Chapter 2 Ep 2

The tension between them thickened, wrapping around them like an invisible force neither could ignore.

Sienna forced herself to stand tall, ignoring the way her body reacted to his closeness. "I have work to do," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "And you're scaring my patients."

Rafael's gaze flickered past her, scanning the clinic. It was small, overcrowded, and in desperate need of funding. The flickering fluorescent light overhead cast a harsh glow over the peeling walls and outdated medical equipment. He frowned. "This place needs money."

Sienna bristled. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't come here, look around, and think you can fix it with a stack of cash."

His lips twitched, amused. "And if I could?"

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "That's not how this works."

Rafael studied her, and for a moment, something unreadable flickered across his face. Then, before she could react, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a thick wad of crisp euro bills, and set it on the counter beside her.

Sienna stared at it. Then at him.

"You can't be serious."

His expression didn't change. "Use it for supplies."

She let out a disbelieving laugh. "I don't take money from criminals."

His jaw flexed, but he didn't move to take it back. "Then take it from a businessman."

She swallowed. "You can call yourself whatever you want, but I know who you are."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Do you?"

Her pulse skittered. She hated how close he was, how effortlessly he invaded her space and took control without even trying.

"I know enough," she whispered.

Rafael reached out slowly, deliberately, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Then you know," he murmured, "I always get what I want."

Sienna's breath hitched. "And what do you want?"

His green eyes darkened. "You."

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

A part of her wanted to deny it, to push him away, to pretend that she wasn't drawn to him in a way that defied logic.

But the other part?

The part that thrilled at the danger-the part that burned under his gaze?

That part whispered: You're in trouble, Sienna.

A loud knock on the clinic's door broke the moment.

Matteo.

Rafael didn't move, his gaze flickering toward the entrance as the door swung open.

Matteo stepped inside, his eyes immediately locking onto Rafael. His entire body tensed, fists clenching at his sides. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Rafael exhaled, slow and deliberate, before stepping back from Sienna. "Just having a conversation."

Matteo's glare was lethal. "Get the hell out."

Rafael didn't so much as flinch. "You should teach your sister better manners. She doesn't know when to accept a gift." He nodded toward the stack of cash on the counter.

Matteo's eyes darkened. "Take your fucking money and get out, Bianchi."

For a long moment, Rafael didn't move. Then, with a slow smirk, he turned back to Sienna. "We'll see each other again."

It wasn't a question. It was a promise.

And somehow, Sienna knew-no matter how much she tried to fight it-she wouldn't be able to stay away from him.

As Rafael walked out, Matteo turned to her, his face carved from stone. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Sienna exhaled, her fingers trembling as she reached for the stack of money and shoved it into a drawer. "I wasn't."

Matteo's jaw clenched. "Stay away from him, Sienna. I mean it."

She nodded.

But as she glanced at the door Rafael had just walked through, a sinking feeling settled in her stomach.

Because for the first time in her life...

She wasn't sure she wanted to obey.

The next few days passed in a blur of sleepless nights and restless thoughts.

Sienna threw herself into work, tending to patients from dawn until long after the city had gone to sleep, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake him.

Rafael Bianchi had embedded himself in her mind like a slow-burning fever, consuming her thoughts when she least expected it. The way his voice had curled around her name. The way his touch had sent an illicit thrill down her spine.

And worst of all-the way he had looked at her. Like she was something rare, something he wanted.

She hated it.

She hated him.

And yet, when she locked up the clinic late that night, stepping out into the cool Milan air, she wasn't surprised to find him waiting.

Rafael leaned against the sleek black car parked across the street, dressed in a dark button-down and slacks, his sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the tattoos inked onto his forearms. A cigarette burned between his fingers, the cherry tip glowing in the dim light.

He looked lethal.

And he was staring at her like a predator who had finally found his prey.

Sienna's breath caught. "Are you stalking me?"

He exhaled smoke, slow and measured. "No."

Her heart hammered against her ribs. "Then why are you here?"

He took one last drag of his cigarette before flicking it onto the pavement and crushing it beneath his boot. "Because I wanted to see you."

She should have walked away. Should have ignored the way his voice made something dangerous unfurl inside her.

Instead, she crossed her arms, forcing her expression into one of cool defiance. "I don't have time for whatever game you're playing, Bianchi."

His lips twitched. "I don't play games, dolcezza."

"Really? Because this-" she gestured between them, "-feels like one."

He took a step closer. She didn't move, but she felt the shift in the air, the way he carried a presence that demanded attention.

"You think I do this with everyone?" His voice was soft, but there was something dangerous beneath it. "That I chase women who want nothing to do with me?"

Sienna swallowed hard. "I didn't say that."

He took another step, close enough that she could smell his cologne-dark, spicy, intoxicating. "Then what are you saying?"

She didn't answer.

Because she didn't know.

All she knew was that she had never felt anything like this before.

And that scared her more than anything.

Rafael studied her, his expression unreadable. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something small.

A phone.

He held it out to her. "Take it."

She hesitated. "What?"

"A phone," he said, as if she were slow. "So you can call me when you need me."

She let out a sharp laugh. "I won't need you."

He smirked. "We'll see."

Sienna clenched her fists, torn between throwing the damn thing at his head and taking it just to wipe that smug look off his face.

In the end, she snatched it from his hand.

"Fine," she snapped. "Now leave me alone."

Rafael chuckled, low and dark.

"We both know that's not going to happen."

And as he stepped back, sliding into his car with the effortless grace of a man who owned every space he entered, Sienna knew-

He was right.

This was just the beginning.