The Mafia's Forgotten Rose

Amara Bellwyn had three important rules in life. First, never argue with a rooster. Second, never run while carrying a basket full of eggs. And third... Never, ever accidentally throw a pie at a stranger. Unfortunately... She had already broken all three before breakfast. "Amara!" She froze in the middle of the village road. Slowly, she looked down at the empty basket in her hands. Then she looked at the broken eggs scattered around her feet. Then she looked at the rooster standing proudly beside her. The rooster stared back. Amara narrowed her eyes. "You did that on purpose." The rooster walked away. The villagers nearby laughed. "Are you really arguing with a rooster again?" Amara placed a hand over her chest. "I'm not arguing. I'm explaining why stealing eggs is wrong." The villagers laughed harder. That was Amara Bellwyn. The girl who could trip over nothing, apologize to furniture after bumping into it, and somehow turn every embarrassing moment into a story everyone loved. She was clumsy. She was childish sometimes. She was too innocent for her own good. But everyone in Bellwyn Village loved her. Because behind all her silly actions was a heart full of kindness. Amara helped her neighbors, cared for stray animals, and always found a way to make people smile. She didn't want a luxurious life. She was happy with her peaceful village, her grandmother's cooking, and simple days. Her only dream was to live a quiet life. Unfortunately... Quiet and Amara never seemed to belong in the same sentence. That afternoon, Amara was making a strawberry pie. Or at least... Trying to. Her grandmother entered the kitchen and immediately stopped. Flour covered the table. A spoon was on the floor. There was even flour on Amara's face. "Amara." She looked up. "Yes, Grandma?" Her grandmother looked around. "Are you making a pie or fighting one?" Amara looked offended. "The pie was difficult." "It's a dessert." "A very dangerous dessert." Her grandmother shook her head while smiling. No matter how chaotic Amara was... She always brought happiness. By evening, Amara proudly carried her strawberry pie through the village. For once, everything was perfect. The pie looked beautiful. Nothing burned. Nothing broke. Nothing went wrong. She smiled. "Finally. A normal day." That was her mistake. A chicken suddenly ran past her. Amara stopped. The chicken had bread in its beak. Her grandmother's bread. Again.... Her eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me." The chicken ran faster. Amara followed. "Come back here, tiny criminal!" At the same time, several black luxury cars entered Bellwyn Village. The peaceful atmosphere immediately changed. The villagers stopped and watched. The cars were expensive. The men who stepped out looked dangerous. Then the final car door opened. Riven Alistair Veyron stepped out. The heir of the Veyron mafia empire. Tall. Cold. Powerful. His black suit was perfectly fitted, and his expression showed nothing. Everyone knew his name. Everyone knew his reputation. Riven Veyron was a man people feared. A man who controlled every situation. A man who never showed weakness. Unfortunately... Amara Bellwyn knew nothing about him. Because she was still chasing a chicken. "Stop running! We can talk about this!" The chicken ignored her. Naturally. Amara ran faster. A terrible decision. Her foot caught on a small rock. Her eyes widened. "Oh no." The pie slipped from her hands. It flew through the air. Straight toward the person standing in front of her. Riven Alistair Veyron. Splat. Silence. Everyone froze. Amara slowly opened her eyes. A man in an expensive black suit stood in front of her. With strawberry pie covering half of his face. She stared. He stared back. "Oh." A pause. "Oh no." Amara immediately bowed. "I'm so sorry!" Riven said nothing. That made her panic. "I promise I usually don't throw food at strangers." Still nothing. She looked at the pie. Then at him. "Usually." One of Riven's men stepped forward. "Do you know who you just—" Riven raised a hand, stopping him. His cold eyes returned to Amara. She wasn't afraid. She was only worried about his ruined suit. That was unusual. "Who are you?" Riven asked. Amara blinked. "Me?" Riven stared. "Yes." She pointed at herself. "I'm Amara Bellwyn." Then she looked at his suit. "And I'm really sorry about your clothes." A villager whispered: "That's Riven Alistair Veyron." Amara turned. She looked at the villagers. Then back at him. "Wait..." She pointed. "You're Riven Alistair Veyron?" Riven nodded. "Yes." Amara studied him. Then tilted her head. "Huh." Riven raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" Amara nodded. "I expected someone different." "Different?" She looked serious. "Yes. I thought you would be an old bald man with a long beard." Silence. Everyone froze. Amara continued. "Maybe someone who walks slowly and says scary things." She lowered her voice. "Everyone will regret their choices." She paused. Then looked at him. "But you're just..." She studied him. "...a normal-looking tall person." Nobody spoke. No one had ever described Riven that way. "Normal?" Riven repeated. Amara quickly shook her head. "Wait. That sounded rude." She pointed at the pie. "I mean, you're scary. The pie just makes you less scary." For the first time in years... Riven Alistair Veyron had no answer. Amara looked at his suit. "I really am sorry." She looked genuinely guilty. "I will pay for the damage." Riven looked at her. Then at her simple clothes. "You will?" She nodded confidently. "Of course." A pause. She looked at his suit. "Although your suit probably costs more than my entire house." Before Riven could respond, her grandmother arrived. The moment she saw Riven, she stopped. She knew him. Riven noticed. "You know the Bellwyn family." It wasn't a question. Her grandmother stayed silent. Amara looked between them. "Wait..." She frowned. "Does everyone know something except me?" Nobody answered. Amara sighed. "I hate being the last person to know things." Riven turned to leave. But before he reached his car... Amara suddenly ran after him. "Wait!" Everyone stopped. Riven slowly looked back. "What now?" Amara stopped in front of him, looking completely serious. For a moment, Riven thought she was finally going to say something important. Then she pointed at his suit. "I just remembered something." "What?" Riven raised an eyebrow. Amara smiled. "I still owe you a pie." Silence. Riven stared at her. "A pie?" She nodded proudly. "Yes. A better one this time." A pause. "I promise it won't fly again." For the first time, Adrian had to look away because he was trying not to laugh. Riven only stared at her. He had faced enemies who wanted to destroy him. He had handled dangerous situations. But somehow... A girl promising that her next pie would not attack him was the strangest conversation he had ever experienced. "You really are strange." Riven finally said. Amara smiled. "Thank you." Riven frowned. "That wasn't a compliment." She nodded. "I know. But my grandmother says being strange makes life interesting." For some reason... Riven didn't know how to answer. Before entering his car, Riven looked back at her. "Stay out of trouble." Amara blinked. Then looked around. "Are you talking to me or the chicken?" Everyone went silent. The chicken was still standing nearby. Riven looked at the chicken. Then back at Amara. For the first time... He almost smiled. Almost. That night, Amara proudly prepared ingredients for a new pie. Her grandmother watched her carefully. "Please tell me you learned something from today." Amara nodded. Her grandmother smiled. "Good. What did you learn?" Amara thought for a moment. Then answered: "Never chase a chicken while holding a pie." Her grandmother nodded. "Exactly." A pause. Amara smiled. "Next time, I will put the pie down first." Her grandmother sighed. "That is not what I meant." Meanwhile, inside the Veyron mansion... Riven sat silently while Adrian looked at him. "Sir." "What?" "Are you really curious about the girl?" Riven looked away. "No." Adrian smiled. "You are." Riven said nothing. Because he hated admitting it. But the truth was... He wanted to see Amara Bellwyn again. The girl who didn't fear him. The girl who called him normal. The girl who attacked him with a pie. The next morning, Amara woke up with one goal. Make the perfect pie. A pie that would finally impress the scary tall man. She confidently entered the kitchen. Then she froze. The chicken was sitting on the table. Eating her strawberries. Amara stared. The chicken stared back. A long silence. Then she shouted: "YOU AGAIN?!" The chicken immediately ran. Amara followed. "COME BACK HERE, TINY CRIMINAL!" And just like that... Her second meeting with Riven Alistair Veyron was about to begin.