The Don’s Forbidden Bride

The first thing I noticed was the blood. It was everywhere. On the white marble floor. On the sleeve of the man’s expensive black suit. Even on the hand he used to light his cigarette. I stood behind the half-open door, barely breathing. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I wasn’t supposed to see any of this. My fingers tightened around my phone as I tried to convince myself that I was dreaming. Maybe if I closed my eyes and opened them again, the room would be empty. It wasn’t. The man on the floor wasn’t moving. And the man standing over him didn’t look worried about it. He simply took another drag from his cigarette. “Please…” The man on the floor was still alive. Barely. He reached for the man in the black suit, his fingers leaving a thin trail of blood across the floor. “I told you everything.” The man in black looked down at him. “You lied.” His voice was calm. That was what scared me most. There was no shouting. No anger. Just certainty. The injured man started begging. I covered my mouth with my hand. I needed to leave. Now. I slowly stepped backward. My heel caught the edge of a small metal table. It fell. The crash echoed through the room. Every head turned. My heart stopped. The man in the black suit looked directly at me. For a second, neither of us moved. Then his eyes narrowed. “Who the hell are you?” I ran. I didn’t think. I didn’t look back. I just ran. My heels slipped against the polished floor as I rushed down the hallway. I could hear footsteps behind me. Fast. Heavy. Getting closer. “Stop!” I ignored him. I reached the elevator and hit the button repeatedly. Nothing. “Come on…” The footsteps were almost behind me. The elevator doors finally opened. I jumped inside and pressed the button for the lobby. Just before the doors closed, I saw him. He stood at the end of the hallway, watching me. He wasn’t running anymore. He didn’t need to. His expression told me everything. He knew exactly who I was now. And somehow, I had the feeling he was going to find me. By the time I reached my apartment, my hands were still shaking. I locked the door. Then I locked it again. I stood there for a few seconds, trying to catch my breath. “Elena?” My brother’s voice came from the living room. I nearly screamed. “Jesus, you scared me.” He looked at me from the couch. “What happened to you?” “Nothing.” He frowned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “I haven’t.” It came out too quickly. He stared at me. I forced myself to smile. “I’m just tired.” He didn’t look convinced, but thankfully, he didn’t push. I walked into my room and closed the door. Then I pulled my phone from my bag. My hands were still trembling. I should have called the police. I knew that. But every time I thought about it, I remembered the man’s face. That cold expression. The way everyone in that room had moved when he spoke. He wasn’t just some random criminal. He was someone people were afraid of. I searched the internet. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing. Then I remembered the name I’d heard one of the men whisper before I ran. Romano. I searched it. My stomach dropped. There were dozens of articles. ROMANO SHIPPING EXPANDS INTO EUROPE. ROMANO FAMILY DONATES MILLIONS TO CHARITY. DAMIANO ROMANO SPOTTED AT PRIVATE EVENT. I clicked on the last one. His photograph appeared on my screen. Same dark hair. Same sharp eyes. Same face I’d seen less than an hour ago. Damiano Romano. Twenty-nine. Businessman. Heir to the Romano family fortune. There was no mention of the word mafia. Not once. But I wasn’t stupid. People didn’t need to write it for me to understand. My phone suddenly vibrated. I almost dropped it. Unknown number. I stared at the screen. It rang again. I answered. “Hello?” Nothing. “Who is this?” A man’s voice finally came through. “Did you enjoy what you saw tonight?” My blood ran cold. I couldn’t speak. The caller laughed quietly. “Don’t worry, Elena. We’re not going to hurt you.” I froze. He knew my name. “How do you know who I am?” “Your name isn’t difficult to find.” “Who are you?” “Someone who works for Mr. Romano.” I swallowed. “Tell him I won’t say anything.” Another quiet laugh. “You don’t understand.” “What?” “He wants to meet you.” I gripped the phone tighter. “No.” “You should think carefully before refusing.” “I said no.” The line went silent. Then the man said something that made my entire body go cold. “Your brother gets home from work at seven, doesn’t he?” My heart sank. “Don’t touch him.” “Then meet Damiano.” The call ended. I stood in the middle of my room, staring at my phone. For the first time that night, I understood something. Running away wasn’t going to save me. Because somehow, the man I should have never seen had already found me. And he had found the one person I couldn’t afford to lose.