chapter 4

Leonardo had always prided himself on control. He ruled his world with precision, calculated every move.

Yet, he was losing control over one thing—Isabella Russo.

She was everywhere.

Even when she wasn't.

At the dinner table, across the halls, in the gardens. He found himself searching for her presence, expecting her sharp comebacks, her unbothered stares.

And when she wasn't there? It drove him mad.

That morning, he sat in his office, staring at security footage from the estate. Footage of her.

Isabella sitting on the balcony, a cigarette between her fingers. Isabella walking past the courtyard, ignoring the guards. Isabella at the piano in the lounge, playing a haunting melody at 2 a.m.

Who are you?

His hand tightened into a fist. He had already dug into her past, but there were gaps, missing years, unanswered questions.

And something was off.

Isabella – A Familiar Darkness

She felt his eyes on her.

Leonardo De Luca—the heir, the ruthless mafia prince who carried his last name like a crown.

Isabella wasn't blind. She knew how men looked at her, but Leonardo's gaze was different.

It wasn't lust. It was possession.

It unsettled her, made her skin prickle. Yet, at the same time…

Something about him felt familiar.

Not in the way that meant safety—no, Leonardo wasn't safe—but in the way that meant he was just as lost as she was.

She had seen the way his eyes darkened when he thought no one was watching, the way his fingers curled when someone challenged his control.

He lived in a world of shadows.

And Isabella? She was born in one.

But she knew better than to let herself get close.

Because in the end, men like Leonardo always chose duty over desire.

---

The Past That Won't Die

She had spent years running.

But now, she was back in the one place she swore she'd never be—Mafia territory.

The Vitali Family had taken everything from her. Her home. Her childhood. Her innocence.

And now, they were connected to Leonardo.

He had no idea.

No idea that his most hated enemies had once owned her, that she had spent years surviving in the shadows they created.

Her fingers tightened around the book she was pretending to read in the lounge.

Leonardo was dangerous, but the Vitalis? They were monsters.

And if they found out she was here?

They would come for her.

---

Leonardo – A Distraction Named Camilla

She was on his bed when he walked in.

Camilla.

Her black lace lingerie barely covered her, her long legs stretched out in perfect temptation.

"You're late," she purred, arching her back. "I was starting to think you forgot about me."

Leonardo didn't answer.

His mind wasn't here.

It was still in the lounge, where he had just seen Isabella curled up in an armchair, lost in thought.

Camilla had been a convenience.

Beautiful, experienced, and completely uncomplicated. No emotions, no expectations. Just when he needed her.

And yet, tonight, she irritated him.

She was too loud. Too eager. Too easy.

She wasn't her.

Leonardo ran a hand through his hair, stepping back toward the door.

"Leave."

Camilla sat up, blinking. "Excuse me?"

He turned away. "You heard me."

She scoffed, standing up. "Is this because of her?"

Leonardo's jaw tightened.

"Because everyone sees it, Leo," she sneered, slipping into her dress. "The way you look at her. Like you're starving for something you don't even understand."

She walked past him, pausing at the door.

"You should be careful," she whispered. "Women like her? They destroy men like you."

And then she was gone.

Leonardo stood there, hands clenched, pulse unsteady.

Maybe she was right.

But it was already too late.

The air in the De Luca estate was thick, suffocating.

Isabella sat by the window in her room, legs curled beneath her, eyes locked on the moonlit garden below.

Sleep wouldn't come.

It never did on nights like this—when the past crawled back, whispering reminders of everything she had lost.

Her fingers traced the delicate curve of the wine glass in her hands. It was full, untouched. Alcohol wouldn't fix what clawed at her chest.

I need to get out of here.

She needed a distraction. Something loud. Something that would drown out the memories.

A club.

The thought slithered in, tempting her.

A place with music, people, chaos. Somewhere she could slip into the crowd, blend in, and forget—even if just for a few hours.

Would Leonardo allow it?

Probably not.

She could almost hear his cold voice telling her it wasn't safe, that she was in his territory now.

But that was exactly why she wanted to go.

To remind herself that she still had a choice.

That she wasn't just a pawn in whatever twisted game the De Luca family played.

Leonardo wasn't the type to waste time in clubs.

He preferred places where business was handled quietly, not places filled with drunk idiots and overpriced liquor.

But tonight, the meeting was necessary.

The club belonged to one of his allies, and an informant had reached out with something valuable—something about a possible mole in his inner circle.

He arrived late, dressed in black, his presence commanding enough that the bouncers didn't dare stop him.

Inside, the music was deafening.

His informant had chosen a private booth in the upper section, away from the chaos below. Leonardo made his way there, slipping into the seat across from the man.

"You better not be wasting my time," Leonardo said, voice low.

The informant smirked, swirling his whiskey.

"Oh, this? This is worth your time, De Luca."

He leaned in.

"Word is out about your new step-sister."

Leonardo's jaw tightened.

"What?"

"Someone's talking," the informant continued. "Your enemies know Isabella is under your roof."

Leonardo exhaled sharply, rage boiling beneath his skin.

The only people who knew about Isabella's connection to him were those in his inner circle.

Which meant someone had talked.

And if his enemies knew, they wouldn't ignore it.

The realization made something dark coil inside him.

He needed to find out who leaked the information.

And he needed to get to Isabella.

Now.

The club pulsed with life.

Isabella sat at the bar, nursing a drink, letting the music shake the memories from her head.

For the first time in a long time, she felt anonymous.

No guards watching her every move. No Leonardo breathing down her neck.

Just her.

A deep voice cut through the noise.

"Well, well. Look who it is."

Her muscles stiffened before she even turned.

The voice was too familiar.

Slowly, she looked over her shoulder.

Luca Romano.

Dressed in a dark suit, standing too close, eyes filled with something sharp and knowing.

Her pulse spiked.

Luca wasn't a stranger. He was a problem.

A dangerous problem.

He slid onto the barstool next to her, smirking.

"You're a long way from home, Isabella."

Her lips curled into a humorless smile. "Didn't know I needed permission to have a drink."

Luca chuckled, tilting his head. "No, but I didn't think the De Lucas let their little princess wander around alone."

Her spine went rigid.

There it was.

He knew.

He knew about her connection to Leonardo.

"How did you find out?" she asked, voice steady despite the way her stomach coiled in unease.

Luca took a sip of his drink, watching her over the rim of his glass.

"Oh, sweetheart," he murmured. "Everyone knows."

A chill ran down her spine.

This wasn't good.

If Luca knew, it meant others knew. And if others knew, it meant—

"Did Leonardo send you here?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Luca laughed. "Oh no, sweetheart. I'm here for my own reasons."

Her fingers curled around her glass. She needed to leave.

But before she could move, Luca's expression shifted.

He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper.

"I know why you're really here, Isabella."

She froze.

"What?"

He smirked.

"I know who you're running from."

Leonardo spotted her instantly.

Sitting at the bar.

And worse—sitting with Luca.

Something inside him snapped.

Luca wasn't just a problem. He was a threat.

Leonardo didn't think. He moved.

One second, he was standing at the entrance. The next, he was beside them, grabbing Luca by the collar and slamming him against the bar.

The music didn't drown out the sound of glass shattering.

Luca just laughed, unfazed.

"Relax, De Luca," he drawled. "I was just having a conversation."

Leonardo's grip tightened.

"I don't recall giving you permission to speak to her."

Isabella shot to her feet. "Leonardo, stop."

His head snapped toward her, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

"Get outside. Now."

Isabella bristled, defiance flashing in her gaze. "I can handle myself."

Leonardo turned back to Luca, voice like ice.

"If you ever come near her again—"

Luca smirked, cutting him off. "What? You'll kill me?"

Leonardo didn't answer.

Because the truth was—he just might.