SILENCE BETWEEN US

REPUTATION OF FIRE

In the mafia, names were everything. And Alicia’s burned brighter than most. Every whispered mention of her name carried fear, respect, or desire—sometimes all three at once. Business rivals tread lightly around her, knowing a single misstep could cost them everything. Allies admired her cunning, though they rarely got close enough to see the steel beneath the silk. Men lusted after her, and failed, often dangerously. Alicia thrived on the attention, yet she was untouchable… or so she thought.

Tonight, a deal had gone sideways. Rival families tested boundaries, hoping to see weakness. Alicia didn’t flinch. Her heels clicked against the marble as she approached the negotiation table, eyes sharp, voice steady, every word precise. Power was her language, and she spoke it fluently. She knew the stakes, the moves, the threats, and how to turn them in her favor. One miscalculation could end a life—sometimes hers—but she smiled anyway, unshaken, lethal in her elegance.

And yet… she felt it. That pull again. Across the room, he watched, patient and calculating. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, and her pulse raced despite herself. The tension was impossible to ignore—an undercurrent running beneath the surface of her empire. She wasn’t used to being matched, to having someone who could see through the walls she built.

Alicia’s lips curved in a knowing smirk. Tonight, she realized that power wasn’t the only thing she craved.