Chapter 3 Shadows of the Past

Alessandro had taken Isabella to Luna Nera, an exclusive club where the music was low, the drinks expensive, and the VIP section guarded like a fortress. The night was supposed to be an escape-a low-key evening with his woman-but life had other plans.

They had spent the evening in a secluded booth, her hand occasionally brushing against his, stolen glances exchanged between sips of wine. It was effortless, intoxicating-until it wasn't.

Alessandro had grown tense, his jaw set in a way she recognized.

"What is it?" Isabella asked, placing a hand on his arm.

His gaze was fixed across the room. "Nothing you need to worry about."

But moments later, that "nothing" became something.

A broad-shouldered brute with a scar down his cheek emerged from the crowd, flanked by two others. Their eyes locked on Alessandro, their approach deliberate. The air shifted, tension thickening like a storm about to break.

And then-it happened too fast.

A low exchange of words. A sneer. And then Alessandro was moving-Luca and another of his lieutenants, Marco, flanking him like shadows.

The fight was brutal. Calculated.

Alessandro ducked a wild swing, driving a sharp, bone-crunching punch into the man's ribs before slamming another into a nearby table. Glass shattered. Blood splattered.

Luca, his right-hand man, was just as ruthless, twisting an attacker's arm behind his back before delivering a punishing blow to his jaw. Marco, one of his lieutenants, ever efficient, dodged a strike and countered with a brutal knee to the stomach, sending his opponent sprawling.

The club's security barely had time to react before Alessandro and his men finished what had started.

By the time the bouncers rushed in, the fight was over.

One of the attackers, the scarred man, lay groaning on the floor. Blood pooled at his temple, but he still had enough venom left in him to spit a threat.

"You think this is over?" he rasped, his glare fixed on Alessandro. "You have no idea what's coming."

Alessandro didn't even spare him a second glance as he turned to leave.

They left the club in silence. The city lights blurred past as Alessandro drove, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on his thigh. Luca and Marco followed in a separate car, but Isabella could still feel the weight of what had just happened pressing down on her.

She watched Alessandro, trying to ignore the way her pulse still thrummed.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" she finally asked.

His fingers flexed against the steering wheel. "It's nothing, Isabella."

"That wasn't nothing."

He glanced at her then, something unreadable in his dark eyes. A moment passed before he exhaled, shaking his head with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Some things are better left unknown, bella."

But Isabella wasn't the kind of woman who ignored the truth.

She needed to know.

For days, Isabella buried herself in research. Her small apartment transformed into a chaotic hub of notes, documents, and glowing laptop screens. The deeper she dug, the more convinced she became that Alessandro was hiding something.

And then, she found it.

A faded newspaper clipping hidden deep in an online archive.

"Salvatore De Luca: Trial Begins for Sicilian Mafia Boss."

Isabella's breath hitched as she read on.

The trial had captivated the city, with reporters scrambling to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic mafia boss. But what caught her attention was one particular detail.

"Salvatore De Luca's son, Alessandro, was last seen in Sicily before his sudden disappearance years ago."

A lump formed in Isabella's throat.

Could it be possible?

Could Alessandro Salvatore be the son of Salvatore De Luca, the notorious mafia boss?

It would explain so much-his past, his connections, the way he carried himself. But it also raised troubling questions. Was Alessandro still involved in his father's empire? And if he was, how could he be a mafia boss in New York when his father had been one in Sicily?

What else was he hiding?

Determined to find answers, Isabella tracked down old acquaintances, scoured social media, and even flew to Italy in search of clues.

Her efforts paid off when she located an elderly woman named Maria Ferraro, a longtime family friend of the De Lucas.

Maria welcomed Isabella into her modest home, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia.

"He was never meant for this world," Maria murmured, stirring a cup of tea. "But some bloodlines don't let you choose."

There was something else. A shadow behind her words.

When Isabella pressed, Maria hesitated, then sighed.

"One day, he vanished. No goodbyes, no explanation. Just... gone."

A chill ran through Isabella.

What had driven Alessandro to leave?

What ghosts had he left behind?

She returned to New York with more questions than answers. But she knew one thing.

She was close.

She could feel it.

That evening, as Isabella sifted through the mountain of documents spread out before her, her phone buzzed.

A message from Alessandro.

'Meet me at the usual place.'

A surge of excitement and apprehension coursed through Isabella as she replied with a simple:

'I'll be there shortly.'

She arrived early. The café was quiet, a contrast to the storm brewing inside her.

Alessandro was already there, seated in the dim corner. A coffee sat in front of him, untouched.

She slid into the chair across from him, her heart pounding.

"I've been doing some digging," Isabella said, her voice steadier than she felt. "And I uncovered something about your past."

Alessandro didn't move. His expression remained unreadable.

"Is that so?" he questioned, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes," Isabella responded, a little scared but still confident.

"What did you find, then?" He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease.

She hesitated, then spoke the name that had haunted her since last night.

"Salvatore De Luca."

Something flickered in his gaze. A warning.

"I see," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice softened. "You knew I'd find out eventually."

He exhaled, his fingers tapping against the ceramic cup.

"Because I knew this moment would come." His jaw tightened. "And I wasn't ready to see that look in your eyes."

"What look?"

His gaze met hers, dark and guarded. "Like you don't know whether to be afraid of me or not."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, his phone vibrated.

Alessandro glanced at the screen.

And in an instant-his entire demeanor changed.

His face paled.

His jaw clenched.

A single message. No name. No number.

'You should've finished the job."

Isabella's stomach dropped. "What? What is it?"

Alessandro shoved his phone into his pocket, his entire body tense. His gaze flickered to the café entrance.

"We need to leave. Now."

Her blood ran cold.

And then-

A shadow loomed at the doorway.

A heartbeat later, glass exploded.

Gunfire tore through the café.