Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The neon lights outside flickered, casting a cold, harsh glow on the small diner’s windows. The hum of the refrigerator and the clinking of plates created a dull backdrop to the quiet desperation that weighed heavily on Isabella "Izzy" Romano. She had always prided herself on keeping her head down and her heart even lower, but tonight, her world felt like it was about to crumble into pieces.

Behind the counter, the bill for her daughter’s medical treatment sat like an anchor in her pocket—an unyielding reminder of the life she couldn’t escape. Maya, her four-year-old daughter, needed a series of tests and treatments that Izzy could barely afford, no matter how many hours she worked. The insurance didn’t cover it. The world didn’t care.

Izzy had hoped this job at Caruso’s, a greasy spoon diner tucked away on the edge of town, would be temporary. A few extra shifts, maybe—just enough to make it through the week. But as the days turned into weeks, the mounting pressure made her feel more like a cog in a machine, grinding away without a real future ahead.

“Excuse me!” A voice broke through her thoughts. Izzy turned, plastering a polite smile on her face.

The man at the counter looked like trouble. He was rough around the edges, wearing a leather jacket that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe, with a pair of dark sunglasses perched atop his head. His eyes were cold, scanning the diner like he was waiting for something—or someone. When their gazes met, his lips curled into a smirk.

“What can I get you?” Izzy asked, her voice steady, though her instincts screamed that this was no ordinary customer.

The man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized her.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” he asked, his voice low, almost mocking.

Izzy’s heart skipped. There was something familiar about him. Something she couldn’t quite place. He had the air of a man who belonged in a world she had long since forgotten, one she’d done everything in her power to escape. She forced a polite smile, but internally, her mind raced, trying to make sense of the feeling swirling in her chest.

“I don’t think so,” she answered carefully, her gaze flicking to the door. She needed this shift to be over, needed the space to breathe.

The man’s smirk deepened, and then—like the flip of a switch—it was gone. His expression turned stone-cold, and for a moment, the air between them thickened, charged with something unspoken.

“I’m not surprised,” he said, his voice suddenly colder, harder. “It’s been a long time, Izzy.”

And then it hit her.

Her pulse thundered in her ears, and her hands shook as she tried to steady herself on the counter. She hadn’t seen him in years. Not since the night she walked away, the night he disappeared without a word, leaving nothing but broken promises and painful memories.

Dante Vieri.

Her ex-boyfriend. The man she had once loved, who had once held her world in his hands.

But that was before he became someone else. Someone dangerous. Someone who ruled an empire of crime with an iron fist.

Izzy’s breath caught in her throat as she met his eyes again—this time with a mixture of disbelief and something else: fear.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, her heart racing.

Dante’s lips twitched into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I could ask you the same thing, but I already know the answer. Things haven’t been easy for you, have they, Izzy?”

His words were like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, the room seemed to spin around her. She wanted to run, to escape, but where would she go? Who could protect her now?

Before she could answer, the door to the diner swung open with a loud jangle of the bell. Three men in dark suits stepped inside, their eyes immediately locking on Izzy. They moved with precision, each step measured, as if they were on a mission.

Izzy’s throat went dry. She’d seen men like them before—cold, calculating, ruthless.

“Get her,” one of them growled, his eyes fixed on Izzy.

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew the game had changed. This wasn’t a random encounter. This was calculated.

Izzy took a step back, her hands trembling. “Dante... what is this?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Dante’s eyes flickered to the men, then back to her. His face was a mask of indifference, but there was something in the way his jaw tightened that sent a chill down her spine.

“Don’t worry, Izzy,” he said coolly, his voice low and commanding. “I’ll make sure they don’t hurt you. But you’re coming with me.”

“Where?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“Somewhere safe,” he replied, his gaze darkening. “But first, you owe me an explanation. A lot has changed since we last spoke.”

Izzy’s mind raced. Her daughter. The bills. The threats. All of it closing in like a storm.

The last thing she wanted was to fall back into Dante’s world. The world of power, greed, and violence. But what choice did she have?

The mafia wasn’t something you just walked away from.

And when Dante Vieri—now the feared leader of the Vieri crime family—gave an order, you didn’t refuse.