Episode 2: The Princess Rebels
1115 Words
Sophia Romano woke up with one goal.
Get rid of Luca Moretti.
She stared at the ceiling of her bedroom and smiled.
Not because she liked the idea of being protected.
Quite the opposite.
The smile belonged to a woman preparing for war.
A harmless war.
Mostly.
After all, no bodyguard had ever managed to keep up with her for long.
She stretched lazily before climbing out of bed.
Outside her bedroom window, the city glittered beneath the morning sun.
It was beautiful.
Free.
Everything she wished she could be.
A knock sounded at her door.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A maid entered carrying breakfast.
"Your father asked me to remind you that Mr. Moretti will be accompanying you today."
Sophia nearly dropped her coffee.
"Wonderful."
The maid hid a smile.
Everyone in the mansion already knew.
The battle between Sophia Romano and her new bodyguard had begun.
Thirty minutes later, Sophia walked downstairs dressed in ripped jeans, white sneakers, and a black leather jacket.
She reached the final step and froze.
Luca was waiting.
Of course he was.
Standing beside the entrance with his hands behind his back, he looked less like a bodyguard and more like a soldier waiting for orders.
His dark eyes immediately found her.
"Morning."
Sophia narrowed her eyes.
"Do you ever sleep?"
"Sometimes."
"Do you ever smile?"
"No."
She sighed dramatically.
"This is going to be exhausting."
"It usually is."
For a split second she almost laughed.
Almost.
Then she remembered she was supposed to dislike him.
Her father entered the room.
Don Alessandro Romano looked unusually relaxed.
Probably because he wasn't the one being followed around.
"Good morning, Sophia."
"Morning."
"You'll listen to Luca."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Sophia pointed at her father.
"You know I am twenty-three years old, right?"
"Yes."
"An adult."
"Technically."
She gasped.
"Technically?"
The Don smirked.
Luca looked away, hiding amusement.
Sophia noticed.
"You laughed."
"I didn't."
"You almost did."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I didn't."
She groaned.
Both men were impossible.
An hour later, Sophia was driving through the city.
Or at least trying to.
Because Luca's black SUV was following directly behind her.
Every turn she made.
Every lane she switched to.
There he was.
Like a shadow.
A giant, annoying shadow.
She checked her mirror.
Still there.
A wicked idea formed.
"Let's see how good you are, bodyguard."
The light ahead turned yellow.
Sophia accelerated.
Her car shot through the intersection.
Behind her, traffic surged forward.
Several vehicles blocked the road.
For the first time all morning, Luca disappeared from view.
Sophia grinned.
Victory.
She turned onto another street.
Then another.
And another.
By the time she reached downtown, she was certain she'd escaped.
She parked outside a café and stepped onto the sidewalk.
Freedom.
Beautiful freedom.
Then a familiar voice spoke behind her.
"Having fun?"
Sophia nearly screamed.
She spun around.
Luca stood there holding a cup of coffee.
Completely calm.
Completely unbothered.
Completely present.
"What?"
"You left your house six minutes ago."
"How did you get here?"
"I know shortcuts."
Sophia stared at him.
Then grabbed the coffee from his hand.
Luca blinked.
"That was mine."
"It's mine now."
She walked away.
Luca followed.
Naturally.
The afternoon passed in much the same way.
Every attempt to lose him failed.
Every trick.
Every shortcut.
Every sudden change of plans.
Failed.
By evening, Sophia was beginning to suspect he wasn't human.
Maybe he was some sort of security robot.
A very irritating security robot.
The thought made her smile.
She entered a luxury shopping center.
Luca followed.
She visited three stores.
He followed.
She bought nothing.
He followed.
Finally she stopped and turned.
"Do you enjoy this?"
"No."
"Then why are you good at it?"
"It's my job."
"That's a boring answer."
"It's the truth."
Sophia studied him.
Most people became nervous when she looked directly at them.
Luca didn't.
His expression remained calm.
Controlled.
Unreadable.
And that bothered her.
Everyone had weaknesses.
Everyone.
But Luca Moretti seemed built from stone.
"You're strange."
"So I've been told."
"Frequently?"
"Very."
Sophia laughed.
The sound surprised both of them.
For a brief moment, neither looked away.
Then—
A loud crash echoed through the mall.
The sound shattered the moment.
People screamed.
Sophia jumped.
Across the atrium, a decorative light fixture crashed to the floor.
Glass exploded everywhere.
Crowds rushed backward.
Security guards moved toward the scene.
Luca immediately stepped in front of Sophia.
His body became a shield.
Instinct.
Training.
Protection.
Sophia blinked.
The transformation was instant.
One second he was a quiet bodyguard.
The next he was dangerous.
Alert.
Watching every direction.
Every person.
Every exit.
His eyes scanned the crowd.
Searching.
Calculating.
Something wasn't right.
He could feel it.
Years of experience told him this wasn't simply an accident.
Then he saw him.
A man standing on the second floor.
Watching Sophia.
Not the accident.
Not the crowd.
Sophia.
The man's gaze met Luca's.
For one second.
Then he turned and disappeared.
Luca's expression darkened.
"Stay here."
"What?"
"Stay here."
Before she could argue, he was already moving.
Fast.
Determined.
He pushed through the crowd toward the nearest escalator.
Sophia stared after him.
Confused.
Something in his voice had changed.
Something serious.
A feeling of unease settled in her stomach.
For the first time since this assignment began, she wondered if her father might be right.
Maybe the danger wasn't imaginary.
Maybe someone really was watching her.
By the time Luca reached the second floor, the stranger was gone.
Vanished.
He checked every corridor.
Every exit.
Nothing.
His jaw tightened.
The man had been professional.
Too professional.
And professionals rarely worked alone.
Luca returned downstairs.
Sophia was waiting exactly where he'd left her.
Arms crossed.
Annoyed.
Concerned.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Luca sighed.
She was sharper than people realized.
He glanced around the mall.
Still crowded.
Still noisy.
Still vulnerable.
"We're leaving."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Sophia hated how serious he looked.
Because for the first time all day...
She couldn't argue.
That night, miles away from the city lights, a man entered an abandoned warehouse.
Several figures waited inside.
One stepped forward.
"Did you see her?"
"Yes."
"And?"
The man smiled.
"The princess is exactly where you said she'd be."
The leader leaned back in his chair.
"What about the bodyguard?"
The smile disappeared.
"He's a problem."
A dangerous silence followed.
Then the leader chuckled.
"No one is bulletproof."
The warehouse filled with cold laughter.
And somewhere in the city, completely unaware of the storm approaching her, Sophia Romano stared out her bedroom window.
For the first time in years...
She felt like someone was watching.
- Writer
