Chapter 1

“Let go of her.”

My voice cuts through the noise before I even realize I’ve spoken.

The man’s grip tightens around her arm instead.

She flinches.

That’s all it takes.

The room disappears.

The music, the laughter, the empty conversations—gone. Replaced by a sharp, rising tension coiling in my chest like a warning I can’t ignore.

“I said,” I repeat, slower this time, stepping closer, “let go of her.”

The man turns to me, irritation flashing across his face—until he recognizes me.

Then it changes.

Fear.

Good.

But not enough.

“She’s with me,” he says, forcing a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

The girl doesn’t speak.

Doesn’t move.

Doesn’t even look at him.

Her eyes are somewhere else entirely—distant, hollow, like she’s already checked out of whatever nightmare she’s trapped in.

My jaw tightens.

“Doesn’t look like it,” I reply coldly.

Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating.

Then slowly—too slowly—he lets her go.

But she doesn’t step away.

That’s what bothers me.

Not the grip.

Not the man.

Her.

The way she stays frozen like she’s waiting for permission to breathe.

Something shifts inside me.

Something dangerous.

I turn to her, lowering my voice just enough so only she can hear.

“Look at me.”

For a second, I think she won’t.

Then—

She does.

And everything stops.

Not dramatically.

Not loudly.

Just… stops.

I’ve seen fear before. I’ve caused it. Controlled it. Used it.

But this?

This is different.

This is deeper.

Her eyes aren’t just afraid.

They’re broken.

Like whatever hurt her didn’t just pass through—it stayed.

Buried.

Rotting.

And for the first time in a long time… I don’t like what I’m seeing.

“Who are you?” I ask.

She flinches.

Again.

Too fast.

Too instinctive.

Like my voice alone is enough to hurt her.

“I—I’m sorry,” she whispers, barely audible.

Sorry?

For what?

My expression hardens slightly. “I didn’t ask for an apology.”

She looks confused.

Lost.

Like she doesn’t even understand the question.

That irritates me more than it should.

People like me—we deal in clarity. Control. Precision.

There’s nothing clear about her.

Nothing controlled.

She’s chaos wrapped in silence.

“What’s your name?” I ask again, this time slower.

Careful.

There’s a pause.

A long one.

Her fingers curl slightly at her sides, trembling just enough for me to notice.

Then—

“Maria,” she says softly. “Maria Eduarda.”

Maria.

The name settles into my mind instantly.

Too easily.

Like it was always supposed to be there.

I study her properly now.

The faint redness in her eyes.

The tension in her shoulders.

The way she stands like she’s trying to disappear.

She doesn’t belong here.

Not in this room filled with predators dressed in expensive suits.

Which means one thing.

Someone brought her here.

Or worse—

Someone owns her place in this room.

My gaze flicks briefly to the man beside us.

He’s watching me now. Nervous.

Good.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I say.

Her eyes widen slightly.

For a moment, I expect resistance.

Denial.

Anything.

But instead—

She nods.

“I know,” she whispers.

That answer hits harder than it should.

Because it’s not defensive.

It’s not angry.

It’s… resigned.

Like she’s already accepted something she shouldn’t have.

Before I can push further, the man steps in again, placing his hand on her arm—more controlled this time, but still too tight.

“There you are,” he says lightly. “You shouldn’t wander off.”

Maria stiffens instantly.

And just like that—

The fear is back.

Stronger.

Sharper.

My patience snaps.

I step forward, my presence enough to force him back half a step.

“Careful,” I say quietly.

Not loud.

Not aggressive.

But final.

His smile falters again. “Mr. Vitorino, I think there’s been a misunderstanding—”

“I don’t misunderstand,” I cut in.

A beat of silence.

Then two.

The tension is thick enough to choke on.

Finally, he lets go.

Again.

This time faster.

Smarter.

Maria doesn’t move.

Still frozen.

Still silent.

I look at her. “Are you with him?”

She hesitates.

That’s all I need to see.

But then—

“…Yes,” she says.

A lie.

A weak one.

I hear it.

I see it.

I feel it.

And I don’t like it.

Not one bit.

Before I can call her out, she steps back.

Away from me.

Away from him.

Away from everything.

“I’m sorry,” she says again, her voice shaking. “I have to go.”

And then she turns—

And disappears into the crowd.

Just like that.

Gone.

For a second, I don’t move.

I just stare at the space she left behind, something dark settling deep in my chest.

Annoyance.

No—

That’s not it.

This is sharper.

Stronger.

Possessive.

I exhale slowly, running a hand over my jaw.

This is exactly why I don’t believe in things like this.

People don’t just walk into my world and… disrupt it.

And yet—

She did.

“Sir?”

My assistant’s voice pulls me back.

I don’t look at him.

Not yet.

“Find her,” I say.

He hesitates. “Find… who?”

Now I turn.

Slowly.

“Maria Eduarda.”

The name feels deliberate now.

Important.

“I want everything,” I continue. “Who she is. Who brought her here. And why she looks like she’s already been destroyed.”

There’s a brief pause.

Then a nod. “Understood.”

Good.

Because this—

Whatever this is—

Isn’t over.

Not even close.

I glance once more at the crowd, scanning faces, searching for a glimpse of her again.

Nothing.

But I don’t need to see her to know one thing.

When I find her again—

I won’t ask questions.

I won’t wait.

And I definitely—

Won’t let her walk away twice.