365 Nights

Chapter 1 - The Stranger in the Rain The rain had been falling for hours . Elena stood been beneath the awning of a small cafe in Rome , Clutching her suitcase with one hand and herphone with the other .Her flight had been delayed, her hotel reservation had somehow disappeared , and the last taxi had just driven away. The a black car stopped in front of her. The rear window slowly lowered. A man sat inside. Dark hair .Black suit .A face that looked carved from stone . His eyes met hers. "Youre Elena Reyes ." She froze. "How do you know my name ?" "Get in." Elena took a step backward . 'I don't think so." For the first time , something resembling a smile appeared on his lips . " My name is Dante Moretti." She knew that name. Everyone did. Dante Moretti was a billionaire businessman whose empire stretched across Europe. He was also rumoured to be a man nobody dared to cross. Elena tightened her grip on her suitcase. "What do you want from me?" Dante looked at her fot a long moment. " That's exactly what I'm trying to find out ." Chapter 2 - The offer The next morning , Elena woke in a bedroom larger than her entire apartment back home . Silk curtains. Marble floors. A balcony overlooking the sea. She immediately sat up. "This can't be happening." The door opened . Dante walked inside . " You're awake ." "Where am I ?" " My villa ." "Why am I here ?" He placed a cup of coffee on the table . " Because last night, someone was following you." Elena's expression change . " What ?" " I had my security team check .You werent imagining it ." She stared at him. " And why would you care?" Dante stepped closer. "Because your father once saved my life ." Elena's heart stopped. " My father ?" " He asked me to protect you if anything ever happened to him." Her voice became barely a whisper . "What aren't you telling me ?" Dante's eyes darkened . "Everything". Then he placed a small. envelope in front of her Inside was a photograph. Her father . Dante . And a third man Elena had never seen before . On the back were four words: Trust no one . Not even me . Dante was already walking towards the door . " Wait ." He stopped . " Why are you helping me?" He turned around . " Because , Elena ......." His gaze held hers . "...... someone is willing to kill you ." Chapter 3 - The man behind the photograph Elena couldn't sleep. The photograph lay on the table beside her, it's edges worn from years of being handled . Her father . Dante. And the stranger. She picked up her phone and searched for the man's face, but every result left her with more questions . At exactly midnight , there was a knock on her door. Elena froze. Another knock. "It's me ." Dante . she opened the door only a few inches . " What do you want ." His expression was unusually serious . "We need to leave ." "Why?" "Because someone just breached the security gate ." Her heart began pounding. "Who?" " We don't know ." Dante reached for her hand , but stopped in before touching her . " Come with me ." This time , Elena didn't want argue. ---------------------------------------- The underground garage was almost completely dark . Dante led her toward a black car . Suddenly _____ CRASHHHHHH ! A bullet struck the concrete wall beside them . Elena screamed . Dante pulled her behind a pillar , shielding her with his body . " Stay here ." "No!" He looked directly into her eyes. "For once , Elena do exactly what I say ." He disappeared into the darkness. Seconds later, another shot echod through the garage. Then silence. Elena's hand trembled . When Dante returi, there was blood on his shirt . "Dante !. "It's not mine ." He opened the car door . "Get in ." She stared at him. "Who was that ?" Dante hesitate. "The man in the photograph." Elena's blood ran cold . "But I thought you didn't know who he was ." " I didn't.' He looked toward the darkness behind them . " Until tonight ." _____________________________________________ Chapter 4 - The deal They drove for nearly an hour before Dante finally stopped at an isolated place villa over looking the ocean . Elena stepped out of the car . "Where are we ?" "My private house ." "You have a lot of houses ." "I have a lot of enemies." She crossed her arms. . "And appay I'm one of them now ." Dante looked at her . "No." His voice is softened . "You're the one person I can't afford to lose ." Elenas breath caught. For a moment I, neither of them spoke . Ten Dante walked closer . "You want answers ." "Yes ." I'll give them to you ." He pulled a folder from the car . " But after tonight, you have a choice ." He handed it to her . Inside were documents, photographs , and bank records. At the bottom was a contract . Elena looked up. "What is this ?" "Protection ." "For how long ?" Dante's eyes locked onto hers . " Three hundred Nd sixty-five days ." She stared at him. "And after that ?. "After that , you're free ." Elena slowly signed her name . But she didn't know that Dante had left one clause hidden in the final page. If Elena discovers the truth about her father's death , the agreement becomes permanent. And Dante knew exactly what had happened to her father . He had been there the night he died . _____________________________________________ Chapter 5 - THE FIRST KISS