Prologue.

Answer

The bass thundered through Julia's chest like a second heartbeat, strobe lights slicing through the darkness of Voltage nightclub. She'd never experienced anything like this. The heat of bodies pressed together, expensive perfume mixed with spilled champagne, the dangerous thrill of being somewhere her parents would never approve. Twenty-two years of carefully constructed innocence threatened to shatter with every pulsing beat.

"You're thinking too much!" Kate shouted over the music, her voice a strained rasp against the overwhelming noise. "Just feel it, Jules!"

Julia tried. She really did. But twenty years of conservative upbringing didn't dissolve in a single night, no matter how potent the cocktails or how insistent Kate's urging. Her modest black dress, a compromise between her desire to fit in and her ingrained sense of propriety, suddenly felt prudish compared to the sequined mini-dresses and expanses of bare skin surrounding her. She felt like an imposter, a spectator in a world she didn't understand.

Then she saw him.

He stood at the edge of the VIP section, elevated above the swirling mass of bodies like a dark prince surveying his kingdom. Black suit, perfectly tailored to his muscular frame, a silent testament to power and wealth. Dark hair, slicked back from a face carved from marble, all sharp angles and unwavering intensity. His eyes, like chips of obsidian, were intense, calculating, fixed directly on her.

She should look away. Every instinct screamed at her to avert her gaze, to break the connection that crackled between them like static electricity. She didn't. She couldn't. It was as if an invisible force held her captive, drawing her in against her will.

The stranger's lips curved into a slow, predatory smile, a silent acknowledgement of her unwavering attention. He raised his glass slightly, the crystal catching the light and scattering it like a thousand tiny stars, sending a jolt of heat flooding through her body. It was a feeling both exhilarating and terrifying, a siren's call she knew she should resist.

"He's dangerous, Jules. Really dangerous," Kate whispered, tugging at her arm with unexpected urgency. "I've heard rumors... about him. He's bad news."

But Julia barely heard her. The man in VIP, Don Massimo, had captivated her attention completely. The whispered warning was lost in the pounding music and the undeniable pull she felt towards him.

Someone else had appeared beside her, a sudden, unexpected presence that broke the spell. He was tall, lean, with warm brown eyes that sparkled with genuine amusement and dark blonde hair that curled softly at the edges. Not as intimidating as the man in VIP, but magnetic in a different way, exuding a gentle charm and an aura of genuine kindness.

"Dance with me?" he asked, extending his hand, his smile radiating warmth.

Julia glanced back at the VIP section, almost against her will. The dark stranger was gone, swallowed by the shadows as if he'd never been there at all. Disappointment, a strange and unwelcome emotion, flickered through her, quickly followed by a surge of relief. She took the offered hand, a silent acceptance of the safety and comfort he offered.

She didn't know it then, as she swayed under the pulsing lights, lost in the anonymity of the crowd and the easy charm of her new companion, that she'd just caught the attention of two very different men, each destined to leave an indelible mark on her life. One would give her a night she'd never forget, a fleeting moment of excitement and escape. The other would make sure she could never forget him, his presence looming over her like a shadow.

And the choice she'd made, that seemingly insignificant decision to take the stranger's hand and step onto the dance floor instead of walking towards the VIP section, would change everything. Because Don Massimo had already decided she was his. And what the Don wants, he ALWAYS gets.