CHAPTER 15
Marcello sat staring outside the large glass window, the faint hum of the city outside barely registering as his thoughts circled back to the girl, Mia.
Her presence lingered in his mind like a whisper he couldn't ignore.
There was something about her fragile yet resilient that made him rethink everything he knew about Luca.
Marcello respected Luca's loyalty and strength, but Mia introduced a new variable, a softness in a world built on steel and shadows.
He knew better than to act hastily, but curiosity had a way of digging deeper than caution allowed.
Questions formed like slow-burning embers: Who was she, really? What was her place in all this?
He decided that if he wanted answers, he'd have to be patient and watch closely.
After all, in their world, even the smallest detail could change everything.
The Don rose from his chair, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him.
He knew he couldn't confront Luca directly not yet.
Instead, he would watch, learn, and gather quietly and carefully after all, his reputation was built on patience and precision, and he intended to use both now
Marcello moved silently through the shadows near the Vitello safehouse, every step measured, every breath controlled.
He had dismissed the idea at first this quiet girl was supposed to be just another secret Luca kept.
But now, seeing her for himself, watching her from a distance, something twisted inside him.
Her delicate hands sketching in the dim light, the way her eyes flickered with emotions she always let show , it all held him captive.
Marcello's usual steel-cold detachment melted away, replaced by a fierce, gnawing obsession.
He told himself it was curiosity, strategy but deep down, he knew it was something far more dangerous.
He would learn her secrets, understand her fears, and maybe, somehow, protect her too.
For now, he remained in the shadows, eyes fixed and heart racing in a way he hadn't felt in years.
Mia was in her bedroom ,her sketchbook resting on her lap as she traced delicate lines with her pencil.
The room was quiet except for the soft tapping of graphite on paper, but something felt.. different.
A flicker at the edge of her vision, a whisper of movement just beyond the curtains.
She paused, heart fluttering with a sudden unease she couldn't explain.
"Maybe it's just my imagination," she murmured to herself, trying to shake the feeling.
But the air seemed heavier, charged like invisible eyes were watching her from afar.
Mia hugged her knees closer, feeling anxious and biting her lip to stop herself from crying again.
She longed for Luca's presence more than ever, the only place where she felt truly safe.
Marcello lingered just beyond the edge of the property, the night wrapping around him like a cloak.
Every detail of Mia fascinated him the way she seemed so fragile, yet held a quiet strength beneath it all.
He watched as she hesitated by the window, sensing something unseen.
A pang of protectiveness twisted through him, surprising even himself.
He wasn't used to feeling this way vulnerable, drawn in by someone so far removed from the brutal world he inhabited.
But Mia was different.
He vowed silently: he would watch over her, keep her close, even if it meant crossing lines he'd never crossed before.
And everyday since, he'd been going back to watch her
Marcello laid in bed in his penthouse, the city stretching out below in indifferent silence, the skyline blinked with lights, while his eyes stared at the ceiling, he couldn't sleep.
His mind was still occupied with her, he couldn't shake it off even if tried.
The girl he hadn't meant to stalk for days, The one who always looked delicate and fragile hadn't left his mind since he laid his eyes upon her.
He replayed her delicate features in his mind over and over again till it was engraved in his memory.
She didn't belong in Luca's world. That much was clear.
Innocence like hers didn't survive long in shadows.
And yet... here she was, in the heart of it. Close to Luca. Protected by him. Hidden by him.
Marcello's jaw tensed, He still didn't know who she truly was. Luca had guarded her like a secret worth dying for, that fact alone stirred something primal in him, a curiosity that was starting to look a lot like obsession.
He had resources, He had men. He could have summoned a hundred them to dig into her identity, could have swept through Luca's entire life with one command.
But no.
He didn't want their eyes on her.
Didn't want anyone else to see what he'd seen.
He would find out on his own.
Quietly.
Carefully.
And when he uncovered the truth, it wouldn't be for power or leverage, It would be for him, To understand why he couldn't stop thinking about a girl who didn't even know his name.
Marcello stood , walked to the window, and looked down at the restless city. Somewhere in it, she was sleeping, likely unaware that he was still watching, still circling.
And he would keep watching.
Because she was no longer just a mystery.
She was becoming his.