Daddy's Obsession

Rain poured heavily across the city, washing the streets of New York in silver light and chaos. Expensive cars sped through the roads while neon signs reflected against wet pavements. The city never slept, but tonight, it felt darker. More dangerous. Alina Reyes tightened her coat around herself as she hurried out of the restaurant’s back entrance. Her shift had ended almost an hour ago, but her manager had forced her to stay behind to clean spilled wine after one of the customers caused a scene. Typical. Her heels clicked against the wet ground as she pulled her phone from her bag. Three missed calls from her landlord. Fantastic. She didn’t even need to answer to know what he wanted. Rent. Always rent. Alina sighed tiredly and shoved the phone back into her pocket. Her life had become a never-ending cycle of bills, work, and exhaustion. Between university debt, her mother’s hospital expenses, and the apartment she could barely afford, breathing itself felt expensive. But she kept going. Because stopping wasn’t an option. Thunder rumbled overhead as she crossed the empty alley toward the main road. The rain soaked the ends of her dark hair while cold wind brushed against her skin. Then she heard it. Voices. Male voices. Deep. Sharp. Dangerous. Alina slowed her steps. The alley ahead was dimly lit, but she could make out black vehicles parked near the curb. Men dressed in dark suits stood nearby like statues. Something about them screamed trouble. Her instincts immediately told her to turn around. But before she could move, another car pulled up. A sleek black Rolls-Royce. The air shifted. Every man standing there straightened instantly. Fear. Respect. Authority. Whoever stepped out of that car clearly owned all three. The door opened slowly. First came polished black shoes. Then long legs. Then him. Alina forgot how to breathe. The man who emerged from the car looked unreal. Tall. Broad shoulders. Black suit perfectly tailored against his body. Dark hair slightly wet from the rain. And eyes so cold they looked carved from stone. He didn’t move like a normal person. He moved like someone who knew the entire world belonged to him. One glance from him silenced the alley completely. Every single man lowered their head slightly. Alina swallowed. She should leave. Now. But curiosity rooted her feet to the ground. The stranger stepped forward while another man handed him a briefcase. “Everything is inside,” one of the suited men said nervously. The tall stranger opened the case. Money. Stacks and stacks of money. But his expression didn’t change. “Where is the shipment?” he asked. His voice was low. Controlled. Terrifying. The nervous man hesitated. And that was when Alina noticed the gun. Tucked beneath the stranger’s suit jacket. Her heart nearly stopped. Oh God. This wasn’t some business meeting. This was criminal. Very criminal. “I asked you a question,” the stranger repeated calmly. The other man wiped sweat from his forehead despite the rain. “There was… a small delay.” Silence. Deadly silence. The stranger tilted his head slightly. “A delay?” “Yes, sir, but we can explain—” Gunshots exploded through the alley. Alina gasped. One. Two. Three. The nervous man collapsed instantly. Blood mixed with rainwater. Alina’s entire body froze. Her eyes widened in horror. The stranger lowered the gun slowly, completely emotionless. Like killing someone meant absolutely nothing to him. Alina stumbled backward accidentally. Her heel snapped against a metal can. The sound echoed. Every head turned toward her. Oh no. No no no. The stranger’s icy gaze locked onto hers. And suddenly the entire world stopped. Fear crawled down Alina’s spine. She ran. Her heartbeat pounded violently as she sprinted through the rain-soaked alley. Footsteps followed behind her. Fast. Heavy. Professional. Tears blurred her vision. She didn’t know who those men were, but she knew one thing. People like them didn’t leave witnesses alive. “Stop!” someone shouted. She ignored it. Her lungs burned painfully while she pushed herself harder. Almost there. If she could reach the main road— Strong arms suddenly grabbed her. Alina screamed. A hand covered her mouth instantly while another arm locked around her waist. “Quiet,” a cold voice ordered beside her ear. Her body trembled violently. The stranger. He had caught her. Rain dripped from his dark hair onto her skin while he dragged her back toward the alley. Alina struggled desperately. “Please— please let me go,” she cried against his hand. But he didn’t respond. The men standing nearby immediately stepped aside when they returned. No one dared to speak. The stranger released her roughly. Alina nearly fell. Her chest rose rapidly as she stared at him in panic. Up close, he looked even more dangerous. Sharp jaw. Dark eyes. Tattooed fingers. Power radiating from every inch of him. “Who is she?” one man asked. “A witness,” another muttered. The word sent terror crashing through her. Witness. That sounded like a death sentence. The stranger studied her silently. Alina could barely breathe under his gaze. “What did you see?” he asked. “I-I didn’t see anything.” Lie. Everyone knew it was a lie. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re a terrible liar.” Her throat tightened. “Please,” she whispered. “I won’t tell anyone.” One of the men stepped forward. “We should handle this now, boss.” Handle this. Alina’s stomach dropped. The stranger remained quiet for a moment. Then his gaze slowly traveled over her face. Not lustfully. Carefully. Like he was analyzing her. Calculating. Rainwater rolled down her cheeks while strands of dark hair clung to her skin. She probably looked pathetic. Cold. Scared. Completely powerless. Yet for some reason, the stranger kept staring. Something unreadable flashed through his eyes. Then he spoke. “What’s your name?” Alina blinked. “…Alina.” “Full name.” “Alina Reyes.” One of the men immediately pulled out a phone. Probably searching her information. Fear tightened in her chest. The stranger stepped closer. Too close. She could smell expensive cologne mixed with rain and smoke. “Listen carefully, Alina Reyes,” he said softly. “You’re alive right now because I’m allowing it.” A shiver ran through her. “But if you speak about what you saw tonight…” He leaned down slightly. “…I’ll know.” Her knees nearly gave out. This man wasn’t human. He was terrifying. One of the suited men suddenly cleared his throat. “Boss, we found her records.” The stranger didn’t look away from her. “Go on.” “Twenty-three years old. Works two jobs. Lives alone. Mother in the hospital. No criminal history.” Alina’s eyes widened. How did they find all that information so quickly? The stranger finally stepped back. “Interesting.” She hated the way he said that. Like she had become something valuable. Something dangerous. “I swear I won’t say anything,” she rushed out. “Please just let me go home.” Silence. The men around them waited. The rain continued falling heavily. Finally, the stranger slid his gun back beneath his jacket. “Take her home.” Alina blinked. “What?” One of the men looked confused. “Boss?” “She’s not dying tonight.” Relief crashed into Alina so fast she almost cried. Thank God. But before she could speak, the stranger stepped closer again. His fingers suddenly lifted her chin. Alina froze instantly. His touch was warm. Dangerously warm. Dark eyes locked onto hers. “If you run,” he murmured, “I’ll find you.” Her heartbeat stumbled. “And trust me…” His thumb brushed lightly against her jaw. “…you don’t want me looking for you.” Then he released her. Just like that. He turned away while the other men followed him immediately. Like wolves obeying their alpha. Alina stood there shaking. The stranger paused beside the Rolls-Royce before glancing back at her. “For future reference,” he said calmly, “stay away from dark alleys.” Then he entered the car. Seconds later, the vehicles disappeared into the rain. Leaving Alina alone. Alive. Barely. ——— Massimo De Luca sat silently in the backseat while the city lights blurred outside the window. Across from him, Luca—his second-in-command—watched carefully. “You should’ve killed the girl,” Luca finally said. Massimo remained expressionless. “She saw too much.” “I know.” “Then why let her live?” Massimo’s eyes darkened slightly. Because he didn’t know. And that irritated him. He had built his empire on control. Discipline. Fear. No mistakes. No witnesses. No mercy. Yet the moment he saw the terrified girl standing in the rain, something stopped him. Something unfamiliar. Her eyes. Maybe it was her eyes. They were terrified, yet defiant. Fragile, but stubborn. Most people begged around him. She looked ready to fight despite shaking. Massimo loosened his tie slightly. “She won’t talk,” he said. Luca frowned. “And if she does?” Massimo’s expression turned cold again. “Then I’ll handle it.” Silence filled the car. Outside, thunder shook the sky. Massimo leaned his head back slowly. But for the first time in years, his thoughts weren’t on business. They weren’t on enemies. Or money. Or blood. They were on a girl standing in the rain. Alina Reyes. And the dangerous feeling in his chest told him one thing. Tonight wasn’t the end. It was only the beginning.