CHAPTER TWO_ RULES, SECRETS AND WARNINGS
1101 Words
The office was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Like nothing dangerous had happened minutes ago. Like there hadn’t been gunshots, shouting, fear crawling up my spine. But my heart still hadn’t settled. It was beating fast, heavy, like it was reminding me that what happened was real.
My fingers trembled slightly as I arranged files on Dante Moretti’s desk. I tried to steady them, but the image of masked men bursting into the office wouldn’t leave my head.
I stole a glance at him.
He sat behind his desk, calm, focused, typing on his laptop like his world hadn’t almost exploded. His suit was neat again, his posture straight, his face unreadable. No fear. No shock. No anger.
Just control.
It was like fighting armed men was part of his daily routine.
Who lives like that?
Who stays so calm after almost being shot?
Who protects a stranger without thinking twice?
I swallowed and looked back at the files.
Monsters don’t do that, do they?
“Aria.”
His voice cut through my thoughts.
“Yes, sir?” I answered quickly.
“Next time anything like that happens, you run.”
I paused.
“But you told me not to move,” I said before I could stop myself.
He finally looked up.
His eyes were sharp, serious, filled with something I couldn’t name. Authority. Danger. Protection. All mixed together.
“I protect,” he said slowly. “You run. That is rule number one.”
Rule number one.
Like this wasn’t just a job. Like danger was expected.
“Yes, Mr. Moretti,” I replied quietly.
I tried to focus on my work after that. Organizing documents. Answering calls. Fixing his schedule. Writing down reminders. But my mind kept drifting back to the attack.
To the way he had pulled me behind him.
To the way he didn’t hesitate.
A knock sounded on the door.
A woman walked in.
She was tall, confident, and beautiful in a way that demanded attention. Dark red lipstick. Perfect hair. A fitted dress that screamed power. She didn’t even look at me.
“Dante,” she said softly.
“Elena,” he replied.
His tone turned cold. Colder than ice.
My stomach tightened.
Elena Vasquez.
One of the names in my mission file.
Dangerous. Manipulative. Obsessed with Dante Moretti.
She moved closer to his desk, her hand resting lightly on the edge. Too close. Almost touching him.
“I heard about the attack,” she said. “I came to check on you. You know I care.”
“I don’t need your care,” Dante replied immediately. “Why are you here?”
Her smile faded.
Then she finally looked at me.
Her eyes filled with something ugly. Jealousy. Disgust. Possession.
“And who is this?” she asked.
“My new assistant,” Dante said.
Elena’s gaze slowly dragged over me, like she was judging every detail of my existence.
“She looks innocent,” she said.
I wasn’t sure if that was meant to be kind or cruel.
“Is she loyal?” Elena asked.
Dante looked straight at me.
“We will find out,” he said.
My chest tightened.
Does he suspect me already?
Elena stepped closer to me.
“Be careful, little girl,” she whispered. “Working with Dante is dangerous. He destroys people.”
I lifted my chin.
“I know how to handle myself,” I said, even though my heart was pounding.
She smirked.
“Good. You’ll need that.”
Then she turned and left.
When the door closed, I finally released the breath I’d been holding.
“She doesn’t like me,” I whispered.
“Do not care about what she likes,” Dante replied without looking up. “She likes power. Nothing else.”
I nodded and went back to work, though my hands were shaking again.
Hours passed.
My feet hurt. My back ached. My head was full. But the day wasn’t over.
Dante called me into a private meeting with several businessmen.
They greeted him with fake smiles and nervous eyes. Fear hid behind their politeness. Every word they spoke felt careful.
I took notes quickly.
Then I noticed something strange.
These men were the same ones rumored to be criminals.
Yet Dante rejected every illegal suggestion they made.
Firmly.
Coldly.
He even threatened to cut ties with them if they didn’t follow the law.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The mission said Dante was the criminal.
But someone else was lying.
By 6 p.m., the building emptied. Workers left. Lights dimmed. Silence returned.
I packed my bag, exhausted.
I was heading toward the door when Dante spoke.
“Aria.”
I turned.
“Yes, sir?”
He walked toward me holding a small black box.
“You need a phone. For work.”
He handed it to me.
“For me?” I asked, surprised.
“For work,” he corrected. “Rule number two. I must always be able to reach you.”
My heart skipped.
Not from fear.
Something else.
Protection.
“I understand,” I said softly.
He stepped closer.
I could smell his cologne—strong, expensive, overwhelming. My knees almost failed me.
He was dangerously attractive in a way that felt unfair.
“You worked well today,” he said.
Then he stepped back, like he realized how close he was.
“Go home.”
Those two words made my heart jump again.
“Good night, sir,” I said.
He nodded and returned to his desk.
Outside, the air felt lighter.
But my mind was heavy.
Dante Moretti wasn’t what I expected.
He wasn’t cruel.
He wasn’t heartless.
He was complicated.
I pulled out my phone.
A message from the agency.
Report. What did you learn today?
I stared at the screen.
Then typed.
Dante is not what I expected.
The reply came fast.
Be careful. If Moretti discovers your identity, he will kill you.
I swallowed hard and looked up at the tall building behind me.
“Who is really dangerous here?” I whispered.
Because Dante had risked his life for me today.
The agency wouldn’t.
I typed back.
I will continue to observe.
As I walked toward the bus stop, I hugged my bag tightly.
Tomorrow, I’d return.
Tomorrow, I’d step deeper into danger.
Tomorrow, I’d see Dante Moretti again.
And that was becoming a problem.
A big, heart-thumping problem.
Because this job wasn’t only dangerous to my life.
It was becoming dangerous to my heart.
I was starting to see the man beneath the armor.
And I wasn’t sure I could stop.
- Writer
