Jake***
The door slams open with a suddenness that slices through the heavy silence in the room. I freeze, instinctively stepping in front of Belle, my hand raised in defense, ready to protect her from whatever threat lurks behind it.
But then, a familiar voice—a voice I know too well—cuts through the tension.
“Relax, Jake. I’m not here to cause trouble,” Victor says, his tone smooth, almost casual, as he steps inside.
Victor’s presence fills the room in an unsettling way, not through aggression, but through a magnetic pull, the kind that comes from years of power and control. A mafia boss from another region—someone I’ve worked with before, someone I trust, but someone whose presence feels like a dark cloud hanging over us.
I lower my guard, recognizing the tone, the way he holds him
