Chapter 5: Under his Protection
1231 Words
The black sedan shot through the rain-soaked streets, its engine roaring as Lucien pressed harder on the accelerator.
Elena gripped the edge of her seat.
"Slow down!" she pleaded.
Lucien didn't respond.
His eyes remained fixed on the road, his jaw set in a hard line.
Within minutes, the car screeched to a halt outside a sprawling warehouse near the city's harbor.
Smoke billowed into the night sky.
Red and blue emergency lights flashed across the wet pavement.
Several black SUVs were already parked outside, and armed men in dark suits rushed in and out of the damaged building.
The moment Lucien stepped out of the car, everyone straightened.
"Boss."
He acknowledged them with a nod before surveying the destruction.
Half the warehouse had been reduced to twisted metal and smoldering rubble.
"What happened?" he asked.
A tall man with a scar across his cheek approached.
"It was an explosion."
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"Accident?"
The man shook his head.
"We found traces of explosives."
Elena's heart sank.
Someone had planned this.
Lucien walked through the shattered entrance without hesitation.
Ignoring the smoke and broken glass, he inspected the damage himself.
Elena followed cautiously.
The air smelled of burnt wood, gasoline, and something metallic she couldn't identify.
Several injured workers sat against the walls while paramedics treated cuts and burns.
One young employee struggled to stand when he saw Lucien.
"I'm sorry, Boss," he said weakly. "We couldn't stop them."
Lucien crouched beside him.
"You stayed alive."
The young man looked surprised.
"That's what matters."
Elena blinked.
For the first time, she saw something she hadn't expected.
Compassion.
The ruthless mafia boss everyone feared wasn't shouting or blaming anyone.
He was making sure his people survived.
A voice interrupted her thoughts.
"We found this."
One of Lucien's men handed him a silver cufflink.
Lucien turned it over in his palm.
An elegant wolf crest was engraved on its surface.
His expression darkened instantly.
"I know this symbol," he murmured.
Elena looked at him.
"What does it mean?"
He closed his hand around the cufflink.
"It belongs to my brother."
"Victor?"
Lucien didn't answer.
Instead, he handed the cufflink back to Marco.
"Have it examined."
Marco frowned.
"You think he planted it?"
"I think someone wants me to believe he did."
Elena stared at Lucien in surprise.
"You don't think Victor is responsible?"
"I never accuse anyone without proof."
Before she could reply, another guard ran toward them.
"Boss!"
Everyone turned.
"We found a survivor."
Two men carried an unconscious security guard into the warehouse.
Blood stained the front of his uniform.
The injured man coughed violently before forcing his eyes open.
"L... Lucien..."
"I'm here."
The guard grabbed Lucien's sleeve with surprising strength.
"It wasn't..." he gasped.
"What?"
"It wasn't about the warehouse..."
His breathing became ragged.
"They were looking..."
"For what?"
The guard's frightened eyes shifted toward Elena.
Then he whispered five words that made the room fall silent.
"They were looking for her."
His hand slipped from Lucien's sleeve.
The warehouse fell eerily quiet.
Lucien slowly turned to Elena.
For the first time since she'd met him, there was something in his eyes she couldn't ignore.
Concern.
Whoever had orchestrated the attack hadn't wanted merchandise.
They hadn't wanted money.
They wanted Elena.
The warehouse fell into a stunned silence.
Elena felt every pair of eyes turn toward her.
"They were looking for... me?" she whispered, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.
The injured guard had already lost consciousness. Paramedics rushed him onto a stretcher and wheeled him toward the waiting ambulance.
Lucien's expression hardened.
"Marco."
"Boss."
"Double the security at the mansion. No one enters or leaves without my permission."
Marco nodded immediately.
"It'll be done."
Lucien looked at two of his men.
"I want every surveillance camera from this warehouse recovered. If even a second of footage survived, I want it on my desk before sunrise."
"Yes, Boss."
The efficiency with which everyone obeyed him was almost frightening.
Within minutes, the warehouse had transformed into a controlled crime scene.
Elena stood frozen, her thoughts racing.
She had never been involved in anything dangerous.
She worked, visited her father in the hospital, and went home.
Why would anyone come after her?
Lucien walked toward her.
"We're leaving."
She didn't argue.
For once, she was relieved to be near him.
As they climbed into the car, the silence between them felt heavier than ever.
Finally, Elena spoke.
"I don't understand."
Lucien kept his attention on the road.
"Neither do I."
"You don't think they were mistaken?"
"I don't believe in coincidences."
She looked out the window.
Rain continued to fall, washing the city in silver streaks.
"My father..." she murmured. "Could this have something to do with his debt?"
Lucien shook his head.
"If someone wanted Richard Hart, they would've gone after him."
His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"They asked for you."
A chill ran down Elena's spine.
Neither of them noticed the black SUV following at a distance.
An hour later, they arrived at the Romano estate.
The mansion looked even larger at night, its lights glowing warmly against the darkness.
Before Elena could open her door, Lucien came around the car and did it for her.
She blinked.
"I can manage."
"I know."
"Then why?"
He looked toward the gates before answering.
"Because until I know who's behind this, you don't take unnecessary risks."
It wasn't a romantic gesture.
It was protection.
Still...
Something about it made her heartbeat quicken.
Inside the mansion, the atmosphere was unusually tense.
Guards patrolled every corridor.
Additional security cameras had already been installed.
It looked less like a home and more like a fortress preparing for war.
A middle-aged woman approached them with a warm smile.
"Welcome home, Mr. Romano."
She turned to Elena.
"And you must be Mrs. Romano."
Elena almost corrected her.
Instead, she forced a small smile.
The woman bowed politely.
"My name is Martha. I've managed this household for many years. If you need anything, please tell me."
"Thank you."
Martha led Elena upstairs.
"This is your room."
Elena stepped inside and stopped.
The bedroom was breathtaking.
A king-sized bed stood beneath a crystal chandelier. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the gardens, while fresh white roses decorated a table near the fireplace.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
Martha smiled.
"Mr. Romano had it prepared this afternoon."
Elena frowned.
"He prepared it?"
"Yes."
Before Elena could ask another question, Martha excused herself.
The room fell silent.
Elena slowly walked toward the window.
Everything had happened so quickly.
Yesterday, she had been an ordinary woman.
Today, she was living in a mafia mansion, surrounded by armed guards, with enemies she had never met.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
She turned.
Lucien stood in the doorway.
"You'll be sleeping here," he said.
"And you?"
"My room is across the hall."
Relief flickered across her face.
He noticed.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't worry, Elena."
His voice was quieter than usual.
"Our marriage may be real on paper..."
"...but I'll never force you to be my wife before you're ready."
For the first time since she met him, Elena saw something beyond the cold exterior.
A man trying to earn the trust of a woman who had every reason to fear him.
And without realizing it...
She took the first step toward trusting him.
- Writer
