Chapter 1 : The Devil in a Suit

Akala ko simpleng gabi lang ‘yon — another corporate event I had to attend for work. Fake smiles, expensive wine, and people pretending they actually cared about business when all they really wanted was power.

I hated these parties. Pero wala akong choice. It’s part of my job as a PR consultant for one of the biggest companies in the city.

I was halfway through my second glass of wine when everything changed.

The doors opened.

And he walked in.

Parang may malamig na hangin na dumaan sa buong ballroom. Conversations stopped. Heads turned. Even the orchestra seemed to falter for a second.

He moved like he owned the place — tall, broad shoulders, crisp black suit that fit him too perfectly. His presence screamed money, danger, and something else I couldn’t name.

Everyone whispered his name.
“That’s him…”
“Alessandro Vallerio.”
“The CEO of Vallerio Group.”
“The mafia boss.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I’d heard stories about him — ruthless, cold, the kind of man you don’t cross if you want to stay alive.

Pero bakit ganon? Sa halip na matakot ako, hindi ko maalis ang tingin ko sa kanya.

He didn’t look like the monster people described. He looked like sin wrapped in perfection. His eyes — dark gray, sharp as a blade — scanned the crowd until they landed on me.

And just like that, I forgot how to breathe.

Our eyes locked.

For a moment, everything else faded — the music, the people, even the air. It was just him. And me.

He started walking toward my direction. Every step felt deliberate, heavy, dangerous.

“Are you always this obvious when staring?” he said when he finally stood in front of me. His voice was deep, smooth, but there was something in it that made my spine tingle — like a warning.

My throat went dry. “I—uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to—”

He smirked. God, that smirk.

“Don’t apologize,” he said, eyes glinting. “I like it when someone looks at me like that.”

My heart skipped a beat. Hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yung like that na tinutukoy niya, pero ramdam kong delikado.

He reached for the wine glass I was holding, his fingers brushing mine — a touch so light, yet it burned.

“Red wine?” he asked. “Bold choice.”

I managed a shaky laugh. “It’s supposed to calm nerves.”

“Does it work?”

“Not anymore,” I whispered.

His smirk deepened. “Then maybe you need something stronger.”

Before I could answer, a waiter appeared beside us.

“Sir Vallerio, your table is ready.”

He didn’t move right away. Instead, he leaned closer, his breath ghosting against my ear.

“Tell me your name.”

“Eliara,” I said softly.

He repeated it, slowly, deliberately.

“Eliara.”

The way he said it sent shivers down my spine.

“Pretty name… for someone about to play with fire.”

He walked away after that, leaving me breathless and confused.

Pero kahit lumayo na siya, ramdam ko pa rin ang bigat ng presensiya niya. Parang naiwan ang anino niya sa paligid ko — dark, magnetic, inescapable.

I tried to focus on the rest of the evening, but my mind kept replaying that moment — the way his eyes pierced through me, how my body reacted without permission.

Who was this man really? The CEO everyone respected… or the mafia boss everyone feared?

Later that night, habang palabas na ako ng hotel, nakita ko siya ulit. He was standing near the entrance, talking on his phone, his expression unreadable. The night lights cast sharp shadows on his face, highlighting the danger that came with his perfection.

Then his gaze flicked toward me — as if he could feel me looking.

I froze.

He ended his call and started walking closer. Each step echoed in the empty hallway, heavy and slow.

“You followed me?” he asked when he reached me.

I frowned. “No. I was leaving.”

He tilted his head, eyes studying me like I was some puzzle he wanted to solve.

“Good,” he murmured. “Because if you were following me… that would make things complicated.”

“Complicated?”

His lips curled into that dangerous smirk again. “You don’t want to get involved with me, Eliara.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because people who do…” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “…never walk away the same.”

My breath hitched. There was no threat in his tone — just a dark promise.

For a second, I thought he was going to leave. But instead, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“Goodnight, bella mia,” he said softly, then walked away into the night.

I stood there, frozen, my heart racing uncontrollably.

I should’ve felt fear. But what I felt was something far more dangerous.

Curiosity.

Attraction.

Obsession.

And that was the night I realized…

I wasn’t just falling.

I was already his — even before I knew what that meant.