Chapter 2 A stubborn move

Candela's P.O.V.

Sitting in the VIP lounge of Club Rios, the bass thumped through my chest like a second heartbeat. The purple lights rolled across the crowd, casting shadows on glittering bodies dancing at the center of the club.I sat back on the red couch, my fingers tightening around the glass.

I took another sip, burning liquid coating my throat, numbing it. My eyes flicked to the entrance from the crack of the curtain where Paolo, my ever-silent bodyguard, stood like a statue. Arms folded, eyes sweeping the room, jaw locked. Always watching. Always waiting.

I hated that I needed him tonight. I hated that my life was no longer my own.

My thoughts drifted again unwillingly to the office earlier. The look in Brian's eyes. That finality. Like it was done. Like I was already a Saverio.

The alcohol did nothing to silence the screams in my mind. My mother's cries. My father's bloodied hands, reaching for me. That symbol,the curved S engraved in the blade. The same one I'd found in the box hidden under the floorboards when I was twelve. The same one I'd spent years trying to forget.

And now, I was being gifted to the monsters who had carved that very symbol into my past.

I reached for the bottle and downed the rest, letting the burn fight the nausea rising in my throat.

That's when they arrived.

"Ciaoooo bella!" came the sing-song voice of Allegra, strutting in like the goddess of chaos she was. Her blonde curls bounced with each step, her black leather mini-skirt barely covering anything.

Behind her, quieter and far more composed, was Carina. A Mafia princess like me.Tall, sleek, with long dark hair and a sharp jawline that made most men flinch. Where Allegra was on fire, Carina was ice and I needed both tonight.

"Damn, Candela. You started without us?" Allegra dropped beside me, reaching for my glass.

"She's drinking like someone died," Carina noted, settling into the seat across from me, eyes narrowing. "Or worse...someone proposed."

I said nothing, just stared at the swirling lights above us, waiting for the moment to drop.

"Talk," Allegra demanded. "Spill. You're dressed like you're about to seduce a warlord, and your vibe screams crisis."

I exhaled slowly, running my hand through my hair. "I'm getting married."

Silence.

Then Allegra barked a laugh. "Wait, what?"

Carina didn't laugh. She stiffened. "To whom?" she asked immediately...not who, but whom, the formal edge in her tone unmistakable.

That was when I noticed it. She didn't ask about the man. She didn't care about the name of the groom.

She asked the family.

Because in our world,the world of bloodlines and power the name wasn't about love. It was power. Allegiance. Debt.

"The Saverios," I said, barely louder than the music.

Their reactions were instant.

Allegra's glass slipped and shattered on the floor. Carina's eyes narrowed like slits, all emotion draining from her face.

"No," Carina muttered. "That's not...Brian wouldn't"

"He would," I said bitterly. "He did."

Allegra gave a low whistle. "Mio Dio. That's suicide wrapped in a wedding dress."

Carina's lips pursed. "Which one?" she asked, her voice cool, businesslike now. Mafia logic.

I blinked at her. "Which one,what?"

"Which brother?" Allegra clarified. "Adriano? Rafael?"

I didn't answer.

Because I didn't know.

My eyes drifted to the far end of the Vip lounge,Paolo was no longer outside but chatting...rather having a heated conversation with a bouncer. I squinted my eyes, curiosity taking over.

"Or Salvatore," Carina half yelled, her eyes growing wide in something similar to panic. Gaining my attention back.

"Who's Salvatore?" Allegra and I asked in unison.

Her brows furrowed as she looked between the two of us. "You don't know Salvatore?" She asked,her eyes on me. Like I was meant to know who the fuck that was.

"The first son of the Saverios," she added, rolling her eyes.

"I've never heard of him or seen him on the Internet," Allegra said, pouring a drink into the glass.

"Well,I overheard my dad talking about him recently, but he doesn't run the Mafia here if that helps," she cocked an eyebrow towards me.

Because it didn't matter.

They all had the same blood in their veins.. the same name that haunted my past like a curse.

Carina leaned in closer, suddenly serious. "For the Internet part, pray he isn't the one you are getting married to, I heard he stays off internet because he kills like it's sport and don't want any trace of him around,"

I opened my mouth to talk but the curtains of the VIP lounge flung open with such force they nearly ripped from the rods. Paolo stood at the entrance now, in a heated argument with the bouncer. The man tall, bald, built like a concrete wall had a jaw clenched so tight it looked like he was chewing gravel.

"Miss," the bouncer growled, his voice grating like broken glass. "The club is shutting down. We'd like you to leave. Now."

My nose flared. The audacity.

Allegra threw up her hands. "What? It's barely one. It's still early..."

Only then did I notice it.

The dancefloor was empty.

The glittering bodies were gone.

But the music still played, loud and pulsing, like it hadn't gotten the memo.

"Sorry, Miss," Paolo muttered, stepping toward me. "I tried to make him understand, but..."

My eyes narrowed to slits as I rose to my feet, the hem of my black silk dress sliding up my thigh.

"Tell us the real reason," I snapped at the bouncer. "Because this..." I motioned to the empty club "...is not a coincidence. So unless you're gonna say fire code or bomb threat, we're not going anywhere."

A long, ugly silence followed.

Then the bouncer dropped his eyes and muttered, "My boss wants to use the place."

I almost laughed. "Tell your boss to fuck off."

"Tell him yourself," Allegra chimed in, grinning like the chaos demon she was.

But Carina didn't move. She stood, suddenly pale. "We should go."

"No," I said, digging my heels in. "I'm not going anywhere until I get a damn explanation. And I'm not afraid of whatever shadow prince thinks he can clear a club with his name alone."

"Paolo, get the car," Carina said, not looking back as she turned and walked off into the hallway. Her voice was quiet,but final.

Allegra looked between me and the bouncer. "You sure you wanna do this, babe?"

"Yes."

The bouncer sighed and took a step back like he was bracing for a storm.

Then a voice slithered through the air, low and smooth and cold enough to frost glass.

"Who's proving stubborn, Enzo?"

I froze.

That voice... It wasn't loud. But it didn't need to be. It carried the weight of a gun cocked behind your skull.

A man stepped out from the shadows of the hallway, like he was made of smoke and flame. His presence filled the room like a chokehold. He was tall, dressed in black, every inch of him composed and lethal.

The kind of handsome that wasn't boyish or charming,it was dangerous. A sculpted jaw dusted with stubble. Dark eyes that held no mercy. His mouth curled in a slow, amused smirk. The kind men wear before they ruin you.

My breath caught, but I didn't flinch.Nah I don't care about his devilishly handsome features. He's a bully and I hate bullies.

I squared my shoulders, chin tilting up. "So you're the boss."

Behind me, Enzo bowed his head. "Forgive me, boss, but she wouldn't leave."

He didn't even look at him.

His gaze was on me. Sharp and nerve wrecking. I unconsciously took in a deep breath.

"I asked for the lounge to be cleared," he said, voice as quiet and sharp as a knife. "And yet, here you are... digging your heels in like a spoiled little debutante."

"Debutantes don't come from families like mine," I bit out. "And maybe if you asked like a normal person instead of sending your goons, I'd consider it."

He stepped closer.

"You consider nothing. You obey, or you bleed."

I crossed my arms, jerking up my breast from the ridiculously revealing cloth. His eyes fell to it for a second before meeting my gaze once more, not betraying any emotions. "Cute. But I'm not in the mood to bleed tonight."

He chuckled darkly. "Pity. You look good in red."

Allegra made a low whistle behind me. "Girl, you got a death wish."

He took another step forward, now only inches away. I could smell him,smoke and something darker, like expensive grapes wrapped in vengeance.

"Do you even know whose place you're refusing to leave?" he asked, voice silken and smug.

I didn't blink. "Do you know who I am?"

He leaned in just enough for his breath to brush my cheek. "Unfortunately... I don't know pawns."

My spine snapped straight. "Better a pawn than a coward hiding in the shadows."

His smile faltered. Just a twitch.

And I knew I struck a nerve.

He moved to say something else,but Allegra grabbed my arm.

"Nope. That's enough risking with the devil for one night."

"I'm not done..." I started, yanking my arm back.

"Yes, you are," she hissed, phone clutched in her other hand. "Carina just called. Car's ready. And if we don't leave now, I swear she'll leave without us and Paolo will help her."

I glanced back at the shadowed figure. He stood still, eyes on me like he was memorizing every inch of my rebellion.

"Next time," I said, voice low and tight, "send someone with manners."

He didn't reply.

Just watched as Allegra dragged me out by the arm.

But I could still feel his stare on my back, burning hotter than the club lights ever did.