I Became The Don's Prima Donna

Seraphina’s POVThe stage lights warmed my face as I moved through the final sequence of my ballet routine. A sea of faces watched from the darkness, but my focus was inward, on the music and the movement. A genuine smile touched my lips; this was my dream, to be on a stage where so many people could see the passion I felt. I danced with every piece of my heart until the final note faded. Holding my last pose for a perfect, breathless moment, I then sank into a deep bow. As the sound of applause began to swell, my eyes sparkled toward the judges' table. They weren't clapping; they were already taking notes.We stood in a line on the stage, all of us breathless, our chests rising and falling under the intense heat of the lights. The host, a man with a smile as bright as his sequined jacket, held a small, pristine white card in his palm. The theater was so quiet I could hear the frantic beat of my own heart."Ladies and gentlemen," his voice boomed, echoing through the vast hall. "Ou

Seraphina’s POVMy hands clamped down, knuckles white, a useless fight against the beating of my heart. Stuck in this suffocating dark, every breath was a silent curse, a demand for the outside world to just disappear. Cold, slick sweat crawled down my temples, stinging as it tracked paths to my chin. God, just let me just vanish!Then, a shattering tear. The closet door slammed open, a blinding, brutal flash of light hitting my eyes. My breath caught, a choked, animal sound ripping from my throat, and my eyes snapped wide, wild with pure, raw terror. The shape in the doorway was a looming nightmare, tall, broad... a monster. My heart leapt into my throat, a frantic, trapped thing desperate to break free.But then, the shadow sharpened. Just Hugo. My gut twisted—not pure relief, but a bitter, hard acceptance of this temporary break. The fear didn't leave completely, but it pulled back enough to let me breathe, a cold, solid knot settling where the panic had been."Are you okay?"

Seraphina’s POVComing back here wasn’t a moment of weakness or a sign that I’d lost my way. It was a calculated risk. A strategic choice.Out there, in that foreign country, I had two contacts. One was Raph, my boyfriend, a man who couldn’t protect me from a paper cut, let alone the wolves that were hunting me. The other was the monster fighter whose thumb was still leaving a trail of fire on my skin.So, no, I didn't wonder why I came back. I came back because when you were trapped between a devil you knew and a devil you didn't, you picked the one you thought you could use.I came to Italy for a competition, to prove I was the best. Then, that stage was gone, replaced by a warzone. I had to get back to California before that old maniac found me, before he decided to collect his favorite prize. And this man—this beautiful, brutal fighter standing in front of me—was going to be the key to my freedom.I finally looked away from him, my gaze landing on the sterile white wall behind hi