A Game She Never Signed Up For
A/N: Hi every one here's a longer chapter so hope u enjoy.
Mia's pulse pounded in her ears.
Lorenzo De Lucaâthe Lorenzo De Lucaâwas standing in front of her in the middle of her workplace like he belonged there.
Like he had planned this.
Her grip tightened on her ID badge. "You wanna explain why the hell you're here?"
Lorenzo's smirk was infuriating. "I needed a check-up."
Her eyes flickered to the guards flanking the doorway. "Right. Because normal people need armed security for that."
He stepped closer, and despite every instinct telling her to hold her ground, she took a step back. Not because she was scaredâno, that wasn't it. It was something worse. Something dangerous.
His presence unsettled her.
Not in the way a man like him should, but in a way that made her feel too aware of every
move he made.
Lorenzo's gaze dropped to the hospital ID clipped to her scrubs. "So, this is where you spend your time."
She crossed her arms. "Where else would I be?"
His smirk deepened. "I could think of a few places."
Heat crept up her neck. Arrogant bastard.
Mia exhaled sharply, trying to regain control of the situation. "Look, if you're actually here for medical reasons, fine. But if this is some weird power play, I'm not interested."
Lorenzo's expression shifted just slightlyâso subtle she almost missed it. "Power play?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't play dumb. You don't just show up somewhere like this without a reason."
For a moment, he didn't respond. The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
Thenâ
"You're right," he admitted. "I don't."
Mia stiffened. She hadn't expected him to agree.
Lorenzo leaned in just slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Someone's been watching you."
Her breath caught.
"What?" she whispered.
His expression remained calm, but there was an edge to his tone now, sharp and unwavering. "The car outside your apartment this morning. It wasn't mine."
Mia's stomach twisted. "How do youâ"
"I know everything that happens in my city, especially when it involves someone who... interests me."
Mia swallowed hard. She hated how her heart betrayed her, skipping at that last part.
This was bad.
She didn't want to be interesting to a man like him.
"You're lying," she accused, even though she wasn't sure she believed it.
Lorenzo chuckled. "I don't lie, dolcezza. And I don't take chances with things I want to keep safe."
Safe.
That word again.
Mia's breath was uneven now, her mind racing. If he was telling the truthâif someone else was watching herâthen she wasn't just dealing with one dangerous man.
She was caught between two.
Lorenzo studied her reaction before finally straightening, giving her space again. "Think about what I said."
Then, as if the conversation was nothing more than a casual exchange, he turned to leave.
Mia wanted to stop him, demand more answersâbut her voice refused to work.
Instead, she watched as he walked past his guards, giving a small nod.
And just like that, he was gone.
But the damage was already done.
Because now, Mia wasn't just caught in a dangerous game.
She was part of it.
Mia spent the rest of her shift in a daze, replaying every single word Lorenzo had said.
Someone was watching her.
And it wasn't him.
She wanted to believe it was some sick joke. That he was just messing with her, trying to pull her into his world. But deep down, she knew better. Men like Lorenzo didn't waste words.
So if he said she was being watched, she damn well believed him.
By the time her shift ended, exhaustion clung to her like a second skin. But when she stepped outside, a chill that had nothing to do with the night air ran down her spine.
The black car was gone.
But that didn't mean she wasn't being watched.
She forced herself to move, to walk like everything was normal, but every instinct screamed at her to run. She reached her apartment building, fingers tightening around her keys. Her heartbeat only calmed once she was safely inside, the door locked behind her.
She needed to clear her head.
Stripping out of her scrubs, she took a long, hot shower, letting the steam curl around her. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she was just paranoid.
Maybeâ
A knock at her door shattered the silence.
Mia froze.
She wasn't expecting anyone. No one came to her apartment unannounced.
Slowly, she stepped out of the bathroom, pulling on a robe. Another knock. Firm. Insistent.
Her stomach twisted as she approached the door. "Who is it?"
Silence.
Thenâ
"It's me."
Her breath caught.
She unlocked the door without thinking. The second it swung open, she found herself face-to-face with Lorenzo De Luca.
He was still dressed in the same white shirt, though the top buttons were undone just a little more now. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong, veined forearms. His gray eyes flickered over her, darkening slightly as he took in her robe and damp skin.
Mia's pulse skyrocketed.
She crossed her arms, refusing to let him see how off-balance he made her. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Lorenzo leaned against the doorframe, unbothered. "Checking on you."
She huffed. "I don't need checking on."
His lips curled slightly. "That's debatable."
Mia exhaled, trying to keep her temper in check. "You cannot just show up at my apartment."
Lorenzo tilted his head. "I just did."
Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating.
Mia stepped forward, intending to shove him out and slam the door, but his voice stopped her cold.
"They left a message."
Her heart stuttered. "What?"
Lorenzo's gaze was sharp, all traces of teasing gone. "The ones watching you. They left something outside your building."
Mia felt the blood drain from her face. "What did it say?"
He studied her carefully before answering.
"Stay away from him."
A chill ran through her. She didn't need to ask who him was.
Lorenzo.
Mia swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "And you just expect me to believe you?"
Lorenzo's jaw ticked, his amusement completely gone now. "I don't care what you believe, dolcezza. I'm telling you the truth."
The way he said it made her stomach flip.
A week ago, she didn't even know this man. Now, she was in the middle of something she didn't understand, tangled up with a mafia boss who had enemies willing to threaten her.
She should listen to the warning. She should tell him to leave and never come back.
But as she stared up at himâthis impossibly dangerous man standing in her doorway, looking at her like she was something he wouldn't let go ofâ
She realized something terrifying.
She didn't want him to leave.
And that?
That was more dangerous than anything else.
A/N: Not Mia getting threatened ð