Aria didn't sleep that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him—blood on his shirt, that calm, dangerous gaze, the way he said her name like it already belonged to him.
Rafael.
The Mafia King.
And somehow… her café didn't feel as safe anymore.
The next evening, the sky turned an uneasy shade of grey.
Business was slow. Too slow.
Aria wiped the counter for the third time, her eyes drifting to the door more often than she liked.
Why am I even thinking about him? she told herself.
He was danger. Trouble. A world she had no place in.
The bell above the café door suddenly rang.
Aria looked up—
And her heart stopped.
It was him.
Rafael stood at the entrance, dressed in black again—but this time, there was no blood. No visible weakness.
Just power.
Control.
And those same eyes… locked on her.
"You came back," she whispered before she could stop herself.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I said we'd meet again."
Before she could reply, the sound of tires screeching outside shattered the moment.
Rafael's expression changed instantly.
Sharp. Alert.
"Get down," he said.
The café windows exploded inward.
Glass shattered everywhere as bullets tore through the space.
Aria screamed as Rafael lunged forward, grabbing her and pulling her down behind the counter.
His body shielded hers completely.
The sound of gunfire filled the café.
"Stay here," he ordered.
"You're injured!" she protested.
"I'm fine."
But she could feel it—his body tensed, his breath heavier than before.
The wound hadn't fully healed.
The shooting stopped.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Footsteps.
Multiple.
"They're coming inside," Aria whispered, panic rising in her chest.
Rafael's jaw tightened.
He pulled out a gun from inside his coat.
"Listen to me carefully," he said, his voice low but steady. "When I tell you to run, you run. Don't look back."
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You don't get a choice, Aria."
Before she could argue again, the café door burst open.
Men rushed in.
Rafael stood up instantly, pushing Aria behind him as gunfire erupted again.
The small café turned into chaos.
Rafael moved with precision despite his injury, taking down one man after another.
But there were too many.
A bullet grazed his side again.
He flinched.
"Rafael!" Aria cried.
That moment of distraction—
Another man lunged toward him.
Without thinking, Aria grabbed a metal tray from the counter and slammed it against the attacker's head.
The man collapsed.
Rafael looked at her, surprised.
"You really don't know how to stay out of danger, do you?" he said, breathless.
"Learned from you," she shot back.
For a split second—
He smiled.
Then his expression turned serious again.
"Enough."
He grabbed her hand.
"Come with me."
Before she could react, he pulled her toward the back exit.
They ran out into the rain-soaked alley, their footsteps echoing as shouts followed behind them.
Aria's heart pounded as she struggled to keep up.
Rafael's grip on her hand tightened.
Suddenly, he stopped.
His breathing grew uneven again.
Aria turned—
And saw fresh blood seeping through his shirt.
"You're hurt again…"
"It's nothing," he muttered, but his voice was strained.
Aria shook her head.
"This is not nothing."
She pulled him toward a sheltered corner and pushed him gently against the wall.
"Stay still."
Even in the middle of chaos… she was still trying to save him.
Rafael watched her as she pressed her hands against his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
Rain fell around them, soaking both of them completely.
"Why do you keep doing this?" he asked quietly.
Aria looked up at him, her eyes filled with worry.
"Because you keep getting hurt."
For a moment, everything else faded.
The danger. The chaos. The gunshots.
It was just them.
Standing too close.
Breathing the same air.
Then Rafael lifted his hand and gently caught her wrist.
His touch was warm despite the cold rain.
"Aria…" he said softly.
Her breath hitched.
"If you stay with me… this is your life now."
She didn't pull her hand away.
"I didn't run yesterday."
Their eyes locked.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Something dangerous.
Something inevitable.
Distant sirens echoed.
Rafael's grip tightened slightly before he let go.
"Then don't regret it," he said.
And this time—
When he pulled her along into the darkness,
Aria didn't hesitate.
Because she knew—
She wasn't just saving him anymore.
She was stepping into his world.
And there was no turning back.