Chapter 3 The Storm in His Eyes

The sun was setting over Seabreeze Town, casting golden light across the marina. Aria tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she glanced at her watch. Her client, a wealthy socialite, was running late. Leo, meanwhile, was busy playing with a small toy car by her feet.

She couldn't shake the strange feeling gnawing at her. For days, she'd felt... watched. She blamed her overactive imagination, but her instincts had never betrayed her before.

"Mommy, look! I made a racetrack!" Leo beamed up at her, his innocent grin tugging at her heart.

She knelt beside him, smoothing his hair. "That's amazing, Leo. After this meeting, we'll go get ice cream, okay?"

Before he could answer, the air shifted.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

A presence.

She slowly stood, heart pounding as her eyes scanned the crowd. Families, couples, tourists-but then, her gaze collided with him.

Lorenzo Valentini.

He stood at the end of the pier, dressed in a tailored black suit, his posture relaxed, but his eyes... those icy blue eyes were locked on her like a hunter cornering his prey.

Aria's breath hitched. Five years. Five years she had hidden from him. She had prayed he'd never find her. Yet here he was, as if summoned by fate itself.

"Mommy?" Leo tugged at her skirt, confused by her sudden stiffness.

Lorenzo's gaze dropped to the child.

Recognition.

Shock.

And then, something far more dangerous flickered in his expression.

Possession.

Aria's survival instincts roared to life. She scooped Leo into her arms and turned on her heel, weaving through the crowd, her pulse racing. She couldn't let him get close. Not here. Not now.

But she had underestimated the Mafia Prince.

A strong hand gripped her wrist, spinning her around with ease. "Running again, cara mia?" His voice was low, lethal, yet tinged with something she couldn't decipher-hurt? Betrayal?

"Let go, Lorenzo," she whispered, shielding Leo between them.

His eyes narrowed, flickering to the boy's face. The resemblance was undeniable. The boy was his.

"You have five seconds to explain, Aria, or I swear, I will make the next five years of your life a living hell," he murmured, his fingers tightening around her wrist.

Leo's eyes widened. "Mommy, who is he?"

Aria's heart shattered.

She had kept Leo safe all these years, but now, the past had caught up to her. She knew the rules of the Mafia world-Lorenzo wouldn't walk away now that he knew.

"I'll explain everything," she said, her voice trembling but resolute. "But not here. Not in front of Leo."

Lorenzo's jaw ticked. "Fine. My car. Now."

Inside the Black Bentley

The silence was suffocating.

Aria sat stiffly, Leo nestled beside her, innocently playing with his toy, oblivious to the storm brewing.

Lorenzo sat across from them, his elbows resting on his knees, eyes never leaving her face.

"Is he mine?" The words were soft, but the weight behind them was crushing.

Aria closed her eyes, exhaling shakily. "Yes."

A tense beat of silence.

"And you thought you could keep my son hidden from me?" he growled, the calm veneer cracking.

"I was protecting him, Lorenzo. From your world. From the bloodshed, the danger-"

"My world is his world, whether you like it or not," he snapped, then turned to Leo, his expression softening just a fraction. "What's your name, little man?"

Leo grinned. "Leo Blake!"

Lorenzo's lips twitched, a shadow of a smirk appearing. "Blake, huh? We'll fix that soon."

Aria's fists clenched. "Don't you dare-"

"I don't think you understand, Aria," Lorenzo interrupted, voice cold. "You don't get to dictate terms anymore. He's my son. And you-" his eyes darkened, "-you're coming back with me."

"I won't let you drag him into that life."

Lorenzo leaned closer, his scent intoxicating, his presence overwhelming. "You should've thought of that before you decided to run."