The Devil has a name
846 Words
đź“– Chapter 3: The Devil Has a Name
My fingers tightened around the door.
Three men stood outside.
All dressed in black.
All watching me like I was a problem they needed to solve.
“Is he here?” the one in front asked again, his voice calm—but not friendly.
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Behind me, I could feel him.
Silent.
Waiting.
Watching.
I swallowed hard.
“I—I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I said, trying to sound normal.
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He didn’t believe me.
Of course he didn’t.
Before I could react, he stepped forward.
“Move.”
My heart started racing.
“I said—”
But he didn’t wait.
He gently—but firmly—pushed past me.
The other two followed.
Just like that.
They were inside.
“Hey! You can’t just—” I started, panic rising in my chest.
Then I stopped.
All three men froze.
Their attention shifted past me.
To him.
The air changed instantly.
The man who had pushed past me straightened slightly, his entire posture shifting from control… to respect.
Relief.
“Boss.”
The word hit me like a slap.
Boss?
My head snapped toward the room.
He was sitting up now.
Like the pain didn’t matter.
Like nothing mattered.
Except control.
“I leave for a few hours,” he said calmly, his voice cold and sharp, “and you lose track of me?”
No one spoke.
No one dared.
“I’m sorry, sir,” one of them said quickly, lowering his head. “We handled the situation, but—”
“But you didn’t finish it,” he cut in.
Silence.
Heavy.
Deadly.
A chill ran through me.
This wasn’t just a man.
This was someone people feared.
“Bring the car,” he continued. “We’re leaving.”
Leaving?
My chest tightened.
For some reason, that word didn’t bring relief.
It made something else stir inside me.
Something I didn’t understand.
One of the men nodded and turned to leave.
The other two stayed.
Watching.
Guarding.
Then his gaze shifted.
To me.
Slowly.
Intensely.
“Come here.”
My heart skipped.
“What?” I blinked.
“I won’t repeat myself.”
Something in his tone made it impossible to argue.
My feet moved before my brain could catch up.
Step by step, I walked closer until I stood in front of him.
Up close, he looked even more dangerous.
More… real.
“Your name,” he said.
“L-Liana.”
He repeated it quietly.
“Liana.”
The way he said it made my stomach twist.
Like he was memorizing it.
Owning it.
“I owe you,” he said.
I blinked in surprise.
“You don’t—”
“I don’t say things twice,” he interrupted.
Right.
Clearly.
I nodded quickly.
“O-okay.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out something—cash.
A lot of it.
He held it out to me.
“Take it.”
My eyes widened.
“What? No, I can’t—”
“Take it,” he repeated.
“I didn’t help you for money,” I said, shaking my head.
Something flickered in his eyes.
Interest.
“Then why did you help me?” he asked.
I hesitated.
“I just… couldn’t leave you.”
Silence.
Then—
A small, almost invisible smile touched his lips.
Dangerous.
“You really are a stupid girl,” he murmured.
I frowned. “Excuse me?”
Before I could say more, one of the men spoke.
“The car is ready, sir.”
Sir.
Boss.
Everything about this felt unreal.
He stood up slowly.
Ignoring the injury.
Ignoring the blood.
Like pain didn’t exist for him.
Then he stepped closer to me.
Too close.
My breath caught.
“Stay away from alleys,” he said quietly. “And men like me.”
My heart pounded.
“Then what kind of men are you?” I asked before I could stop myself.
A mistake.
Definitely a mistake.
His eyes darkened slightly.
And for a second…
I thought he wouldn’t answer.
Then he leaned closer.
Just enough for his voice to brush against my ear.
“The kind you don’t survive twice.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
Before I could react, he pulled away and walked toward the door.
His men followed instantly.
Just like that.
He was leaving.
I stood there, frozen, trying to process everything that had just happened.
Then—
He stopped.
Right at the door.
Without turning, he said:
“Dante.”
My breath hitched.
“My name,” he added.
And then he was gone.
The door closed.
Silence filled the room.
But something had changed.
Something I couldn’t undo.
I leaned against the wall, my heart still racing.
Dante.
The name echoed in my mind.
Dangerous.
Powerful.
Unforgettable.
And deep down…
I had a feeling this wasn’t the last time I would see him.
Not even close.
- Writer
