Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Jasmine couldn't shake the feeling.

The encounter with Antonio Romano, while brief, had left a strange, unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. She kept replaying it in her mind—the way his gaze had been so intense, as if he could see right through her, the calmness in his voice, and that damn business card.

What kind of man was he?

The next morning, the usual hum of her office was a welcome distraction. Jasmine sat at her desk, reviewing notes for the upcoming sessions with her patients. She tried to focus, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the man she had collided with the night before.

Antonio Romano. The name sounded as sharp and polished as the man himself.

There had been no sense of anger or frustration in his voice, just a quiet, almost unnerving control. It was as if this minor accident meant nothing to him. No shouting, no raised voices, just calm assurance.

She couldn't decide if it was refreshing or unsettling.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen—Penelope.

"Hey," Jasmine answered, trying to sound normal, though she knew her friend would catch the underlying distraction in her voice.

"Jas, how are you? You're awfully quiet today. Something wrong?" Penelope's voice was light but probing.

Jasmine exhaled, leaning back in her chair. "I… I'm fine. Just had an interesting night, that's all."

"Oh?" Penelope's tone perked up. "Do tell."

Jasmine hesitated before deciding to share. "Well, I kind of crashed into someone's car last night."

A long pause followed. "What?" Penelope nearly shouted. "Who was it? Is the person okay?"

"It was my fault, Pen. I wasn't paying attention. The guy's fine, he wasn't even mad," Jasmine replied quickly. "But... it was a Rolls-Royce."

Another silence. Then, Penelope gasped. "A Rolls? Oh my God, Jas, you crashed into a Rolls-Royce?!"

Jasmine winced. "Yes. And I don't know what it is, but there was something weird about him. He didn't even get mad. Just handed me his business card and left."

Penelope's voice dropped into a more serious tone. "Wait, wait. He handed you his business card? What did it say?"

Jasmine glanced down at the card in her bag, her fingers skimming over the sleek black surface. "Just his name. Antonio Romano. No company name, no title, just his number."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Jas, do you have any idea who that is?" Penelope's voice was suddenly low, cautious.

"No… should I?"

Penelope hesitated. "You really don't know who Antonio Romano is?"

Jasmine furrowed her brow. "I didn't know his name. He looked… well, he looked important, but it didn't seem like it was anything serious."

"You are talking about a mafia boss, Jas," Penelope said in a hushed tone. "A very dangerous one, at that. Romano is not just a businessman; he runs one of the largest criminal organizations in the city."

Jasmine felt the blood drain from her face. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. His family has been in the mafia for years. His father, Lorenzo, was one of the most feared men in the game before he retired. Antonio, however, has stepped up. He's ruthless, powerful, and incredibly private."

Jasmine's mind raced, panic creeping up her throat. The man she had hit—that Antonio Romano?

A mafia boss?

She was supposed to stay far away from people like him. The last thing she wanted was to get tangled up in anything dangerous.

But then, she thought back to the way he had looked at her. The calm way he had handled the whole situation. No anger, no tension—just that unnerving intensity. Was that the sign of a man who ruled with fear? Or was there something else?

"Well, you're not going to believe this," Jasmine muttered, holding up the card again, "but he told me to call him if there were any issues with the insurance or anything."

Penelope gasped. "What? He actually gave you a direct line? Jas, I can't even—"

"I know," Jasmine interrupted. "I don't even know what to make of it."

"Well, if you're not going to call him, at least take the card to a pawn shop or something. It could be worth more than your car." Penelope laughed, but Jasmine didn't feel like laughing.

"Yeah, maybe," she muttered, a knot tightening in her stomach. "I'm going to go over the paperwork and figure out what to do. I'll talk to you later."

"Be careful, Jas," Penelope warned before hanging up.

Jasmine sat in the silence of her office, staring at the card once more. Antonio Romano. Mafia boss, CEO, and—apparently—the man she had just collided with.

The danger wasn't lost on her, but there was something about him.

Something she couldn't quite explain.