Witness
Elena Rossi had always trusted her instincts.
Tonight, they failed her.
The rain came down in relentless sheets, soaking through her thin jacket as she hurried down the empty street. The shortcut through the alley would save her ten minutes—ten minutes she couldn’t afford to lose.
That was her first mistake.
The second was not turning back when she heard voices.
“…you think betrayal is something I overlook?”
The voice was calm. Too calm.
Elena slowed, her steps faltering as unease crept up her spine. The alley ahead was dimly lit, shadows stretching between flickering lights. A black car sat idling at the far end, its engine a low, ominous hum.
She should leave.
Now.
But curiosity—dangerous and insistent—rooted her in place.
She took one step closer.
Then another.
And that was when she saw them.
Men in dark suits stood in a loose circle, their posture rigid, their attention fixed on the figure at the center. He stood with his back to her at first, tall and unmoving, as though the storm itself bent around him.
Power radiated from him.
The kind that didn’t need to be spoken.
Slowly, he turned.
Even in the dim light, his presence was unmistakable. Sharp features. Cold eyes. A face that belonged on the cover of a magazine—if not for the violence written so clearly beneath the surface.
Alessandro De Luca.
The name hit her like a physical blow.
Fear followed immediately after.
Everyone knew who he was.
Everyone knew what he was.
The man kneeling before him was shaking.
“Please,” he choked out. “I can fix this—”
Alessandro tilted his head slightly, studying him with detached interest.
“Fix it?” he repeated.
A pause.
Then, almost thoughtfully, “Tell me… can you undo betrayal?”
The man sobbed.
Elena’s stomach twisted.
She shouldn’t be here.
She needed to leave.
Now.
But her body refused to cooperate.
“I—no—please—”
The gun appeared so smoothly it was almost graceful.
The sound of the shot shattered the night.
Elena gasped.
The moment the sound escaped her lips, she knew it was over.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Deadly.
Every head turned.
And then his gaze found hers.
It was like being pinned in place.
Like being seen—completely.
“Well,” Alessandro said softly, his voice carrying easily through the rain.
“This is unexpected.”
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs as instinct finally kicked in.
Run.
She turned—
But she didn’t make it three steps.
A hand closed around her arm, yanking her back with brutal force. Panic surged through her as she struggled, but it was useless. The grip was unbreakable.
“Let me go!” she cried, her voice shaking.
No one answered.
Then—
He stepped closer.
She felt him before she saw him. The shift in the air. The weight of his presence.
And then his voice, low and certain, right beside her ear.
“No one walks away from this, Elena.”
Her blood turned to ice.
“You know my name,” she whispered.
A quiet pause followed.
“I know everything I need to,” he replied.
Her breath hitched.
“What are you going to do to me?”
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
When he did, his tone had changed—subtle, but unmistakable.
Curious.
“That,” Alessandro said slowly,
“depends on whether you’re worth keeping.”
The words settled over her like a sentence.
And deep down, Elena understood something terrifying.
Death would have been simpler.
Because whatever he decided…
Her life no longer belonged to her.
