BOUND BY OBSESSION

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the marble hallways. Amara didn’t flinch. Her heels clicked against the polished floors as she walked past the line of kneeling men, their hands tied behind their backs, their faces pale with terror. The scent of blood lingered in the air, but she barely noticed it. She had spent too much time around men like these—killers, liars, cowards who thought power meant being feared. And yet, none of them terrified her as much as the man sitting in the leather chair at the end of the room. Leonardo DeLuca. The man who owned this city. The man who owned HER. Her boss. Her tormentor. Her obsession. Amara stopped a few feet away from his desk, ignoring the body of the man who had been shot just seconds ago. He was still twitching, his lifeless eyes staring at her, as if accusing her for his fate. Leonardo leaned back in his chair, his dark gaze locked onto hers. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, ex

The gunfire started before Amara could even process her next move. The Romano family wasn’t waiting. Glass shattered as bullets tore through the windows, sending the men in the room scrambling for cover. Leonardo barely flinched. Instead, he grabbed Amara by the waist and pulled her down behind his massive oak desk, shielding her with his body. Her breath hitched at the sudden closeness, but there was no time to focus on that—not when the room was turning into a war zone. “Get to the safe house!” one of Leonardo’s men shouted. “No,” Leonardo said, voice calm as he pulled out another gun from the drawer. “We finish this NOW.” Amara clenched her jaw. Of course, he wouldn’t run. Of course, he would *fight*. That was the thing about Leonardo DeLuca—he wasn’t just a king in this world, he was a *god*. And gods didn’t flee. She stole a glance at him. His expression was unreadable, his grip steady as he fired back at their attackers. His men were already returning fire,

The screen flickered to life, casting a cold glow over the dimly lit office. Leonardo sat stiffly behind his desk, one hand hovering over the laptop’s keyboard while the other drummed against the armrest. His gaze remained locked on the screen, his expression unreadable. Amara stood behind him, arms crossed, her heart hammering. The file loaded. And then— A video began to play. The footage was grainy but clear enough. The setting was a dimly lit underground club, the kind where rules didn’t exist and power belonged to whoever had the most blood on their hands. A man sat at the center of it all. Not just any man. Leonardo DeLuca. But this wasn’t the calculated, composed crime lord Amara had come to know. No. This version of him was WILD. UNHINGED. His eyes burned with fury, his suit stained with something dark—something RED. In the video, he wasn’t seated at the head of the table. He wasn’t giving orders. He was being *held down*. By two men. Amara’s stomac

Leonardo was watching her. Not in the way he usually did—with amusement, with curiosity. No.This was different. This was pure, unfiltered OBSESSION. Amara felt it in the way his fingers drummed against the desk. In the way his gaze never left her face, like he was memorizing every detail, every flicker of emotion. He had given Matteo orders to investigate the footage. But something told her… It wouldn’t matter what Matteo found. Leonardo had already made up his mind. He didn’t TRUST her. And that? That was DANGEROUS. “You’re quiet,” he murmured, breaking the silence. “That’s not like you.” Amara forced herself to hold his gaze. “I’m thinking.” “About?” “How to get out of this mess.” His lips twitched—just slightly. “And?” She inhaled. “Dante is playing a long game. You know that.” Leonardo leaned back in his chair. “Of course.” She narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you looking at me like I'M the enemy?” He didn’t answer. Instead,

Amara stood at the window, her mind racing as she traced the city lights with her eyes. Somewhere out there, Leonardo was heading straight into Dante’s trap. The danger was real—more real than the four walls suffocating her in his mansion. But it wasn’t fear that had her restless—it was opportunity. She could feel it—like a storm building up inside her, daring her to make a move. She knew Leonardo wasn’t stupid. Reckless? Yes. Arrogant? Absolutely. But stupid? Never. That’s what made him so dangerous. And that’s why she had to get ahead of him. Behind her, Matteo cleared his throat. "You’re wasting your time. Boss said to stay put." Amara didn’t turn around, keeping her gaze on the city. "You’re just going to let him walk into his own death?" Matteo hesitated, the tension crawling between them. "He’s not walking into anything. He knows what he’s doing." "Does he?" She finally turned, eyes hard as steel. "You think Dante’s just sitting pretty, waiting for Leonardo to strike?