Chapter 1 The Beginning of Everything
1040 Words
New York never slept.
Even at eight in the morning, the streets were already alive with rushing people, honking taxis, and the endless sound of footsteps echoing through the concrete jungle.
Inside a quiet bookstore on the corner of 42nd Street, Isabella Hart stood behind the counter, carefully arranging a stack of newly arrived novels.
The scent of paper and coffee filled the cozy space.
This place had always been her safe haven.
While the rest of the city moved at an exhausting pace, the bookstore felt peaceful—almost like time slowed down between the shelves filled with stories.
Isabella tucked a loose strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear and sighed softly.
“Another quiet morning,” she murmured.
Her coworker, Lily, laughed from the other side of the store.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It’s not,” Isabella said quickly. “I just… wish life had a little more excitement sometimes.”
Lily raised an eyebrow.
“You read romance novels all day. That’s enough excitement.”
Isabella smiled faintly.
Maybe Lily was right.
Her life was simple. Predictable.
But Isabella had always believed that someday something extraordinary would happen.
She just didn’t know when.
Or how.
Or that it would walk through the bookstore door exactly two minutes later.
The bell above the entrance chimed softly.
Isabella glanced up.
And froze.
A tall man stepped inside the bookstore.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit that probably cost more than Isabella’s monthly salary. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his sharp jawline gave him an intimidating presence.
But it was his eyes that caught her attention.
Deep.
Dark.
Cold.
The kind of eyes that looked like they had seen too much.
Lily leaned closer and whispered under her breath.
“Oh my God.”
“What?” Isabella whispered back.
“That man looks like he owns half of Manhattan.”
Isabella rolled her eyes slightly.
But she couldn’t deny the strange feeling that settled in her chest as the man slowly walked through the aisles, glancing at the books with quiet curiosity.
There was something powerful about him.
Something dangerous.
The man eventually approached the counter.
Up close, he looked even more intimidating.
Isabella cleared her throat politely.
“Good morning. Can I help you find something?”
The man looked at her.
Really looked at her.
For a moment, he didn’t speak.
It was as if he was studying her.
Isabella shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
Finally, he spoke.
His voice was deep and calm.
“I’m looking for a book.”
Isabella smiled politely.
“Well… you came to the right place.”
For the first time, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
“A recommendation.”
She blinked.
“A recommendation?”
“Yes.”
“Any specific genre?”
The man thought for a moment.
“Something about love.”
Lily nearly choked behind the shelf.
Isabella tried very hard not to laugh.
“You want a love story?”
“Yes.”
She studied him carefully.
He didn’t look like the kind of man who reads romance novels.
But she turned around anyway and walked toward one of the shelves.
Her fingers moved across the books until she pulled one out.
“This one is my favorite,” she said as she handed it to him.
The man looked down at the cover.
“Why?”
Isabella smiled softly.
“Because it reminds you that real love is patience. It waits. It forgives.”
Something flickered in the man’s eyes.
A strange expression passed across his face.
“What if love doesn’t forgive?” he asked quietly.
Isabella tilted her head slightly.
“Then it probably wasn’t real love.”
The bookstore suddenly felt very quiet.
The man stared at her for a long moment.
Then he did something unexpected.
He smiled.
Not a polite smile.
A real one.
“My name is Lorenzo.”
Isabella hesitated before answering.
“Isabella.”
He repeated her name slowly.
“Isabella.”
As if he was testing how it sounded.
Lily later swore that the entire atmosphere of the bookstore changed at that moment.
Because when Lorenzo De Luca looked at Isabella Hart…
It was like he had just discovered something rare.
Something precious.
Something he didn’t want to lose.
He paid for the book but didn’t leave immediately.
Instead, he leaned casually against the counter.
“Do you always give strangers life advice?” he asked.
Isabella shrugged.
“Only the ones who ask for love stories.”
He chuckled softly.
The sound surprised her.
She hadn’t expected someone like him to laugh so easily.
“Then maybe I should come here more often,” Lorenzo said.
“Why?”
“To hear more of your advice.”
Isabella raised an eyebrow.
“Careful. I might start charging extra.”
His dark eyes held a glimmer of amusement.
“I don’t mind.”
He took the book and walked toward the door.
But before leaving, he paused.
And looked back at her.
“See you soon, Isabella.”
The bell chimed again as he left.
The moment the door closed, Lily rushed toward the counter.
“WHO WAS THAT?”
“I don’t know,” Isabella said honestly.
“But something about him felt…”
She paused.
“Different.”
Lily grinned mischievously.
“Oh honey.”
“That man is definitely coming back.”
And she was right.
Because Lorenzo De Luca did come back.
The next day.
And the day after that.
Then again the following week.
What Isabella didn’t know…
It was that Lorenzo wasn’t just a wealthy businessman.
He was a man feared by criminals and respected by powerful leaders.
The head of one of the most dangerous mafia organizations in the country.
A man who destroyed anyone who stood in his way.
But strangely…
Whenever he stepped into that little bookstore…
And saw Isabella smiling at him from behind the counter…
The ruthless mafia king felt something he hadn’t experienced in years.
Peace.
And that was how everything began.
The six years of love.
The promises.
The marriage.
And eventually…
The heartbreak that would destroy them both.
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