Bound to Mafia Princess

Devil's eye

Alessia

The following days blur together in a haze of lectures, whispered gossip, and Jay’s unyielding presence. I’ve never felt more like a caged animal, my every move scrutinized, my every word questioned. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been at St. Augustine’s for years. It doesn’t matter that I’ve had this routine down to an art. With Jay lurking in the background, everything is different.

I’m not used to this feeling—being watched, monitored, treated like I’m something fragile. The constant pressure of his dark eyes on me is driving me to the edge.

It’s lunch when it happens.

I’m sitting with Mia and the rest of the usual crowd, the cafeteria buzzing with the chatter of a thousand students. My usual spot at the corner table offers a perfect view of the entire room, but today, I can’t focus on the conversation.

Jay is standing by the door, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, his gaze sweeping over the room with military precision. He might as well be a statue for all the emotion he’s showing. He’s like a constant, looming shadow, just there, watching me, watching everything.

I hate it.

“Alessia?” Mia says, nudging me with her elbow. “Hello? Earth to Alessia.”

I blink, finally snapping out of my stupor.

“What?” I ask, turning to her.

“You’ve been staring at him all through lunch.” She’s grinning like she knows something I don’t, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Who?” I try to play it cool, my gaze flicking back to the door.

Mia raises an eyebrow. “You know who. Your bodyguard. The tall, brooding guy you’ve been glued to since Monday.”

“I’m not glued to him,” I snap, more harshly than I intend. “He’s just… around.”

She leans in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Are you sure you’re not, like, secretly into him? He’s kind of... intense.”

I stiffen, my back going rigid at the thought. “Please don’t start.”

“I’m serious. The guy is smoking hot, Alessia. He looks like he could bench press a car and still have time to eat you alive with those eyes of his.”

I glance over at Jay again, trying to avoid the heat creeping up my neck. He’s standing in the same spot, his eyes scanning the room with that same intensity, but this time they land on me.

Our eyes lock across the cafeteria.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moves. I’m frozen in place, caught in the pull of his gaze.

I shouldn’t feel this way. I shouldn’t feel anything at all.

But I do.

My pulse picks up, and I quickly look away, focusing back on my food.

“Ugh. I’m not into him,” I mutter, trying to dismiss the heat building in my chest.

“Uh-huh,” Mia replies, unconvinced. “Sure you’re not.”

---

After lunch, I find myself in the library, needing a quiet place to escape. The day has been one long parade of murmurs, stares, and questions. Mia, bless her heart, has been the only one who’s given me any space. The rest of the students, however, are fascinated by the mysterious man who’s always following me around.

I pull out a book from the shelf and try to focus on the words, but all I can think about is the way Jay’s eyes burned into mine earlier.

My heart’s still racing.

I can’t remember the last time a guy made me feel like this. My entire life, I’ve had control over who and what I let in. I’ve been trained to stay distant. To not care.

But Jay?

God, Jay has a way of breaking every rule I’ve set for myself.

And I hate it.

I hate how easy it is to get lost in his presence, how everything inside me shifts when he’s near. It’s like the world tilts just slightly off balance, and for the briefest of moments, I wonder if I’m actually drowning in this new, dangerous attraction I can’t escape.

I slam the book closed, frustrated with myself.

“Excuse me.”

The deep voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I look up to see Jay standing by the table, his arms crossed, his dark gaze fixed on me.

“What?” I bark, my irritation bubbling over.

He doesn’t seem fazed by my tone. “You’re supposed to be meeting your tutor in ten minutes.”

“My tutor?” I stare at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“The one your father hired,” he says, almost matter-of-factly. “The one who’ll be helping you catch up on your math and science. You need to leave now.”

I can’t help but let out a sharp laugh. “You seriously think I need a tutor?”

“I don’t think you need a tutor,” he says, unfazed. “Your father thinks you do. And when your father thinks something, you listen.”

I narrow my eyes at him, my patience wearing thin. “I can handle it, Jay. I don’t need someone to babysit me. Again.”

“Alessia,” he says, his voice dangerously low. “I’m not here to babysit you. I’m here to make sure you don’t screw everything up. So get your ass up and go to that tutor. Now.”

Something shifts in the air between us—an edge, a crackling intensity that feels like a storm on the horizon. His words hang in the air, suffocating me with the weight of his expectations.

I stand up so quickly that my chair scrapes loudly against the floor. I slam the book down, the sound echoing around the empty library.

“Fine,” I hiss, grabbing my bag and marching toward the door. “I’ll go. But don’t think for one second that you can control me.”

I can feel him right behind me as I leave the library, his footsteps just a beat behind mine. My pulse is pounding in my ears, but I refuse to look back.

The hallway seems longer than usual, and I know it’s because I can feel his presence in the air—heavy and oppressive, like a storm waiting to break.

We reach the stairs leading to the tutor’s office. I can hear voices coming from the room, and I know this is where Jay will leave me.

As I reach the door, I stop and turn to him, my hand on the handle.

“Don’t think you’ve won,” I say, my voice a quiet challenge. “You may be following orders, but I’m not some obedient little pet you can control. I won’t be your project.”

His eyes flash, a hint of something darker flickering behind the surface. He steps forward, his chest nearly touching mine, his presence overwhelming.

“I’m not trying to control you,” he says quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m just trying to keep you alive.”

My breath catches in my throat at the words. For a moment, I almost forget to breathe.

I want to yell at him. I want to scream and tell him that he doesn’t know me, that I don’t need his protection. But then I remember the truth.

I do need him. I need the protection, the control, the shadow he casts over my life. Even if I hate it. Even if I hate him.

“Go,” I say finally, my voice barely audible. “Just go.”

Jay doesn’t say anything more. He doesn’t argue. He just watches me, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary before he turns and walks away, his footsteps echoing through the empty hall.

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and step into the room.

But even as I sit down with the tutor, I know the storm isn’t over. It’s just beginning.

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