~ Chapter 1 ~

The streets of Rome were silent at this hour, bathed in the dim glow of amber streetlights.

Only the occasional hum of an engine or the distant clatter of shoes on cobblestone interrupted the stillness.

It was his time—when shadows stretched long, and his dominion over the city was absolute.

Leonardo "Leo" Romano, the infamous il diavolo, was returning to his estate after another grueling night managing his dual lives.

In the daylight, he was a celebrated CEO, commanding boardrooms with an icy precision that left his competitors trembling.

But under the cloak of darkness, he ruled the underworld with equal ruthlessness, a man to whom mercy was foreign.

Sitting in the backseat of his matte black Maserati, his sharp jawline was set in stone, and his cold, storm-gray eyes scanned the road ahead.

He was not one for distractions, especially not in moments like these when his mind was caught between calculating his next move and navigating the labyrinth of secrets he kept.

Until he saw her.

A fleeting figure darted into the middle of the road, causing his driver to slam on the brakes.

The tires screeched against the pavement, the sound piercing the quiet night. The car came to an abrupt halt, and Leo's gaze snapped up.

His sharp instincts screamed at the potential threat, but what he saw left him frozen.

A girl. No, a woman.

She skipped carefree across the road, her delicate figure clad in a pale dress that fluttered in the gentle breeze.

Her hair, a cascade of golden silk, caught the moonlight, framing a face so ethereal it could have belonged to a painting.

In one hand, she clutched a cone of ice cream, and in the other, she carried an air of blissful ignorance.

Unaware of the danger she'd just danced into.

Leo's jaw tightened.

He pushed open the door and stepped out of the car, his tall frame cutting an imposing figure against the cityscape.

His tailored black suit and polished shoes bore no sign of the blood he'd metaphorically spilled hours earlier.

"What the hell are you doing?" His voice was a whip crack in the silence, low and lethal.

The girl froze mid-step, startled by his sudden appearance.

She turned to face him, wide, doe-like eyes meeting his stormy ones.

Her lips were painted with a soft smile, the kind that made her look untouched by the world's darkness.

"I was just…" She paused, licking her ice cream nervously, "…skipping."

"Skipping?" Leo echoed, his disbelief evident.

His tone was sharp enough to cut, but the sight of her—so innocent, so utterly out of place in his world—struck him like a blow.

"Yes," she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Her voice was light, almost musical. "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"

Beautiful?

He stared at her like she was an alien.

The night was his domain, a canvas painted with shadows and blood, not beauty. "Do you have any idea where you are?"

He demanded, stepping closer. "This isn't a playground, and you nearly got yourself killed."

She blinked up at him, unbothered by his towering presence. "Oh," she said simply, her gaze flickering to the car. "Is this your car? It's very shiny."

Leo was struck speechless.

Shiny?

Who was this girl, and why did she seem immune to the aura that made grown men cower before him?

"I… didn't mean to scare you," she added, taking a step back. "I was just… hungry. I found this ice cream stand, and I thought I'd go for a little walk."

At that moment, something shifted in Leo. This woman wasn't just naive; she was otherworldly.

Her innocence was a rarity, a glimmer of purity in a world he'd long accepted as corrupt.

"What's your name?" he asked, his voice softening, though his eyes remained calculating.

She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the ice cream cone. "Seraphina," she said at last. "But you can call me Sera."

Seraphina.

An angelic name for someone who seemed to have fallen from another realm.

"And you?" she asked, tilting her head like a curious child. "What's your name?"

Leo stared at her, debating whether to reveal even a sliver of truth.

But for reasons he couldn't fathom, he said, "Leonardo."

"Leonardo," she repeated, her lips curving into a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Leonardo."

Nice?

He couldn't remember the last time someone had used that word with him. "You shouldn't be out here," he said firmly, his protective instincts kicking in. "This isn't a safe place, especially not for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" She echoed, her brows furrowing.

"Someone who doesn't belong in the dark," he replied, his tone carrying a weight that made her pause.

For the first time, a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes.

"The dark isn't so bad," she murmured, almost to herself. "Sometimes it's where you find the stars."

Leo felt a pang of something unfamiliar.

Was it guilt?

Or the faint stirrings of a long-buried conscience?

Before he could say anything, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

A reminder of the world he couldn't escape, the one that had no room for innocence.

"Go home, Seraphina," he said, his voice colder now. "And stay there."

She opened her mouth to respond, but he was already walking away, retreating to the sanctuary of his car.

As he drove off, he couldn't shake the image of her standing there, illuminated by the streetlight like some kind of celestial being.

Leo Romano had spent his life mastering the art of control.

But something told him that Seraphina Eogeum was about to unravel it all.

...

To Be Continued...