The Mafia's desire
img img The Mafia's desire img Chapter 3 Shadows in silk
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Chapter 10 The hunt in shadows img
Chapter 11 The bridge of blood img
Chapter 12 Bullet between hearts img
Chapter 13 The shattered bridge img
Chapter 14 Into the Abyss img
Chapter 15 Blood in the water img
Chapter 16 Dominance in the Deep img
Chapter 17 Chaos in the canal img
Chapter 18 Struggle Beneath the Waves img
Chapter 19 The Hunt in the Flood img
Chapter 20 The Race Against the River img
Chapter 21 Survival Instincts img
Chapter 22 Shadows in the Current img
Chapter 23 A Leap of Fate img
Chapter 24 The Brink of Survival img
Chapter 25 The Tide Turns img
Chapter 26 Fire and Flood img
Chapter 27 A Deadly Separation img
Chapter 28 The Final Surge img
Chapter 29 Clash in the Currents img
Chapter 30 The Last Strike img
Chapter 31 Blood in the Water img
Chapter 32 Ash and Shadows img
Chapter 33 The Leap img
Chapter 34 The Tunnel of Shadows img
Chapter 35 The Drowning Silence img
Chapter 36 The Floodgates img
Chapter 37 Into the Maelstrom img
Chapter 38 Fears img
Chapter 39 The shadows img
Chapter 40 Beneath the Surface img
Chapter 41 The cage img
Chapter 42 Torn in-between img
Chapter 43 The Drowned Silence img
Chapter 44 The Cage of Shadows img
Chapter 45 Teeth in the Dark img
Chapter 46 The Cage Drops img
Chapter 47 Shadows Beneath the Surface img
Chapter 48 The Breach img
Chapter 49 The Silence Beneath img
Chapter 50 The Cavern Below img
Chapter 51 The Chamber of Light img
Chapter 52 Sophia's POV img
Chapter 53 The Breath of Dust and Fire img
Chapter 54 The Memory of Light img
Chapter 55 The Sound Beneath the Dark img
Chapter 56 The Art of Control img
Chapter 57 The Defiance in the Dark img
Chapter 58 The Chamber Beneath img
Chapter 59 The Hollow Between Worlds img
Chapter 60 FRAGMENTS OF THE LIGHT img
Chapter 61 THE LIGHT THAT HUNTS img
Chapter 62 BENEATH THE VEINS img
Chapter 63 THE MIRROR THAT BLEEDS img
Chapter 64 THROUGH THE FRACTURE img
Chapter 65 THE OTHER SOPHIA img
Chapter 66 THE BLOOD SKY img
Chapter 67 ECHOES OF THE VESSEL img
Chapter 68 THE GLASS BETWEEN US img
Chapter 69 The World That Watches img
Chapter 70 The Mirror That Breathes img
Chapter 71 The House That Remembers img
Chapter 72 The Voice Beneath the Light img
Chapter 73 The Man with the Golden Eyes img
Chapter 74 The Eye in the Floor img
Chapter 75 What Remains of You img
Chapter 76 THE ECHO OF HER VOICE img
Chapter 77 THE SHADOW BETWEEN THEM img
Chapter 78 WHEN THE LIGHT LIES img
Chapter 79 ECHOES THAT WEAR MY FACE img
Chapter 80 THE GIRL BENEATH THE GLASS img
Chapter 81 FRACTURES img
Chapter 82 RECOGNITION ERROR img
Chapter 83 SYNCHRONIZATION img
Chapter 84 THE GHOST CODE img
Chapter 85 THE FRACTURED DUEL img
Chapter 86 SYNTHESIS img
Chapter 87 THE AWAKENING PROTOCOL img
Chapter 88 FRACTURE LINE img
Chapter 89 THROUGH THE STATIC img
Chapter 90 THE ECHOED HEART img
Chapter 91 SIGNAL LOSS img
Chapter 92 BETWEEN CODE AND CHAOS img
Chapter 93 THE FRACTURED VEIL img
Chapter 94 BETWEEN BREATHS img
Chapter 95 ADRIAN'S DESCENT img
Chapter 96 The Depth Between Us img
Chapter 97 Ashes Between Worlds img
Chapter 98 Echoes in the Fire img
Chapter 99 The Hollow Below img
Chapter 100 The Door Between img
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Chapter 3 Shadows in silk

Sophia told herself to breathe. Just breathe.

The hall was alive with chatter again, the momentary hush dissolving into laughter, but her skin still prickled with unease. Maria was too busy sipping champagne and winking at men in tailored suits to notice the change in the air.

Sophia wished she had Maria's confidence. Instead, she found herself edging toward the edge of the ballroom, where the crowd thinned and the chandeliers' glow softened into shadow.

She needed a moment. Just one moment to collect herself.

"Running away so soon?"

The voice was low, smooth, threaded with quiet authority. It slid down her spine like ice.

Sophia froze, her hand tightening on her clutch before she slowly turned.

Adrian Romano stood before her.

Up close, he was even more striking and infinitely more intimidating. His dark suit framed a body built on discipline and power. His face was cut from sharp angles, every line precise, as if the world itself dared not mar his perfection. But it was his eyes that held her-dark, unreadable, as though they hid storms she'd be a fool to touch.

"I'm not-" she stammered, her voice faltering. "I just needed some air."

His gaze flicked toward the balcony doors behind her, then back to her face. "The air out there isn't safer than in here."

Sophia blinked. "Excuse me?"

Adrian didn't answer. He sipped his scotch instead, watching her over the rim of the glass. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken weight.

She should walk away. Every instinct screamed at her to leave. Yet her feet refused to move.

"You don't belong here." His words were soft, almost casual, but they cut through the noise of the party like a blade.

Sophia swallowed. "I know."

Something flickered in his gaze then-amusement, interest, maybe even approval. His lips curved in the faintest suggestion of a smile, though it carried no warmth.

Before she could gather herself enough to respond, Maria appeared at her side, breathless with excitement. "Sophia! There you are-" She stopped abruptly when her eyes landed on Adrian. Her expression shifted instantly, her playful smirk replaced with something more cautious. Respectful.

"Mr. Romano," she murmured, almost bowing her head.

Adrian's gaze lingered on Sophia a moment longer before he turned slightly, acknowledging Maria with the barest nod. Then, without another word, he set his glass on a passing tray and walked away.

Maria grabbed Sophia's arm the second he was gone. "Do you have any idea who that was?"

"Yes," Sophia whispered. Her heart still pounded. "Adrian Romano."

Maria's eyes sparkled with mischief. "And he talked to you. Do you realize how rare that is?"

Sophia didn't answer. She couldn't. Her thoughts tangled in chaos-half fear, half... something else. Something far more dangerous.

She forced herself to breathe again, but unease gnawed at her. She glanced around the hall, noticing things she hadn't before. Guards murmuring into earpieces. A man slipping a hand beneath his jacket for just a second too long. Two guests leaning in too close, their whispers too sharp for casual gossip.

The glittering façade of the gala suddenly felt fragile, like glass stretched too thin. One crack, and it would all shatter.

And when Sophia's gaze drifted back toward the far end of the hall, she found Adrian Romano watching her once again.

This time, his expression wasn't unreadable. It was warning.

            
            

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