Emily blinked.

"Wait," she said. "You have a driver who opens doors?"

"I have many things," Alessandro replied calmly.

The other man nodded respectfully.

"Buonasera, Signore Romano."

Emily felt a strange chill.

*Signore Romano.*

She stepped out of the car slowly.

The courtyard belonged to a massive historic villa.

Warm lights glowed from tall windows.

A fountain murmured quietly in the center.

Emily turned toward Alessandro.

"You live here?"

"Yes."

"You live in a palace."

"Villa."

"That's still a palace."

He gestured toward the entrance.

"Come inside."

Emily hesitated.

"This feels like the part of the horror movie where the audience screams at the girl not to go in."

Alessandro leaned slightly closer.

"And yet you are still here."

She looked at him.

His eyes were dark, steady, impossible to read.

Against her better judgment…

She followed him inside.

---

The interior was even more overwhelming.

Marble floors.

High ceilings painted with faded frescoes.

A staircase sweeping upward like something from a museum.

Emily whispered, "You're definitely rich."

Alessandro removed his jacket and handed it to a waiting staff member.

"Money is useful."

"That's a modest way of putting it."

He led her into a private sitting room.

A fire burned softly in the fireplace.

"Sit," he said.

Emily sank into a velvet chair.

"You know," she said slowly, "most guys buy a girl coffee when they want to talk."

"I dislike coffee meetings."

"You're in Italy."

"I prefer better settings."

Emily leaned back, studying him again.

"So tell me, Mr. Romano."

"Yes?"

"What do you actually want from me?"

The room grew quiet.

Alessandro stepped closer.

His voice lowered slightly.

"I told you already."

"Which was?"

"You caught my attention."

Emily scoffed.

"That's not a reason."

"For me, it is."

She held his gaze.

"That sounds like you're used to getting what you want."

"I am."

"And if I say no?"

His expression didn't change.

"Then you say no."

Emily blinked.

That wasn't the answer she expected.

"You're serious."

"Completely."

She tilted her head.

"You're a strange man."

Alessandro studied her quietly.

"And you," he said, "are about to become a very complicated problem."

---

Chapter 3 — The Name Everyone Knows

The next morning, Emily woke up in her apartment with a pounding headache and the lingering feeling that the previous night had been unreal.

She stared at the ceiling for a long moment.

*Did I really go to a mafia palace with a stranger?*

Then she saw the card on her bedside table.

A black business card.

Embossed silver letters:

Alessandro Romano

No phone number.

No title.

Just the name.

Emily sat up slowly.

"Okay," she muttered.

"That definitely happened."

Her roommate Sofia burst into the room.

"Emily!"

Emily jumped.

"What?"

Sofia looked panicked.

"Do you know who Alessandro Romano is?"

Emily blinked.

"…Should I?"

Sofia stared at her like she had just confessed to meeting the Pope at Starbucks.

"Oh my God," Sofia whispered.

"You don't know."

Emily's stomach tightened.

"Know what?"

Sofia grabbed her phone and shoved the screen toward her.

An article headline filled the display.

ROMANO FAMILY EXPANDS CONTROL OVER NORTHERN ITALY BUSINESSES

Emily frowned.

"What is that?"

Sofia pointed at the photo in the article.

It was Alessandro.

Standing outside a luxury hotel.

Surrounded by men in suits.

The caption read:

*Alessandro Romano, head of the powerful Romano family.*

Emily felt her heartbeat spike.

"Family?"

Sofia lowered her voice dramatically.

"Not family family."

Emily swallowed.

"Then what kind?"

Sofia leaned closer.

"The kind with guns."

Silence filled the room.

Emily slowly set the phone down.

"You're telling me…"

Sofia nodded.

"You spent the night with the most dangerous man in Florence."

Emily groaned and dropped back onto the bed.

"Of course I did."

Sofia grabbed her shoulders.

"Emily! He's mafia!"

Emily stared at the ceiling.

"Well," she muttered.

"That explains the palace."

Sofia paced nervously.

"You need to stay away from him."

Emily sat up again.

"Relax. It's not like he asked me to join a crime family."

Right at that moment…

Her phone buzzed.

Both girls looked at it.

A text message from an unknown number.

Emily slowly opened it.

Alessandro:

*Good morning, Emily.*

Her stomach flipped.

Another message followed.

*Lunch today.*

Not a question.

A statement.

Sofia whispered:

"Oh my God."

Emily sighed.

"…I think the mafia boss is asking me on a date."

---

Chapter 4 — The Mafia Dinner

Emily stared at the message on her phone for a long time.

"Lunch today."

Not *Would you like lunch?*

Not *Are you free?*

Just… lunch.

Sofia paced across the room like a nervous cat.

"You're not going," she said for the fifth time.

Emily rubbed her forehead.

"I didn't say I was."

"You're thinking about it."

Emily hesitated.

That was the problem.

She "was" thinking about it.

Alessandro Romano was dangerous.

Everyone in Florence apparently knew that.

But the memory of his voice… his calm confidence… the way he looked at her like he already understood her…

It lingered in her mind.

Sofia crossed her arms.

"You're not seriously considering dating a mafia boss."

"I'm not dating him," Emily said.

"You got a text that basically said *come eat with the mafia*."

Emily sighed.

"Technically it just said lunch."

Sofia groaned.

"You Americans are going to get yourselves killed."

Emily grabbed her phone again.

For a moment she considered ignoring the message.

But curiosity burned too strongly.

She typed:

Emily:

You didn't ask if I'm free.

The reply came instantly.

Alessandro:

You are.

Emily rolled her eyes.

Three dots texted.

Then another message.

12:30.

I will send a car.

Emily stared at the phone.

"You see?" Sofia said. "That's not a date. That's a kidnapping with appetizers."

Emily hesitated… then typed back:

Fine.

Sofia screamed into a pillow.

---

At exactly 12:25, a sleek black car stopped outside Emily's apartment building.

Sofia peeked through the curtain.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"What?"

"There are two cars."

Emily frowned.

"Why two?"

Sofia looked horrified.

"Because mafia bosses travel with security!"

Emily grabbed her coat.

"Well… at least I won't get mugged today."

"Emily!"

"Relax," she said with a grin.

"I'm just having lunch."

---

The restaurant sat on a quiet street near **Piazza della Signoria**.

It looked small from the outside.

But inside, everything was elegant and private.

The host immediately led Emily past the main dining room.

"To the private terrace, Signorina."

Emily blinked.

"You know who I am?"

The man smiled politely.

"Of course."

That answer did not make her feel better.

When she stepped onto the terrace…

Alessandro Romano was already there.

He stood near the railing overlooking the city.

Black suit again.

Dark sunglasses.

Like a man who stepped out of a movie about powerful criminals.

He turned as she approached.

"Emily."

She sat across from him.

"You really do the dramatic entrance thing well."

"Habit."

She looked around.

The terrace was completely empty except for them.

"You reserved the entire place?"

"Yes."

"That seems unnecessary."

"I dislike interruptions."

Emily raised an eyebrow.

"You mean witnesses."

His mouth curved slightly.

"Something like that."

A waiter appeared with menus.

Alessandro didn't even look at his.

"Bring the usual."

The waiter nodded instantly.

Emily watched him walk away.

"You come here a lot."

"Frequently."

She leaned forward slightly.

"So."

"So?"

"Everyone in my apartment now thinks I had dinner with the Italian mafia."

"And?"

"Are they wrong?"

Alessandro took off his sunglasses.

His dark eyes met hers calmly.

"No."

Emily blinked.

He said it so casually.

No denial.

No hesitation.

Just… yes.

She sat back slowly.

"Well."

"That was honest."

"I prefer honesty."

"You're a crime boss."

"I run a family."

"That's a very polite way to describe organized crime."

Alessandro watched her carefully.

"You're not frightened."

Emily shrugged.

"Should I be?"

"Most people are."

"Well," she said lightly, "most people don't invite mafia bosses to lunch."

The corner of his mouth lifted again.

"You accepted my invitation."

"That's because I'm curious."

"About?"

"You."

Their food arrived then.

Fresh pasta.

Wine.

Bread that smelled incredible.

But Emily barely noticed.

Because Alessandro hadn't looked away from her once.

Finally she asked the question that had been sitting in her mind since yesterday.

"Why me?"

Alessandro tilted his head.

"You truly want to know?"

"Yes.

"

He leaned slightly closer.

"Because you walked away from a man who did not deserve you."

Emily felt her breath catch.

"That can't be the only reason."

"No."

"Then what is?"

His voice lowered.

"You look at the world like you expect more from it."

Emily blinked.

"That's… oddly specific."

"And rare."

She stared at him.

A strange warmth spread through her chest.

Alessandro picked up his wine glass.

"And because," he added quietly, "I like the way you challenge me."

Emily laughed softly.

"Most people probably don't challenge you."

"They do not."

"Well," she said with a playful smile, "I'm American.

"

---

Chapter 5 — The Ex Who Regrets Everything

Lucas did not expect to see Emily again so soon.

But two days later, she walked straight into the university courtyard like nothing had happened.