HIS

Chapter Six

Rafael tuned out the words of the men in front of him and glanced toward Abigail. Romero was speaking to her, then he walked over to join Rafael, leaving Aria behind.

“Don Romero,” the men acknowledged politely. He grinned at them.

“I’d like to speak with him, so would you please excuse us?” he said, still smiling.

They nodded and left.

“Why did you leave Aria with her?” Rafael asked, glancing in their direction.

“They’re both in the same situation,” Romero shrugged.

---

At the balcony, Abigail and Aria leaned slightly against the marble railing, quiet music drifting from inside.

“Did he really buy you?” Abigail asked.

Aria nodded. “Auction in Milan. I was sold off like an antique vase with a temper.”

Abigail traced the rim of her glass. “Why didn’t you run?”

Aria smiled bitterly.

“I tried. He caught me. Twice. Now he doesn’t lock the doors. He knows I’ll come back.”

Abigail frowned. “Why would you?”

Aria’s eyes flicked toward Romero across the room — sharp-featured, calm, sipping whiskey like he owned the night.

“He treats me like a possession… but sometimes I think he doesn’t know how else to protect something.”

They stood in silence for a moment.

“So you’ve accepted it?”

“No. I’m learning how to survive it. But… I’ve seen worse than obsession. At least obsession notices when you cry.”

The words lodged somewhere inside Abigail — something cold and sharp she couldn’t name. She glanced across the room at Rafael, who was already watching her like he could hear every word.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” she murmured, wanting to escape his watchful eyes.

“Okay,” Aria agreed, then looked at Luca.

“We want to go somewhere else.”

“You’re not to leave my sight,” Luca said coldly.

“Wait here,” Aria told Abigail, before walking over to Rafael and Romero.

“What is it, Mishka?” Romero raised a brow.

“Abi and I want to be alone, so call Luca back,” she said.

“No,” Rafael refused.

“I can protect her and myself,” Aria assured.

“Let them go, Rafe. She can protect your little toy,” Romero teased.

Rafael shot him a glare, but Romero just chuckled, unapologetic.

“Be back in ten minutes,” Rafael ordered at last.

“Okay.”

Aria returned to Abigail, and together they left their spot.

---

The two women headed to the garden and sat on a white bench.

“So, tell me how you met Rafael,” Aria said.

“He bought me,” Abigail replied, eyes on her hands. “From my parents.”

Aria’s eyes widened. “Oh… I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. We have a lot of bad blood between us.” Abigail forced a small smile, then looked up. “How did you end up at the auction in Milan?”

“My parents were killed when I was little, so my dad’s friend took care of me. But he was also killed, so I ran away. I booked a room in a motel, not knowing it was under a human trafficking division,” Aria explained, scoffing. “I should’ve poked out their eyes.”

“Sorry for your loss,” Abigail murmured.

“Ugh, I hate this atmosphere. Let’s change the topic,” Aria suggested.

---

Back in the ballroom, Rafael stood alone now that Romero had gone to “socialize.”

He was mid-phone call when someone tapped his shoulder. Turning, he found himself facing a striking woman with red hair, dressed in a long red sequined gown that hugged every curve.

Nora Quincy — daughter of Jason Quincy, a mob boss and one of Rafael’s business partners. He’d met her a few times before.

They used to sleep together. Until Abigail.

“Rafael, what a surprise,” she said with a grin.

“Miss Quincy, what a surprise indeed,” he replied evenly.

Nora laughed lightly. “You never come to these events unless you have a reason…”

Her gaze drifted toward Abigail in the distance, then back to him, curiosity in her smile. “And I think I’ve just found yours.

Rafael’s expression didn’t change, but his grip on the glass in his hand tightened slightly.

“She’s none of your concern,” he said.

Nora tilted her head, her grin sharpening. “Everything about you is my concern. Business… pleasure… maybe even both.”

Before he could answer, his phone buzzed with a message from Luca: Five minutes left.

His eyes flicked instinctively toward the garden doors, a slow heat crawling through him. Nora was still talking, but he wasn’t listening. Abigail was somewhere out there, laughing, breathing, existing without him in her space.

And he didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

Few minutes later, Luca went to get Abigail and Aria.

The hum of conversation quieted when the host stepped onto the small stage in the center of the grand hall. He raised his glass, a charming smile stretching across his face.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” his voice boomed, smooth and commanding, “to honor tonight’s gathering, we shall begin the evening’s dance. Couples, please take your places.”

The band struck a soft, lilting tune — violins weaving with the deep hum of the cello. Guests began moving toward the polished dance floor, glittering under the golden light of the chandeliers.

Rafael’s hand slipped to the small of Abigail's back, firm and unyielding, guiding her forward. “You dance with me,” he murmured, low and certain. There was no room for argument in his tone.

They joined the others, his hand warm against hers, his other resting possessively at her waist. The music swelled, and they moved in perfect, measured steps. His eyes stayed locked on hers, but she could feel his attention flickering — scanning the room, watching every man who looked too long.

Then, in the subtle chaos of the next turn, it happened.

A figure brushed past — tall, dark suit, confident stride — and in that seamless shift, her hand was no longer in Rafael’s. Instead, Abigail was staring up into the face of another man. His smile was slow, knowing.

“Forgive me,” he drawled, guiding her into the next step as if the switch had been planned. “Couldn’t resist stealing a dance.”

Rafael froze mid-step across the floor, his jaw tightening. His eyes found hers instantly — sharp, dangerous, and burning with a promise she knew the stranger wouldn’t want fulfilled.

The music continued as if nothing had happened, but the air between both of them was already crackling.