The Mafia Billionaire's Obsession

CHAPTER 5

Zara’s POV

I hated how his words stayed in my head.

Not because they were dramatic.

But because they felt like something already decided for me.

Like I was just catching up to a story that had started without my permission.

Lucien Duro didn’t feel like someone who asked.

He felt like someone who chose.

And once he chose something… it stayed chosen.

I swallowed and took a small step back, forcing my voice to stay steady.

“I don’t want to be part of whatever this is.”

For a moment, there was nothing.

No reaction.

No change in his expression.

Just silence.

That same heavy silence that made everything feel louder than it was.

Lucien looked at me like he was waiting.

Not confused.

Not surprised.

Just waiting… like I hadn’t really said anything important.

That alone irritated me.

“I’m serious,” I added quietly. “I don’t belong in your world.”

Something flickered in his eyes at that.

Not anger.

Something more controlled.

Like he was measuring my words instead of reacting to them.

“You think I belong to this world?” I asked, slightly sharper now.

His gaze didn’t move.

“Do you?” he replied.

That question threw me off balance.

I blinked.

“That’s not the point.”

“It is,” he said calmly.

My chest tightened with frustration.

“Lucien, people are watching me now. Talking about me. I didn’t ask for any of this.”

For the first time, I saw something shift in him.

A small tension in his jaw.

Like he didn’t like what I said—but wasn’t going to deny it either.

“And you think I asked for it?” he asked quietly.

That made me pause.

Because his voice wasn’t defensive.

It was… real.

Like for a second, he wasn’t the man everyone feared.

Just someone caught in something he didn’t fully control either.

The thought unsettled me more than I expected.

A silence stretched between us again.

Not comfortable.

Not peaceful.

Just heavy.

I hugged my arms slightly, suddenly aware of how close he still was.

Too close.

Yet not close enough to leave.

“I tried,” he said finally.

My brows pulled together slightly.

“Tried what?”

His eyes stayed on mine.

“To stay away.”

That made something in my chest tighten.

I didn’t expect that answer.

Not from him.

Not like that.

“Then why didn’t you?” I asked before I could stop myself.

For the first time, he didn’t respond immediately.

Like the question actually mattered.

Like it wasn’t something he could answer easily.

And that alone made my heart beat a little differently.

When he finally spoke, his voice was lower.

Calmer.

But not cold.

“Because you didn’t leave my mind the way you were supposed to.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

I went still.

Completely still.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

So I didn’t say anything at all.

Instead, I just looked at him.

Really looked at him.

And for a second, I wasn’t sure which of us was supposed to be more dangerous in this moment.

Lucien exhaled slowly, like he was resetting himself.

Then he stepped back slightly.

Not leaving.

Just giving space.

It confused me more than anything else he had done.

“I should go,” I said finally, though my voice didn’t sound as firm as I wanted it to.

He nodded once.

But didn’t move.

Instead, his eyes stayed on me like he was memorizing something.

Something important.

Something he didn’t want to forget.

“You should stay away from this,” I added quickly, as if that would fix everything.

A faint pause.

Then—

“I tried,” he repeated again.

But this time, it didn’t sound like an explanation.

It sounded like a truth he didn’t like admitting.

My throat tightened slightly.

“Then try harder,” I said quietly.

Something almost like a smile touched his lips.

But it wasn’t warm.

It was knowing.

“That’s not how this works,” he said simply.

I frowned.

“What does that even mean?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, his eyes dropped briefly to my face—then lifted again, slower this time.

Like he was studying a decision he had already made.

“You’ll understand soon,” he said.

That made my stomach twist slightly.

“I don’t want to understand anything,” I replied.

For a moment, something softer crossed his expression.

Almost frustration.

Almost restraint.

Almost something human.

But it disappeared quickly.

“I’m not asking you to want it,” he said.

My breath caught slightly.

Because the way he said it wasn’t threatening.

It was final.

Like things were already moving… whether I agreed or not.

I shook my head slightly.

“This is ridiculous.”

But even as I said it, I didn’t move away.

And that was the problem.

Lucien noticed.

Of course he did.

His eyes narrowed just slightly.

Like he registered that detail.

That I was still here.

Still not walking away fast enough.

And that seemed to matter more than anything I was saying.

“You should go home, Zara,” he said again.

This time, softer.

Not a command.

More like advice.

I hesitated.

“I don’t like being told what to do,” I muttered.

A faint almost-smile appeared again.

“I noticed.”

That made my lips press together.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The world around us felt distant.

Cars passing.

People walking.

Everything normal.

Except this moment wasn’t.

Finally, I stepped back properly.

Creating distance.

Real distance.

“I don’t want this,” I said again, quieter now.

Lucien’s gaze stayed on me.

“I know,” he replied.

That surprised me.

Because he didn’t argue.

He didn’t push back.

He just accepted it.

Too easily.

Which somehow made it worse.

He turned slightly toward the car.

But didn’t get in immediately.

Instead, he paused.

Like he was deciding whether to say something else.

Then he looked back at me.

Longer this time.

Deeper.

And his voice dropped just slightly.

“This is only the beginning.”

I frowned slightly.

“What does that mean?”

But he didn’t answer.

He opened the car door and got in.

The car didn’t leave immediately.

It stayed there for a moment too long.

Like even the silence needed to settle.

Then slowly, it pulled away.

And I stood there.

Watching it disappear into the distance.

Long after it was gone.

Because for some reason I didn’t fully understand yet…

I couldn’t stop thinking that nothing in my life would ever feel simple again.

Not after him.

Not after Lucien Duro.