The warehouse reeked of smoke, gunpowder and gasoline. The air was thick, lit only by the harsh red glow of the emergency lights flickering across the broken floor.
Enzo's black car screeched to a halt outside the compound, gravels crunching beneath his boots as he stepped out. Two of his men rushed up to meet him- both pale, shaken and bloodied. Shaken because they knew what Enzo was capable of doing to them.
" Boss….." one started but Enzo cut him off with a raised hand.
" How bad?"
" They hit as hard. Two trucks gone, one man injured and three dead. They torched the shipment before leaving "
Enzo's jaw flexed. He walked past them through the main gate , ignoring the smoke that stung his eyes. Inside was a chaotic scene, crates overturned, metal twisted from explosions, flames licking the edge of the once pristine floor.
A wounded guard tried to get up when she saw him, but Enzo gestured for one of his men to help him out.
"Who's still here?" he asked, voice calm....to calm.
"Two of the intruders, caught trying to escape out back "
Enzo nodded once. "Bring them to me. "
Moments later, the sound of boots scraping concrete filled the air. Two men were dragged in , hands bound, faces bruised. They spat curses, defiant despite their state.
Enzo took a slow step forward. His shadow fell across them like blade.
"Who sent you?" He asked.
Silence. One of the men smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Enzo tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Wrong answer."
Without warning, he drew his gun and fired a single shot into the man's leg. A scream tore out his throat, sharp and raw. The second man flinched when Enzo's eyes met hi.
"Let's try again, shall we?" Enzo smiled but there was no humor behind it. "Who. Sent. You?"
"M….Mar…Marcus," the second man stammered.
Enzo crouched in front of him, resting his gun loosely against his knee. "Good."
He stood up, giving a subtle nod to his men. "Clean this up. Double security on every shipment. Don't let this repeat itself unless you have a death wish. Anyone loyal or related to Marcus, I want them found. Run a background check on him as well, dig up any death you find."
"Yes boss."
As Enzo turned to leave, the firelight caught the edge of his face, emotionless, carved from stone.
But as he stepped out of the cold night, Isla's face flashed in his mind again, causing that control to crack slightly.
He lit a cigarette, had trembling for the first time be years. He'd built his empire on fear and precision, yet one tearful girl had managed to unsteady him in a way even gunfire couldn't.
He exhaled the smoke, watching fire consume the warehouse behind him.
"You're losing focus Enzo," he muttered to himself. "And that's dangerous."
~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day was bright, painfully so.
The kind of sunshine that belonged to laughter and cotton candy, not men like Enzo.
He stood in line with Amelia at the amusement park, her small hand gripping his as she bounced excitedly on her toes.
"Zio Enzo, look! The Ferris wheel!" She squealed, tugging at his arm.
Enzo managed a faint smile. "One ride at a time piccola.
For a few precious minute, he let himself breath even though he didn't let his guard down. The sound of children laughing and popcorn filled the air. He even found himself almost chuckling when Lia smeared ice cream on her nose.
It was almost normal.
Almost.
Until a familiar voice drifted past the crowd.
"Isla, slow down! You'll trip!"
His head snapped towards the sound before he knew it.
And there she was.
Dressed in a light pink sundress with her hair tired in soft curls, Isla was clutching a stuffed bunny to her chest as the babysitter chased after her.
Her laughter was pure, light....
Until her gaze collided with Enzo's.
The world seemed to still.
For a second, he thought she might smile but her expression soon faltered, confusion giving way to his fear.
She took a step back, her fingers tightening around the bunny. Then she quickly turned, almost stumbling into her babysitter as she rushed behind her.
Enzo froze where he stood. His chest tightened in a way he couldn't explain.
"Uncle?" Lia tugged at his arm. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing topolina. Eat your ice cream before it melts," he blinked, trying to ignore how fast his heart was beating.
His gaze followed Isla as she disappeared into the crowd, the girl with the broken mind who now saw him like everyone else did—a monster.
He didn't realize Lia was still looking up at him.
"You look sad. Do you miss my daddy?" She said softly, licking the ice cream that was dripping off her fingers.
"What?" Enzo frowned. That was the most ridiculous thing that has ever come out Lia's mouth.
"Daddy says you and him are the best of friends."
"That ass…. Your dad, imagines stuff too much."
Enzo shoved his hands into his pockets and exhaled deeply. He tried to forget Isla and focus on his niece.
But he couldn't.
Because for the first time in many years, she made him feel something .
Guilt.
Enzo didn't plan to followe her.
At least that's what he told himself as he handed Lia another scoop of ice cream and muttered something about checking a call.
But his feet betrayed him.
He found himself walking down the crowded paths of the amusement park, past the carousel and music and loud laughters—searching.
Scratching for her.
And then he saw her.
Isla stood near the cotton candy stand, watching the pink clouds behind the glass with childlike fascination. Her babysitter was distracted on a phone call a few feet away. Isla's fingers twitched, as if she wanted to reach out but didn't have the courage.
Enzo paused a few steps away, not sure why his chest suddenly felt so tight.
She hasn't noticed him yet, until he spoke.
"You like that?"
Isla jumped, spinning around. Her wide eyes met his and she instantly took a step back.
"You're the mean man," she whispered.
The words stung more than he expected. Enzo sighed quietly and rubbed the back of his neck. Something he did when he was nervous. And he didn't even remember the last time someone or something made him nervous.
"Yeah…. I wa," he admitted, his voice low, softer than it had ever been. " That day, I lost my temper. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
Her brows furrowed, a cute pout forming on her lips.
"Y….you should say bad words either," she said, remembering the last time he'd cursed. "My babysitter says bad words make people's heart dirty.
That almost made him smile. Almost.
He crouched a little, lowering himself to her height.
"Then maybe I'm trying to clean mine," he said quietly, almost to himself.
Isla blinked at him, curiosity chasing away the fear.
Enzo nodded towards the cotton candy machine.
"Can I buy you one? As a peace offering?"
Her lips parted in surprise. "A pink one?"
He nodded. " The pink one."
She hesitated for a while before nodding shyly. He bought one and handed it to her, her eyes lit up as she took it, the sticky sweetness melting away her earlier worry.
"Thank you," she murmured, a bright smile on her face.
Enzo exhaled slowly. "You're welcome, piccola."
Isla was licking pink sugar off her fingers when Enzo realized he was still standing there, watching her longer than he should have.
It was ridiculous, really. He didn't linger around anyone. But there was something about her. Something disarmingly pure that quieted the chaos in his mind. She looked up at him suddenly, smiling shyly. "Do you like cotton candy too ?"
Enzo chuckled under his breath. " Haven't had it since I was a kid ".
"Then you should try some". Before he could respond, she tore a tiny piece of her own and held it out to him with sticky fingers.
He stared at it, then at her.
"You're offering me cotton candy?"
She nodded seriously. "Sharing is nice."
Enzo leaned forward and took the small piece, his lips twitching. "Guess it is."
For a brief moment, the noise of the amusement park faded and it was just them. A strange sense of calm between two people who couldn't be more opposite.
Then almost without thinking, the words slipped out.
"Would you….want to hang out with us?"
Isla blinked. "Us?"
"My niece," he clarify quickly. "Lia. She's around your…..age."
He stopped himself. "I mean, she'd love company."
Her eyes lit up, pure and unfiltered. "Really? You mean it?"
He nodded once, still surprised by himself. "Yeah, we're just walking around playing games."
Isla beamed. "Okay, but I have to tell Lena first."
She turned, waving her cotton candy like a victory flag.
"Lena! Lena! I'm going to hang out with them!"
The babysitter froze mid-call, her mouth parting in disbelief as Enzo gave a restrained nod of reassurance.
"Can we ride the carousel first?
"Sure. Carousel it is." Enzo said, fighting a smile.
The golden rights of the carousel spun in slow circles, glinting off painted horse and mirrored panels.
Enzo froze a few steps back from the ride, his hands into the pockets of his black trousers as he watched Lia and Isla go round and round.
Two whirlwinds of laughter and innocence.
It was almost surreal.
Amelia's high-pitched giggles carried through the air as she waved each time her horse turned towards him. While Isla clung to hers with eyes wide in wonder, her hair catching the wind like silk.
Lute two of them together looked like something from a life Enzo didn't belong to.
One untouched by blood, betrayal or power.
He didn't understand why he was there.
Why he was watching.
This isn't his world. He ruled one built on fear and silence, not laughter. Yet the sight before him pulled at something deep inside, something he'd buried years ago under smoke and gunfire.
He leaned against a nearby post, jaw tightening.
He'd seen plenty of women try to charm him, polished, dangerous ones who knew exactly how to play his type. .
But Isla....she wasn't like that. She didn't even seem to understand the world she was in. She was simple, pure and fragile.
And he hated that it made him care.
He shouldn't.
Because people like him destroyed things like her without even trying.
Lia jumped off first, running towards him with flushed cheeks.
"Did you see me, Zio Enzo? I was the fasted horse!"
He smirked, bending to fix the bow that had fallen from her hair. "Yeah you were. No one stood a chance."
Isla hopped off next, her Cotton candy -sticky hands clutching the edge of her dress. She looked up at him timidly, unsure if she should speak.
" Did you have fun?" he asked, his soft tone surprising him.
She nodded, her voice small. "It was really pretty. The horses looked happy."
"Happy, huh?" Enzo asked, furrowing his brows slightly.
She smiled faintly. "They go in circles forever. They never stop smiling."
Something in her statement made his chest ache, a strange mix of sorrow and envy. Because maybe she was right. The carousel horses never stopped smiling, no matter how many times they went around the same painful loop.
Maybe he wasn't so different.
He forced the thought away when Amelia tugged at his hand.
"Can we get ice cream now?"
"Yeah," he muttered, glancing at Isla one more time.
"Let's go," he smiled at Isla who nodded happily.
But even as they walked towards the ice cream stand, Enzo couldn't shake off the feeling that the carousel wasn't the only thing spinning out of control.