Mag-log in*Emily š¤* Just one night. Thatās all it was supposed to be. I never knew one night could change everything. Could burn through every wall Iāve built. Could leave me craving someone I shouldāve walked away from. Heās handsomeādark in the way shadows linger even when the lights are on. Powerful. Dangerous. Magnetic. Everyone says heās a hero. That heās the man who takes down the monsters hiding in plain sight. But he doesnāt look like the hero to me. Not when Iāve seen the way he watches me. Not when Iāve felt the way his hands command and control. Thereās something heās not telling me. Something I shouldnāt have seen⦠something I canāt unfeel. And now my sister is involved ā and thatās when the truth dawned. This isn't just danger. It's a storm. I should run. Heās mafia. Iām just a college girl with a sharp tongue, a guarded heartāāand one secret. Iām not built for his world. But near him, all the strength I thought I had crumbles. Iām bold. I donāt bend. But with him, I shatter. And the worst part? I donāt want to be saved from it. I want him. All of him ā the light, the dark, the secrets, the sins. But one thing I know for sure: Love like this? It always ends in blood. *Xavier.* ⬠One night. Thatās all it took. She thinks it was nothing, but from the moment I saw her, I knew. She was mineāher body, her mind, her chaos. She cracked the OmertĆ file. She doesnāt know it yet, but sheās already in my world. In my world⦠Thereās no way out. ---
view moreEMILY.
I followed my friend Daya through the crowded club, the music pulsing like a heartbeat all around us. We'd managed to score an invite to the VIP section, and we were buzzing with anticipation, curious to see what all the hype was about. As we climbed the stairs, I spotted himāa tall, dark figure surrounded by a glowing entourage of admirers. He lounged on a plush couch, eyes scanning the room like he owned it. And maybe he did. He had the kind of presence that commanded attentionālike a man who always got what he wanted, when he wanted it. Then his gaze found mine, and a shiver ran straight through me. I tried to look away, but his eyes dragged me back in. He was surrounded by people, yet somehow, they faded into the background. All I could see was him. Daya nudged me, snapping the moment. āYou gonna keep eye-fucking him all night, or are we going to say hi?ā she teased. I hesitated. āYeah, right. We walk over there, and his friendly little crew probably tosses us out.ā Sarcasm dripped from my voice, making Daya laugh. āOkay, fine... What about him?ā she asked, nodding toward a blonde guy sitting solo at the bar. āNo, thanks,ā I replied, not feeling the need to talk to anyone. Honestly, I was just here because Dayaās bouncer friend got us into VIP. I couldnāt pass that up. āCome on, you're killing the vibe. You know we need to get laid,ā Daya whined playfully. āyou can I'm good,ā I said with a shrug. She rolled her eyes and waved me off. āYour loss. Iām going to shoot my shotāmaybe weāll have some chemistry,ā she said, licking her bottom lip before walking off toward the blondie. But I couldnāt shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I didnāt want to look back, didnāt want to confirm what I already suspected. That mysterious manāI just knew it was him. A wave of tension hit me, thick and overwhelming. āI need the bathroom,ā I muttered and slipped away. The restroom was dimly lit, the music thumping faintly through the walls. As I washed my hands, I caught a reflection behind me in the mirrorāand there he was. His eyes locked on me, intense and unreadable. This time, we were alone. He walked toward me, hands reaching for my waist. My breath caught. I shouldāve pushed him away, shouldāve yelledāhe was a strangerābut I couldnāt. I didnāt want to. He leaned in, his lips crashing onto mine without a word. And instead of pulling away, I kissed him back. I drank him ināhis scent, his heat. The kiss alone made my body ache. He kissed like he owned me, and I wanted more. Everything after that was a blurāhis fingers teasing me in the back seat of his car, how I somehow ended up in his hotel suite. Logic had left the building. He turned me around, unzipping my dress. It fell silently to the floor. My bra and thong were gone in seconds. He scooped me up, showering my neck in kisses that made me moan, before laying me out on the bedābare, exposed, ready. We hadnāt exchanged more than a few words. Just moans, gasps, and his low curses mixed with praise. I watched him undressāevery inch of him sculpted like a godābut I didnāt have time to admire the view. He flipped me over, wasting no time. He pressed my face to the pillow and raised my hips. āIām going to fuck you so hard, princess,ā he growled. I shivered in anticipation. He slid his tip into me slowly, teasingāand then slammed into me. The air left my lungs in one sharp gasp. And , fuck, he meant every word. He took me like he owned meārough, relentless, divine. I loved every filthy second. We moved through positions like it was a dance only our bodies knew, and I think I blacked out somewhere after my fourth orgasm. My legs were jelly, my body wreckedāin the best way. Fuckn' perfect sex. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Morning light filtered through the curtains as I stirred awake. The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Reality seeped ināthe club, the kiss, the suite, the sex. He was in the shower and I... I needed to leave. Something about him felt dangerous. Enticing, but dark. I didnāt want to find out what strings came attached. I slid out of bed, moving quietly as I gathered my clothes. My heart raced, not from fearābut from adrenaline. One last glance toward the bathroom, then I slipped out the door. The elevator ride down felt like coming up for air. As I stepped onto the street, I felt a rushāof freedom, of thrill. The night had been wild, intoxicating, unforgettable. Iād done something reckless... and I didnāt regret it. I hailed a cab and sank into the back seat, letting the city blur pass the window. But at a red light, my thoughts wanderedāback to him. His hands, his voice, the way he made me feel like the only girl in the world. My lips curved into a smile. Just what I needed, a night of raw, unfiltered passion. No names. No strings. Just desire. As the taxi rolled forward, I leaned back, still feeling the heat of his touch lingering on my skin. Alive. Free. untamed.RAVEN āSo weāre being watched right now?ā Daya asked, her voice laced with concern. āYes, Daya,ā I replied, for the third time. I dropped my backpack onto the table and slumped into the chair, seeking refuge in our usual sanctuaryāthe library. Daya sat across from me, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. āGuess what I found out yesterday,ā she whispered. I popped an M&M into my mouth and raised an eyebrow. āWhatās that?ā āOkay, this might sound random,ā she said, lowering her voice, ābut I went to visit my uncle yesterdayā. I gave her a wary look. ā okay. So..?ā āWell... I think my uncle might know something about the Maranos.ā That caught my attention. I sat up straighter. āWaitāwhat?ā āI know, I know, it sounds crazy,ā she rushed, rubbing her eyes. āBut hear me out. Heās been around, you know? In and out of sketchy circles for years. Drugs, black-market stuff. Heās not exactly law-abiding.ā I nodded slowly. I knew about her uncleāsort of. She never went into detail.
RAVEN Would you think me naĆÆve if I admitted I believed running into Dem had been a coincidence? After everything that happened today, I convinced myself his presence in my life was some kind of divine interventionālike a guardian angel sent to protect me. The moment he pulled me away from Marco, that suspicion I once hadā that he might be following meāslipped quietly to the back of my mind. Gratitude does that to people. When someone shields you, you start rewriting the story in your head, painting them in softer colors. In LA, I thought we were simply in the same place at the same time. The second encounter? I told myself it was pure chance. And what happened today, I let myself believe it. But now, the truth began to dawn. Demās subtle smirk confirmed it. āSo it wasnāt a coincidence?ā I asked, turning to him. He shrugged, offering no apology.I looked at Xavier, heat rising in my chest. āWhyād you send Dem to follow me?ā Xavierās smile was maddeningly unreadable. āBecause I w
XAIVER *A Week Ago* I sat behind my desk, drumming my fingers against the armrest. Marco had been too quiet. Didnāt he know what weād done? It had been a full week since Emily helped us dismantle his cybersecurity network. The intercom buzzed, slicing through the silence. āVictorās here, sir.ā Victor entered with a heavy expression, eyes dark with concern. āI think the Marano family knows,ā he said plainly. I leaned forward. āWhy do you say that?ā āSomeone tried to hack into our network, but they couldnāt get through. It wasnāt a random attack. It was too deliberate. That means Marco suspects something. Heāll be coming.ā I smirked, suppressing the satisfaction that rose in my chest. The Marano family had been bleeding for weeks. Their networks were fractured, their operations crumbling. I'd reclaimed control of the trade routes and pipelines. As if on cue, the intercom buzzed again. āSir... Mr. Marono is storming toward your office. IāI donāt think I can stop him.ā
RAVEN. I sat in the diner with Daya, my mind wandering. I hadn't told her about what I saw while hacking for Xavier. Why? I don't know. She only knew about the $50,000. It still felt surrealāhaving that much money, like it was all mine. Iād sent $10,000 to Racheal, my sister, to start up a business. I made her promise not to tell Mom and Dad. She was surprised but still happy. Ever since LA, Iād been carrying this heavy knot in my chest. The things I said, the way I actedāit had been eating at me. Maybe sending Racheal the money was my way of patching the wound, of easing the guilt just a little. At least with her, I knew it wouldnāt go to waste. Racheal was smart, groundedāsheād make something of it. Unlike Lisa. I let out a long breath. Lisa⦠Iād sort of apologized to Racheal, in my own way, even if I hadnāt said the words outright. But LisaāI hadnāt even called her yet.Maybe Iād been too harsh in LA. I shouldnāt have been so mean to them. I sighed again. āEverything oka
XAIVER I never thought sheād be able to pull it off. Truthfully, Iād been ready to fly in one of the worldās top hackers to assist us. There were names I had on standbyāpeople who owed me favors. But Victor insisted she was enoughāthat she had the skills, the instincts. I hadnāt believed it. Not c
XAIVER āVictor, we need to breach the Marono family's cyber security now. We can't wait one more day. Their system is notoriously impenetrable. Do you think she can do it?" I asked, studying the schematics. Victor nodded, his eyes locked on the screen. "I've been reviewing the test results,
EMILY.I paused in the doorway, every instinct telling me to turn around and leave. But I didnāt. He sat behind a massive desk, posture like royalty, presence like a warning. The kind of man who didnāt just command a roomāhe owned it. There was no reason to stay. And yet, my feet didnāt move. It
EMILY I was back at NYU. God, Iām so happy I left that house. Fresh air. The moment my flight touched down, I called Mum. Now, Iām heading to go get food. I already dropped my few things at the room. The hunger was gnawing at my insides. I grabbed some food and began the short walk back to my


















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