The inside of the car was silent.
Isabella Rossi sat stiffly in the back seat, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap. The soft hum of the engine and the steady sound of rain hitting the windows were the only noises filling the space.
Across from her sat Luca De Santis.
Even seated, his presence dominated the car. His dark suit was perfectly tailored, his posture relaxed yet commanding, and his sharp eyes seemed to observe everything without missing a single detail.
Isabella tried not to look at him.
But it was difficult not to.
After all, she was sitting in a car with the most feared man in the city.
Everyone knew the name Luca De Santis. Even people who pretended not to talk about the mafia knew who he was. His influence stretched across the entire city—business, politics, and the criminal underworld.
Men like him didn't simply exist in the same world as people like Isabella.
Yet here she was.
Sitting across from him.
Finally, the silence became unbearable.
"Why did you help me?" she asked.
Her voice sounded smaller than she expected.
Luca looked up from the window and met her gaze.
"You think I helped you out of kindness?" he asked calmly.
Isabella hesitated.
"Well… yes?"
A faint smile appeared on his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Kindness has very little to do with the decisions I make."
The answer made her uneasy.
"Then why?"
Luca leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful.
"Because those men shouldn't have been on that street tonight."
Isabella frowned.
"That doesn't answer my question."
He studied her quietly for a moment before speaking again.
"That part of the city is under my protection."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"Protection?"
"Yes."
"You mean control."
Luca's smile widened slightly.
"Some people would say that."
She looked away toward the rain-covered window.
"So you're basically saying you helped me because they were breaking your rules?"
"Something like that."
The response left Isabella feeling strangely disappointed, though she wasn't sure why.
Of course he hadn't saved her because he cared.
Men like Luca De Santis didn't care about strangers.
The car slowed as it approached her apartment building.
Within seconds it came to a stop.
The driver stepped out and opened the door.
Luca exited first, his movements smooth and effortless. Rain poured down from the dark sky, but he seemed completely unfazed by it.
He held the door open for her.
Isabella hesitated for a moment before stepping out onto the wet sidewalk.
The streetlight above them cast a soft glow over the quiet street.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Luca studied her carefully, as if trying to memorize her face.
"What's your name?" he finally asked.
She blinked in surprise.
"Isabella."
A small pause followed.
"Isabella Rossi."
Her eyes widened.
"How do you know my last name?"
Luca slipped his hands into his coat pockets.
"I make it a habit to know the people who live in my city."
Something about the way he said my city made her shiver.
It sounded less like pride…
and more like ownership.
He stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
But close enough that Isabella could clearly see the intensity in his eyes.
"Listen carefully," he said.
His voice was quiet but firm.
"If anyone approaches you again, you call this number."
He handed her a small black card.
The same one that now rested on her nightstand.
Isabella stared down at it.
There was only a phone number printed in clean white text.
No name.
No title.
"Why?" she asked.
Luca's gaze remained steady on her.
"Because those men will try again."
Her heart skipped.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"And how exactly are you so sure?"
His expression hardened slightly.
"Because people rarely fail once and give up."
A cold wave of fear moved through her chest.
"But why me?" she asked quietly.
"I'm nobody.
Luca didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he seemed to study her even more carefully than before.
As if he were trying to figure out the answer himself.
Finally he spoke.
"Sometimes people become important without realizing it."
Isabella shook her head.
"That makes no sense."
Luca tilted his head slightly.
"It will."
A strange silence filled the space between them.
Rain continued to fall around them, soaking the street and darkening Luca's hair slightly.
Isabella swallowed.
"I'm not yours," she said suddenly.
She wasn't even sure why she said it.
But something about the way he looked at her made the words feel necessary.
For the first time that night, Luca smiled fully.
It was slow.
Confident.
Dangerous.
"No," he agreed.
"Not yet."
The words sent a sudden rush of warmth and panic through her chest.
Before she could respond, he turned and walked back toward the waiting car.
The door closed behind him.
Moments later, the black vehicle disappeared down the street.
Isabella stood alone in the rain, staring at the card in her hand.
Her heart was still racing.
Something deep inside her told her that tonight had changed everything.
Because the most dangerous man in the city had just stepped into her life.
And whether she liked it or not…
Luca De Santis had decided to protect her.