- 2 days ago
Step into a world of passion, power, and drama. On this channel, you’ll find captivating billionaire romances, intense mafia sagas, and heartfelt love stories that will keep you hooked until the very last word.
Whether it’s the allure of wealth, the danger of the underworld, or the beauty of love against all odds — Ashley’s Stories brings you tales that are bold, emotional, and unforgettable.
💖 Subscribe now and lose yourself in stories of desire, danger, and destiny.
Whether it’s the allure of wealth, the danger of the underworld, or the beauty of love against all odds — Ashley’s Stories brings you tales that are bold, emotional, and unforgettable.
💖 Subscribe now and lose yourself in stories of desire, danger, and destiny.
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00If I'd known buying a kitten would make a grown man in a black shirt threaten me in the middle
00:04of a pet store parking lot, I would have just gotten my niece a goldfish. But no, here I am,
00:10standing in ninety-degree Miami sunshine, holding a tiny white fluffball named Marshmallow,
00:16arguing with a man who looks like he could buy the entire city and still complain about the
00:19humidity. I'm sorry, I say, squinting up at him. You're saying this cat is yours? His jaw flexes,
00:28sharp, angular, and entirely too distracting. The kind of jaw sculpted to ruin common sense.
00:34His voice is low, deliberate. That's not just a cat. That's my cat, I blink. Okay, wow. Didn't
00:41think billionaires did cat repossessions personally. He doesn't flinch, doesn't even smirk. Just stands
00:47there, broad shoulders filling the sunlight, black shirt open at the collar, rolled sleeves revealing
00:53forearms that should be illegal in most states. Where did you get her? He asks, his tone calm but
01:00cutting, like he's used to people trembling when he speaks. I hug Marshmallow closer.
01:07At a rescue shelter. You know where abandoned animals go? The lady said she was left in a carrier
01:12behind a cafe, which I guess is apparently the high-end way to lose a pet in Miami. His eyes,
01:18steel gray and far too focused, flicker with something like disbelief. Behind a cafe? Yes,
01:25I say. Do you want the address too? Or maybe we can involve the FBI cat division. He exhales through
01:32his nose, almost a laugh but not quite. You're funny. I'm angry, I correct. You're trying to take
01:38my niece's birthday present. That's when he takes a step closer. The kind of step that invades personal
01:44space and logic. His cologne, smoky citrus, expensive enough to make me question my life
01:50choices, hits me like a drug. He lowers his voice. I'm not trying to take anything. I'm
01:57reclaiming what's mine. Right, I say, sarcasm dialed up. Because you and your, what is that,
02:04a Ferrari or a spaceship? Really scream cat dad. He glances back at the sleek black car glinting
02:11behind him, lips twitching. It's a McLaren. Of course it is, I mutter. You even say it like
02:18you own a fleet of them. I do. Of course he does. He extends his hand toward the kitten.
02:25Let me see her. Not happening. I clutch Marshmallow tighter. And the kitten meows. A traitor in fur
02:31form. I'm not going to hurt her. His tone softens. A dangerous contrast to the intensity in his eyes.
02:39She recognizes my voice. Watch. Before I can protest, he says, almost under his breath,
02:47Luna. The kitten's ears perk up. My mouth falls open. What the, see? He says quietly. She's mine.
02:55Okay, that's unsettling. The kitten just knows him. She's purring like a motorboat, reaching out her
03:01tiny paw toward his hand. I swallow. Well, maybe she has good taste. He actually smiles this time,
03:09slow, devastating. Maybe she does. God help me, I should walk away. I should put the kitten in my
03:16car and drive off. Instead, I'm standing here, completely disarmed by a man who looks like he
03:21runs empires and breaks hearts for sport. So what's your deal? I ask, trying to sound unaffected.
03:27You lose your cat and send your assistant to get her back, but she's out of office,
03:31so you decided to do it yourself? I don't have assistance for personal matters, he says.
03:37And Luna's not just a pet. She was a gift. From who? He pauses, gaze flicking toward the sky,
03:44like the sun might give him an answer. Someone who's gone. Oh, there's a shadow in his voice.
03:50Brief but real. It makes me lower my guard for a second too long. That's when he says,
03:56you're coming with me. I blink. Excuse me? To confirm she's really Luna. My vet's on my estate.
04:05Ten minutes away. I laugh out loud. You seriously think I'm just gonna hop into your billionaire
04:10mobile and drive off to your mysterious villa because you said so? He tilts his head slightly.
04:15Yes. Oh my god, you're serious. His lips curve barely. Do you always argue this much?
04:21Only with men who think they can buy the sun, I snap. He studies me for a long beat.
04:28What's your name? Hazel, I say before I can stop myself. Hazel Brooks. Hazel? He repeats,
04:35tasting the name like it's a wine he's deciding whether to buy. You don't scare easily. Is that
04:40a compliment? It's an observation. I narrow my eyes. And what do I call you, Mr. Cat Collector?
04:46He smirks now. Finally, that subtle arrogance fitting his face.
04:52Mateo Russo. The name rings a faint bell. Like something whispered on the news. Or maybe
04:58one of those glossy business magazines that talk about self-made billionaires with questionable
05:03ethics. My stomach drops. Oh. That Mateo Russo. Your... Yes. The guy who owns half of South
05:14Beach, he finishes. Among other things, I stare. You're a mafia boss. He doesn't confirm
05:20it. Doesn't deny it either. That's one version of the story. My brain spins. The humidity.
05:27The sunlight. The kitten. The man. It's all too much. Well, sorry, Mateo, whatever your last
05:32name was, but I'm not going anywhere with you. You can sue me if you want your cat that badly.
05:37I start to walk off. Heart pounding. Kitten clutched like a lifeline. He doesn't stop me.
05:45Not immediately. But when I reach my beat-up Corolla, there's already a man leaning against
05:49it. Sunglasses. Tattoo. The unmistakable security type.
05:55Mateo strolls up behind me. Slow. Confident.
05:59You really thought I came alone? I whirl around. Are you kidnapping me over a kitten?
06:05His expression softens again, infuriatingly calm. I'm inviting you to clear a misunderstanding
06:11safely. You have my word. Your word? You mean the word of a man who probably has people buried
06:16under his backyard. He laughs this time. A quiet, surprise sound that throws me completely
06:21off balance. You talk too much. Because I'm nervous. He gestures to the McLaren. Come on,
06:28ten minutes. You'll have her back by lunch. I hesitate. My niece's birthday party is in
06:33three hours. The kitten squirms, meowing again, reaching toward him. Fine, I mutter. But if
06:39I go missing, my sister's a lawyer and my best friend has a big mouth. He opens the door
06:44for me. Noted. Inside, the car smells like leather and power. The engine hums low and deep
06:51as we speed down Ocean Drive, sunlight glittering off the hood. Mateo drives like he owns the road.
06:58Which, considering his reputation, he might. Nice car, I mumble. He glances sideways.
07:06You hate it. I hate what it represents. And what's that? People who think rules don't apply
07:12to them. He smirks. You'll fit right in. I look out the window just to stop myself from
07:17responding. The Miami skyline blazes against the ocean, all glass and gold and impossible
07:23light. We pull through massive iron gates that swing open like they recognize him.
07:29The estate is sprawling. White marble. Palm trees. A turquoise pool glinting in the sun.
07:36Ten minutes, I remind him. Clutching Marshmallow. Luna. Whatever her name is. He nods.
07:43Right. Ten minutes. A man in a white coat approaches. The vet, I guess. They scan the
07:51kitten's microchip. Mateo folds his arms, watching me instead of the screen. The vet smiles. She's
07:58registered to a Mateo Russo. Owner's contact verified. My stomach sinks. Mateo turns to me.
08:05Told you. I sigh, brushing a strand of hair from my face. Fine. You win. She's yours.
08:11He steps closer, so close I can see the sunlight catching in his eyes. I didn't mean to take
08:17something that mattered to you. Yeah. Well, she was supposed to make my niece stop crying
08:23about her parents' divorce, so... Congratulations. You're the bad guy in a seven-year-old story
08:29now. His gaze softens. A flicker of guilt. I'll make it right. Oh, sure, I say. You'll
08:36just buy her a pony or something? He smiles faintly. If that's what it takes.
08:41Before I can argue, he says something that makes my pulse stutter.
08:46You're staying for lunch. I blink. No, I'm not. Yes, you are. I owe you a kitten.
08:53And I don't leave debts unpaid. And just like that, the sunlight feels heavier, the air thicker,
08:59and the line between chaos and curiosity starts to blur. Because for reasons I don't understand yet,
09:05and probably won't survive, I follow him toward the house. And I realize I haven't even begun to lose
09:13control.
09:13If I ever tell this story to anyone, and I probably won't, because who would believe me,
09:22I'll say this. Matteo Russo's house looks like a Roman god decided to build a resort in Miami and
09:28forgot to leave. Everything gleams. White marble floors, glass walls opening to ocean views,
09:35sunlight bouncing off gold-framed art. Even the air smells expensive. Like citrus in control.
09:41And I'm standing barefoot in it because he made me take my shoes off at the door.
09:47They scratched the marble, he said, as if my twenty-dollar flats from Target had the power
09:51to ruin his empire. Now he's at the far end of the open kitchen, slicing mango with the precision
09:58of a surgeon who also casually orders people's lives rearranged.
10:02Sit, he says, nodding toward the massive island.
10:05I'm not a dog, I mutter, hopping onto the stool anyway. The stool probably costs more than my rent.
10:14You said you were hungry, he reminds me.
10:17I didn't say I wanted you to feed me.
10:20He gives me a look that says I'm amusing and exhausting all at once.
10:24You're in my house, Hazel. Let me be a decent host.
10:28Hostage, I correct under my breath. He hears it.
10:31If you were a hostage, you wouldn't have my chef's mangoes.
10:35Wow, I say, grabbing a slice.
10:38Stockholm Syndrome never tasted so tropical.
10:40That earns the faintest smile.
10:42It's annoying how good he looks when he does that.
10:45Like the sun exists just to light his jawline.
10:49We eat in silence for a bit.
10:51The kitten, Luna, not Marshmallow, curled up in his lap,
10:54purring like she's back where she belongs.
10:56I try not to take it personally.
10:58Finally, he asks,
11:00Why a kitten for your niece?
11:02I shrug, chewing.
11:03Because her parents are divorcing,
11:05and she thinks if she loves something small and helpless enough,
11:08maybe people won't leave her.
11:10His knife stops mid-slice.
11:12That's a heavy thought for a kid.
11:14She's smart, I say softly.
11:17Too smart.
11:18He studies me for a moment, eyes thoughtful.
11:21You sound like someone who knows what that feels like.
11:23I meet his gaze.
11:25Maybe he doesn't push.
11:26Just says quietly,
11:28I'm sorry about the kitten.
11:30Yeah, well...
11:32I sigh.
11:33Apology accepted.
11:34Mango appreciated.
11:35He chuckles.
11:37You really don't scare easily, do you?
11:39Scared?
11:40Sure.
11:40I just talk too much when I am.
11:42That explains a lot.
11:44I throw a napkin at him.
11:45It lands on his shoulder.
11:47He doesn't flinch,
11:48but his smile widens,
11:49like I just did something no one else ever would.
11:51It's disarming.
11:53Unfair, even.
11:53After lunch,
11:55he insists on showing me the property,
11:58like some kind of peace offering.
12:00We walk along a marble terrace
12:02overlooking the turquoise ocean.
12:04Palm trees sway in perfect formation,
12:06and the breeze smells like salt and money.
12:09This is insane,
12:11I say,
12:11shielding my eyes.
12:13People vacation for three years
12:14just to see views like this.
12:17He glances at me.
12:18You could stay if you wanted,
12:20I laugh.
12:20Yeah, let me just move into your mafia palace.
12:24I'll water the orchids while you do.
12:26Whatever it is mob billionaires do
12:27between brunch and blackmail.
12:29He stops walking.
12:31You think I'm joking?
12:32I blink.
12:33Wait, you're not?
12:34I'm not what people say,
12:36he says quietly.
12:37Not anymore.
12:39That sounds like something people say
12:40right before admitting
12:41they used to be exactly what people say.
12:44His jaw tightens.
12:46You don't know me.
12:48No, I say.
12:50But I know men who think
12:51control equals safety.
12:53He turns to face me fully,
12:55sunlight flaring behind him
12:56like a halo made of warning signs.
12:59And what do you think safety is, Hazel?
13:01Not this, I shoot back.
13:03Not a life where someone
13:04has to guard their cat with bodyguards.
13:07He actually laughs at that,
13:08low, deep,
13:10and unexpectedly warm.
13:12You might be the only woman alive
13:14who insults me
13:14and still gets invited to lunch.
13:16I'm honored.
13:18Should I get a medal?
13:19He steps closer.
13:21You want a medal
13:21or do you want honesty?
13:23The way he says it
13:24makes my breath catch.
13:25He's too close.
13:27Too calm.
13:28And the world suddenly feels
13:30both brighter and smaller.
13:32Honesty.
13:33I whisper.
13:35His voice drops.
13:36Then here it is.
13:37People don't tell me no.
13:39They don't argue.
13:40They don't challenge me.
13:41And they definitely
13:42don't throw napkins at me.
13:44But you do.
13:44And I can't decide
13:45if I want to lock you out
13:46of my life
13:47or never let you leave it.
13:49My heart stumbles.
13:50That's not exactly
13:52a casual confession.
13:54He shrugs.
13:55Like vulnerability
13:56is a language
13:56he only speaks by accident.
13:58I don't do casual.
14:00Before I can respond,
14:01someone shouts his name
14:02from across the pool.
14:03A man in a white linen shirt
14:05jogs over,
14:05phone in hand,
14:06face tense.
14:08Boss,
14:08we've got a problem.
14:09The word boss
14:10hits me like a slap.
14:12Matteo's entire demeanor shifts.
14:14Calm turns to steel.
14:15What problem?
14:17Coppola family
14:17made a move downtown,
14:19the man says,
14:20lowering his voice.
14:22They're buying
14:22into your real estate front.
14:24It's deliberate.
14:25Matteo curses
14:26softly in Italian,
14:27then glances at me.
14:28Excuse us, Hazel.
14:30I cross my arms.
14:31No, go ahead.
14:32I'll just sunbathe
14:34and pretend this isn't
14:34the weirdest day of my life.
14:37He almost smiles at that,
14:38then walks off with the man,
14:40their conversation low and fast.
14:42From the terrace,
14:44I can see the ocean
14:45stretch endlessly,
14:46bright and perfect.
14:47But my gut twists,
14:49because even in all this sunlight,
14:51danger has a way
14:52of casting its own kind of shadow.
14:54A few minutes later,
14:56I hear raised voices,
14:57his,
14:58controlled but sharp.
15:00The other man's nervous.
15:01When Matteo comes back,
15:02his expression is unreadable.
15:05I have to go handle something.
15:07Stay here.
15:08Handle what?
15:09Mafia brunch etiquette?
15:10His lips twitch despite himself.
15:12Something like that.
15:13You'll be safe here.
15:15Safe from what?
15:16He doesn't answer.
15:17Matteo, I press.
15:18I'm not just going to sit here
15:20playing babysitter to your cat
15:21while you go.
15:23He cuts me off.
15:24Hazel.
15:25He says my name like a command,
15:27not a plea.
15:28Please.
15:29It's the please that stops me.
15:31He's gone a moment later.
15:32Striding toward a waiting helicopter
15:34at the far end of the estate.
15:36Yes.
15:37A helicopter.
15:39I stand there.
15:41Stunned.
15:42Watching it lift off
15:43into the blazing blue sky.
15:44Wind whipping through my hair.
15:46Luna jumps onto the terrace railing.
15:48Tail flicking.
15:49She meows.
15:51Almost like she knows
15:51something I don't.
15:53Yeah, girl.
15:54I whisper.
15:55He's trouble.
15:57Two hours later,
15:58trouble calls me.
16:00Literally.
16:01My phone buzzes
16:02with an unknown number.
16:04I answer without thinking.
16:05Hazel?
16:06Matteo?
16:07His voice is tight.
16:09Are you still at the house?
16:10Yeah, you said to stay.
16:11Why, listen carefully.
16:13Don't leave the property.
16:14Don't talk to anyone.
16:15Someone followed you
16:16from the shelter.
16:17They think you're with me.
16:19My pulse spikes.
16:20What?
16:21Why would they?
16:22They saw you with Luna.
16:23She's symbolic.
16:25To my enemies.
16:27Symbolic?
16:28She's a cat,
16:29not a nuclear code.
16:30It's complicated,
16:31he says.
16:32Just trust me.
16:33Security's on their way.
16:35Before I can protest,
16:37the line goes dead.
16:39I stare at the phone,
16:40frozen.
16:41Then,
16:42through the glass wall,
16:43I see a black SUV
16:44slow roll down the palm-lined drive.
16:47Not today,
16:48I whisper,
16:49scooping up Luna.
16:51I run through the house,
16:53bare feet sliding on marble,
16:55adrenaline pounding.
16:57The SUV stops outside.
16:59Two men step out,
17:00suits too formal for Miami heat.
17:02One knocks on the door.
17:04Miss Brooks?
17:05We're here to escort you.
17:06Yeah, no.
17:07I don't trust anyone in suits right now.
17:10I dart out the back,
17:11down the terrace stairs,
17:13into the garden that smells like sugarcane and fear.
17:16I hide behind a row of palm hedges,
17:19clutching the kitten like a life raft.
17:21Then,
17:22footsteps.
17:24Hazel.
17:25It's Mateo's voice.
17:26I turn.
17:28And there he is,
17:29walking fast down the path,
17:31sunlight blazing off his black shirt,
17:33sleeves rolled up,
17:34eyes fierce.
17:35How?
17:36Helicopter,
17:37he says simply,
17:38like that explains everything.
17:40Come here,
17:40I do.
17:41Against all logic,
17:43I run straight toward him.
17:44He catches me by the arm,
17:46pulls me close,
17:47scanning me like he needs proof I'm real.
17:50Did they touch you?
17:51No.
17:52But they were at your gate,
17:54he exhales,
17:55relief and fury tangled together.
17:57They won't be again.
17:58Who are they?
17:59People who want what I have,
18:01he says,
18:02eyes still locked on mine.
18:04And now they know you.
18:06Great,
18:06I mutter.
18:07Exactly how I wanted to spend my Friday,
18:10on a mob hit list.
18:11He actually smiles at that.
18:14You're impossible.
18:15Thanks,
18:15I try.
18:17He shakes his head,
18:17still holding my wrist.
18:20You should hate me for pulling you into this.
18:23Maybe I do,
18:24I say quietly.
18:25But you also saved me,
18:27twice.
18:28The air thickens.
18:29His gaze drops to my mouth.
18:31You shouldn't look at me like that.
18:33Like what?
18:34Like you're not afraid.
18:36I'm not,
18:36I whisper.
18:37Not of you.
18:39For a heartbeat,
18:40he looks like he's going to kiss me.
18:42The sunlight glows around us,
18:44the ocean roaring in the distance,
18:46Luna meowing between us like a witness.
18:49Then he steps back.
18:51I need to fix this.
18:53And when I do,
18:54you'll decide if you still want to be anywhere near me.
18:57I cross my arms.
18:58That sounds like you're assuming I'll wait,
19:00he smirks.
19:01You're still here,
19:02aren't you?
19:03And damn it,
19:03he's right.
19:04Because even as his men rush past,
19:07even as his phone rings again,
19:08and his empire threatens to collapse around him,
19:12I stay.
19:13Because something about Matteo Russo
19:15makes the danger feel like daylight.
19:18Bright,
19:19blinding,
19:20and impossible to look away from.
19:26If you told me last week
19:28that I'd be hiding in a glass mansion
19:29with a mafia boss,
19:31clutching his kitten like a furry stress ball,
19:33I'd have laughed myself into next week.
19:36Now?
19:37Not so funny.
19:38Because the sound of helicopters,
19:40guards,
19:40and Matteo Russo
19:41barking orders into a phone
19:42has become my new version of good morning.
19:45It's been three days.
19:47Three days since men in suits
19:48tried to kidnap me over a cat.
19:50Three days since Matteo's world
19:52became mine by accident.
19:54And three days since I've realized
19:55that beneath his cold,
19:56powerful exterior,
19:58there's a man who's both infuriatingly human
20:00and heartbreakingly unreachable.
20:02I'm sitting by the pool,
20:04sunlight reflecting off the turquoise water,
20:06wearing one of his oversized shirts
20:09because mine got ripped in the chaos.
20:11Luna sprawls across my lap,
20:13purring like she owns me now.
20:15Matteo walks out onto the terrace,
20:17sleeves rolled,
20:18black shirt catching the light,
20:20sunglasses in hand.
20:22He looks tired.
20:23Not the kind of tired you fix with sleep,
20:26but the kind that comes from
20:27carrying too many lives on your back.
20:29You're still here,
20:31he says quietly.
20:32I smirk.
20:34Yeah,
20:35I tried escaping,
20:35but the ocean's too pretty
20:37to swim away from.
20:38He almost smiles.
20:40And the guards?
20:41They scare me less than you do.
20:43He laughs softly,
20:44shaking his head.
20:46You're the only person alive
20:47who can insult me before breakfast.
20:49I tilt my head.
20:51You're welcome.
20:53He sits across from me,
20:54elbows resting on his knees.
20:56You should go home, Hazel.
20:58This isn't your fight.
21:00I look at him for a long moment.
21:02Maybe it became mine
21:04when someone tried to drag me into a van.
21:06I handled that,
21:08he says,
21:09voice low.
21:10Yeah,
21:10but what about next time?
21:12He meets my eyes,
21:14steady,
21:14unreadable.
21:15There won't be a next time.
21:17Because you'll kill them?
21:19Because I'll end it,
21:20he says simply.
21:21It's terrifying how calm he sounds.
21:24Like he's talking about a business meeting
21:26instead of revenge.
21:28I swallow.
21:29You know,
21:30normal people would call the police,
21:32he smirks.
21:33And tell them what?
21:34That someone tried to steal my cat
21:36and kidnap my...
21:37guest?
21:38I roll my eyes.
21:39Oh, so that's what I am now.
21:41A guest?
21:42He leans forward,
21:42eyes flicking to my mouth again.
21:44Would you prefer something else?
21:46My pulse jumps.
21:47Like what?
21:48Don't ask questions
21:49you're not ready for the answer to,
21:51he murmurs.
21:53Mateo.
21:54But before I can finish,
21:56one of his men rushes out from inside.
21:58Boss, we have word.
21:59Coppola's people are moving a shipment
22:01through your south docks.
22:03Mateo's expression hardens.
22:05How many?
22:06Three trucks.
22:07Broad daylight.
22:08Of course.
22:09Only in this world
22:09would a turf war happen
22:10while the sun's blazing
22:12and the seagulls are chirping
22:13like nothing's wrong.
22:15He stands.
22:16Stay inside.
22:18Wait, what are you going to do?
22:20What I do best,
22:21he says,
22:22turning toward the stairs.
22:23Which is?
22:25When?
22:25And just like that,
22:27he's gone.
22:28Phone to his ear,
22:29voice sharp.
22:30Men falling in behind him
22:31like chess pieces.
22:33I stare after him,
22:34heart twisting.
22:35Because for all his power,
22:37he looks like a man
22:38one wrong move away
22:38from losing everything.
22:40The minutes drag.
22:41I pace the terrace,
22:43Luna following me
22:44like a tiny bodyguard.
22:45Then,
22:46out of nowhere,
22:46a car screeches up the drive.
22:49A silver sedan.
22:50Not one of his.
22:52Panic spikes.
22:54Two men step out,
22:55both in suits,
22:56both unfamiliar.
22:58One of them spots me
22:59through the glass
23:00and grins.
23:02Hey,
23:03Miss Brooks,
23:03right?
23:03I freeze.
23:04Nope.
23:05I say out loud
23:06to no one,
23:07already running.
23:08I grab Luna,
23:09sprint across the house,
23:11and shove open
23:11a side door
23:12that leads to the back patio.
23:13The sun is blinding,
23:15the air thick
23:16with ocean heat.
23:17Hazel,
23:18one of them shouts,
23:19nope,
23:20not happening.
23:21I make it halfway
23:22to the garden
23:23before I collide,
23:24literally,
23:25into Mateo.
23:26He catches me mid-run,
23:28hands gripping my arms.
23:29What are you doing?
23:31Unwanted visitors,
23:32I gasp.
23:33Two guys in suits,
23:34they said my name.
23:35His expression
23:36turns lethal.
23:37He signals to his men
23:38with one sharp motion.
23:40Handle it.
23:40Then he looks back at me.
23:42Are you hurt?
23:43No,
23:44just heart rates
23:45somewhere in the stratosphere.
23:47He presses a hand
23:48to the back of my head,
23:49steadying me.
23:50You're safe.
23:52Define safe,
23:53I mutter.
23:54His hand lingers
23:55a second too long.
23:57With me.
23:58And then the gunfire starts.
24:00Not the kind from movies.
24:02No slow motion,
24:03no dramatic music.
24:05Just sharp,
24:06distant cracks
24:06that make my stomach drop.
24:08I flinch.
24:10He doesn't.
24:11He just keeps his eyes on me,
24:13calm in the middle of chaos.
24:16Don't look,
24:17he murmurs.
24:18I want to argue,
24:20but something in his voice
24:21stops me.
24:22It's not a command.
24:23It's a promise.
24:24A minute later,
24:25silence.
24:26Birds chirp again.
24:27Waves crash
24:27like nothing happened.
24:29One of his men approaches.
24:31It's done.
24:32Mateo nods once.
24:33Good.
24:34He turns to me.
24:35You see why I said
24:36this isn't your world?
24:38I stare at him.
24:38And you see why I said
24:40I can handle myself?
24:42He almost smiles,
24:43but it's tired.
24:44You shouldn't have to handle this.
24:46Too late,
24:47I whisper.
24:48I already am.
24:50Hours later,
24:51the estate is quiet again.
24:52The danger's past,
24:53for now.
24:54We sit by the pool at sunset,
24:56the sky bleeding gold.
24:58He's barefoot,
24:59sleeves rolled,
25:00shirt open just enough
25:01to reveal the faint scar
25:02at his collarbone.
25:04You really think it's over?
25:05I ask.
25:06For now,
25:07he says.
25:07But people like me,
25:09we never really get peace.
25:10I tilt my head.
25:12You could walk away.
25:13He gives me a look.
25:15And go where?
25:16Anywhere,
25:17I say softly.
25:18Start over.
25:19You've got enough money
25:20to buy a country.
25:21He chuckles.
25:22Money doesn't buy
25:23clean hands,
25:24Hazel.
25:25Maybe not,
25:26I say.
25:27But it can buy
25:28second chances.
25:29He studies me
25:30for a long moment.
25:32You really believe that?
25:33I have to,
25:34I say.
25:35Otherwise,
25:35what's the point?
25:37His gaze drops,
25:38his voice rough.
25:39You don't know
25:39what I've done.
25:40Then tell me.
25:41He looks away.
25:43You wouldn't look
25:43at me the same.
25:45I already don't,
25:46I say.
25:47At first,
25:47I thought you were
25:48just a rich control freak
25:49with a god complex.
25:51Now I know you're...
25:53complicated.
25:54That actually
25:55makes him laugh.
25:56Complicated.
25:57That's a generous
25:58word for me.
25:59Maybe I'm generous,
26:01I say,
26:01smiling.
26:03He looks at me then.
26:04Really looks.
26:06You shouldn't be.
26:07But I am,
26:08I whisper.
26:09And it's not changing.
26:11The air between us
26:12goes still.
26:13Bright,
26:13heavy,
26:14and charged.
26:15Then he says it.
26:16The thing that breaks me
26:18and heals me
26:18at the same time.
26:20You ruin my peace.
26:22I swallow hard.
26:24Guess you'll have
26:25to live in chaos then.
26:27He laughs softly,
26:28shaking his head.
26:29You really don't know
26:30when to quit,
26:31do you?
26:32Nope.
26:32Never learned.
26:34For a long moment,
26:35neither of us
26:35says anything.
26:37The sunlight dances
26:38across the water.
26:39Luna stretches lazily
26:41on the tiles,
26:42and the world feels,
26:43impossibly,
26:44calm.
26:46Then he reaches for me.
26:48Slow,
26:49deliberate,
26:50fingers brushing mine
26:50like a question.
26:52I let him.
26:53His hand is warm,
26:55steady.
26:55I don't deserve this,
26:57he says quietly.
26:59Maybe not,
27:00I say.
27:01But I do.
27:02That earns me another one
27:03of those faint,
27:04devastating smiles.
27:06You're impossible.
27:08So I've been told.
27:10He leans in,
27:11so close I can see
27:12the sunlight flicker
27:13in his eyes.
27:14You sure you want this life?
27:16Me?
27:17I nod.
27:17I didn't plan on it.
27:19But yeah,
27:20his breath catches.
27:21Then he kisses me.
27:22It's not soft
27:23or hesitant.
27:24It's desperate
27:25and real
27:26and entirely wrong
27:27in every logical sense.
27:29But I don't care.
27:30Because for the first time,
27:32I feel alive.
27:33When he finally pulls back,
27:35he whispers,
27:36You should go
27:36before I change my mind.
27:38I shake my head.
27:39I'm not leaving you.
27:40He smiles sadly.
27:42I'm the storm, Hazel,
27:43and you deserve the sun.
27:44I grin.
27:45Good thing I like
27:46living dangerously.
27:48The next morning,
27:49he drives me back
27:50to my apartment
27:51in downtown Miami.
27:52No guards.
27:54No entourage.
27:55Just him,
27:56me,
27:56and Luna in her carrier,
27:58purring like she knows
27:59something we don't.
28:01When he parks,
28:02he stays silent
28:02for a moment.
28:04Then,
28:05I bought your niece
28:06a new kitten,
28:06he says.
28:07I blink.
28:09What?
28:09She'll have it
28:10by this afternoon.
28:11Same breed.
28:12Different name.
28:13This one stays with me.
28:15I smile,
28:15shaking my head.
28:16You really don't do
28:17small gestures, do you?
28:19He grins.
28:20Not my style.
28:21I unbuckle,
28:22hand on the door.
28:24So this is goodbye?
28:25For now.
28:26And after?
28:27He meets my gaze.
28:28After?
28:29We'll see,
28:30I laugh softly.
28:31That's cryptic.
28:32Wouldn't be me otherwise.
28:34I start to step out,
28:36but he catches my wrist,
28:37just like he did
28:38that first day.
28:39Hazel,
28:40he says quietly.
28:41You change things
28:42I didn't think could change.
28:44I smile.
28:45That's what chaos does.
28:47And before I can overthink it,
28:49I lean in,
28:50press a quick kiss
28:51to his cheek
28:51and whisper,
28:52Don't get too comfortable.
28:54He smirks.
28:56Never.
28:57I close the door,
28:59walk toward my building,
29:00and don't look back
29:01until I reach the steps.
29:03He's still there,
29:04engine purring,
29:05sunlight flashing off
29:06his black shirt
29:07as he drives away,
29:09like a man who might
29:10be gone forever,
29:10or might come back
29:12when I least expect it.
29:14Either way,
29:15I know this much.
29:16I didn't mean to fall for him,
29:18but somewhere between
29:19the kitten,
29:20the chaos,
29:21and his impossible smile,
29:23I did.
29:24And maybe,
29:25just maybe,
29:26that's the one kind of danger
29:27I'll never regret.
Recommended
27:06
23:07
22:06
26:38
22:48
27:53
27:12
25:20
27:07
27:18
24:26
25:06
27:58
23:17
25:44
27:34
17:13
25:15
1:38:14
0:59
Be the first to comment