusement. "Fair enough." He leaned back, tapping his fingers against the table. "But be careful, bella. Men like Lorenzo... they burn everything they touch."
Mia's pulse spiked, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. She wasn't about to let some strangerâsome man from Lorenzo's worldâscare her.
"Good thing I'm not afraid of a little fire."
tapping his fingers against the table. "But be careful, bella. Men like Lorenzo... they burn everything they touch."Mia's pulse spiked, but she force
"Let's hope you don't get burned," he murmured before disappearing into the crowd.
Mia exhaled, tension leaking from her shoulders.
She had no idea who that man was, but she knew one thing for certainâhe wasn't just some observer.
He was a warning.
And for the first time since meeting Lorenzo De Luca, Mia wondered if maybeâjust maybeâshe should have walked away when she had the chance.
But it was too late for that now.
Because deep down, she already knewâshe wasn't walking away from Lorenzo.
And she wasn't sure if she ever could.