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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.
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TVTranscript
00:00I swear this is the most humiliating thing I've done in months.
00:04Okay, Maddie.
00:06One more take.
00:07I mumble to myself,
00:09adjusting my phone on the little tripod I got for $12 off Amazon.
00:13It's balancing dangerously on top of a city trash can.
00:16Perfect.
00:17My followers are gonna love this.
00:20I glance at my reflection in the screen.
00:23Messy ponytail.
00:24Smudged lip gloss and a Target sundress that's seen better days.
00:27I paste on my influencer smile,
00:29pretending my life isn't falling apart one unpaid rent notice at a time.
00:34Hey, guys.
00:35I start.
00:36Chipper and fake.
00:38Today we're trying this new place.
00:40Rossi's.
00:41Apparently it's like super exclusive.
00:43So let's see if they'll even let a broke girl try their pasta.
00:47And that's when the universe,
00:49in all its comedic cruelty,
00:51decides to hit record on my downfall.
00:53Because as I spin toward the restaurant doors,
00:56someone steps into the frame,
00:58not someone, him.
00:59He's tall.
01:00Sharp suit.
01:01Black shirt.
01:02Top button undone like he owns oxygen.
01:05His watch probably costs more than my car.
01:07Scratch that.
01:08More than my life.
01:10His hair's dark.
01:11Perfectly undone.
01:12His jawline could slice marble.
01:14And his eyes.
01:15God help me.
01:16Are the kind that make you forget basic motor skills.
01:19And he's smiling.
01:21At me, no.
01:22Correction.
01:23Smirking.
01:24Like he knows exactly what kind of mess I am.
01:26I freeze.
01:28Still on camera.
01:29Uh, hi?
01:30He glances at the phone,
01:32then back at me,
01:33voice smooth like espresso with danger mixed in.
01:36You filming something?
01:38Just a TikTok, I stammer.
01:39You, you walked into the frame.
01:42Lucky me.
01:44His smirk deepens.
01:46Okay, what?
01:48I'm kind of working here.
01:49I say.
01:50Defensive now.
01:52Working?
01:53He echoes.
01:54Like the word doesn't belong in his vocabulary.
01:57Yeah.
01:58It's content.
02:00He tilts his head, looking amused.
02:02You make money off that?
02:03Not yet, I admit.
02:05But I will.
02:06Probably.
02:07Hopefully.
02:08He chuckles.
02:10Low.
02:10Quiet.
02:11Confident.
02:13Optimism.
02:13I like that.
02:15Then he pushes open the restaurant door
02:16and disappears inside.
02:18Just like that.
02:19I exhale like I've been holding my breath
02:21since the Jurassic era.
02:22My heart's pounding.
02:24And not just because he looked like sin in a suit.
02:26There's something about him.
02:28That calm confidence.
02:30Like he walks through life
02:31knowing nobody says no to him.
02:33I'm about to pack up when a voice barks.
02:37Hey, you can't film here!
02:39It's one of the restaurant's staff.
02:41A hostess with a tight bun and tighter tone.
02:44Oh, I wasn't.
02:45Mr. Rossi doesn't allow cameras outside his property.
02:48She snaps.
02:49Mr. Rossi?
02:51I echo.
02:52Like, the Rossi from Rossi's?
02:54Her eyes widen like I said Voldemort's name.
02:56You should go.
02:57I don't need to be told twice.
02:59I grab my phone and tripod, muttering,
03:01Okay.
03:02Fine.
03:04Sorry for trying to promote your overpriced carbs.
03:06And start speedwalking down the sidewalk.
03:09But I don't make it far.
03:12Miss.
03:13I freeze.
03:14That voice again.
03:15He's behind me now,
03:17Stepping out of the restaurant like sunlight.
03:19And authority had a baby.
03:21Hi again.
03:22I manage.
03:23Trying to act casual while my brain is short-circuiting.
03:26You left your phone.
03:28He says.
03:28Holding it up.
03:30Oh.
03:30My.
03:31God.
03:32I blink.
03:33I-
03:33I didn't-
03:34Wait, how did you-
03:36You dropped it when you bolted.
03:38I take it.
03:39Flustered.
03:40Thanks.
03:41That would have been a disaster.
03:43He studies me for a beat.
03:45Then gestures toward the cafe tables outside his restaurant.
03:48Sit with me.
03:49What?
03:49Oh no, I-
03:50I'm not dressed for-
03:51Uh, whatever this is.
03:53His mouth curves.
03:54It's lunch.
03:55Not a job interview.
03:57But I'm not eating at Rossi's.
03:59I protest.
04:00I can't even afford to smell the food here.
04:02You won't be paying.
04:04I narrow my eyes.
04:05Why would you buy me lunch?
04:07He shrugs, hands in his pockets, effortlessly intimidating.
04:10Because I walked into your video.
04:12I interrupted your-
04:13Art.
04:13I blink at him.
04:14You're kidding.
04:15He doesn't blink back.
04:17I'm not.
04:18And that's how I find myself sitting.
04:20Across from a man who looks like he's stepped out of a Vogue cover.
04:22Shoot.
04:23All expensive, calm, and quiet dominance.
04:25While I'm sweating through my thrifted dress.
04:28So?
04:29I say, after a long silence.
04:32Do you always invite random strangers to lunch?
04:34Only when they point cameras at me.
04:36He replies.
04:37Cutting into his salad like it's an act of power.
04:40I didn't point it at you.
04:42You were filming outside my restaurant.
04:44Wait.
04:45I say slowly.
04:47Your restaurant?
04:48He looks up.
04:49Lips curling into that same knowing smile.
04:51Dominic Rossi.
04:52Nice to meet you.
04:54My jaw drops.
04:55You're Mr. Rossi?
04:57Guilty.
04:58Oh my god.
04:58You're like famous.
05:00He smirks.
05:01Infamous, some would say.
05:03There's something in the way he says it.
05:05Smooth.
05:06But with an edge that makes my skin prickle.
05:09So?
05:10I say carefully.
05:12You own this place?
05:14This and a few others.
05:15He leans back.
05:17You're not from around here.
05:18Born and raised in Kansas.
05:20Moved here last year.
05:21Still figuring it out.
05:22He nods.
05:23You're struggling.
05:24It's not even a question.
05:26And I hate that he's right.
05:28Is it that obvious?
05:30I ask, forcing a laugh.
05:32He studies me, like he can see more than I want him to.
05:35You remind me of someone.
05:37Who?
05:38He doesn't answer.
05:40Instead, he signals for the waiter, like he's shutting down the question entirely.
05:44The silence stretches.
05:47Warm sunlight.
05:48Clinking glasses.
05:49Laughter from other tables.
05:51But there's a strange weight between us.
05:54So?
05:55I try again.
05:57You're the big boss around here, huh?
05:59You could say that.
06:00Cool.
06:01And...
06:02What kind of boss are you?
06:03He looks at me.
06:04Really looks.
06:05The kind people don't cross twice.
06:08I laugh nervously, assuming he's joking.
06:11Right.
06:11Mafia vibes.
06:12He doesn't laugh.
06:13My smile fades.
06:15Wait.
06:15Was that...
06:16He raises a brow, amused by my discomfort.
06:20Eat your pasta, Maddie.
06:21How do you know my name?
06:23You left your TikTok open.
06:25Oh, God.
06:26He gestures with his fork.
06:27You've got good energy on camera.
06:29Raw.
06:30Honest.
06:31I'm also broke and behind on rent.
06:33Not exactly influencer goals.
06:36He studies me again.
06:37Thoughtful.
06:38Maybe you're just in the wrong business.
06:40What?
06:41You gonna hire me?
06:42I joke.
06:43He doesn't blink.
06:44Maybe.
06:46Okay.
06:47I'm officially in over my head.
06:49He leans forward.
06:50Voice lower now.
06:51But still calm.
06:53You shouldn't film here again.
06:55My world isn't one you want to stumble into.
06:58Your world?
06:59He doesn't answer.
06:59And then, before I can push,
07:02a black SUV screeches to a stop across the street.
07:06Men in suits step out,
07:07fast and deliberate like they've rehearsed it.
07:11Dominic stands, slow and composed.
07:13Stay here.
07:14Wait.
07:15What's happening?
07:16He doesn't reply.
07:17Just walks toward them like he's walking into a board meeting.
07:20Not a potential shootout.
07:22The men freeze at his stare.
07:24And within seconds, they get back in their car and drive off.
07:27No shouting.
07:28No fight.
07:30Just one look from him and the danger evaporates.
07:33He turns back to me, unfazed.
07:35Apologies.
07:36Business disagreement.
07:37Disagreement?
07:38I choke.
07:39That looked like a freaking standoff.
07:42He smiles faintly.
07:43Welcome to my lunch hour.
07:45I stare at him, half terrified, half fascinated.
07:49Who are you?
07:50He leans down.
07:51So close I can smell the faint hint of cedar and something expensive.
07:55Someone you shouldn't be filming.
07:59He says softly.
08:00But too late now.
08:02And before I can respond,
08:04he takes my phone again,
08:06this time typing something into it,
08:08and slides it back to me.
08:09I'll be in touch.
08:11He says.
08:12Then he walks away,
08:14leaving me sitting in the sunshine,
08:16heart racing,
08:17phone buzzing with a new contact name,
08:19Dominic Rossi,
08:20and underneath it,
08:21a text.
08:22Next time, don't run.
08:27The next morning,
08:29I tell myself I'm not checking my phone for his text.
08:32I'm lying.
08:33I've been staring at Dominic Rossi for ten minutes,
08:35debating whether I should block him,
08:37or sell my soul to curiosity.
08:39He hasn't texted again since that cryptic next time,
08:43don't run.
08:44But it's been twenty-four hours.
08:46And my brain refuses to chill.
08:48I even googled him.
08:49Mistake number one.
08:51Because apparently,
08:52Dominic Rossi isn't just some rich restaurant owner.
08:55He's the CEO of Rossi Holdings,
08:57which is code for a web of luxury businesses
08:59and private investments.
09:01Half the internet says he's a genius entrepreneur.
09:05The other half whispers he's connected to things
09:07that make people disappear.
09:08And guess which part my gut believes.
09:11Still,
09:12when his name flashes across my screen that afternoon,
09:15I jump.
09:16Dominic Rossi.
09:17You left your charger at the restaurant.
09:20I blink.
09:21My charger?
09:23I definitely didn't.
09:24Me.
09:25Pretty sure I didn't.
09:27Dominic Rossi.
09:28Come get it.
09:29Or I'll send someone.
09:30Send someone.
09:31I pace my tiny apartment for five full minutes,
09:34then throw on jeans,
09:35a cropped white tea,
09:36and too much confidence for someone about to walk into a mafia man's restaurant.
09:41When I arrive,
09:42the hostess doesn't even ask who I'm here for.
09:45She just nods like she's been expecting me
09:47and leads me to the private terrace upstairs.
09:50He's sitting at a sunlit table overlooking the city,
09:54in a beige suit this time,
09:56the kind that screams understated wealth.
09:59His black shirt's still open at the top,
10:01and I swear the sunlight itself seems to like him.
10:05You came,
10:06he says,
10:07like he already knew I would.
10:09I'm only here for my charger.
10:11He smiles slightly.
10:13Of course.
10:14There's a box on the table,
10:15a sleek black one.
10:16I open it,
10:17and inside is,
10:18not my charger,
10:19it's a brand new iPhone still in plastic wrap.
10:22What is this?
10:23I ask.
10:24An apology.
10:25He says casually.
10:26For what?
10:27Smiling in my TikTok?
10:28For pulling you into my world without asking.
10:32I cross my arms.
10:34You didn't exactly drag me in.
10:36You just walked into my shot.
10:37His eyes meet mine.
10:39You really think that was an accident?
10:41I blink.
10:42Wait,
10:42you did that on purpose?
10:44He doesn't answer.
10:45Just leans back,
10:46sipping his espresso,
10:47all quiet confidence and mystery.
10:50Okay.
10:51I say slowly.
10:52This is officially too weird.
10:54I'm leaving.
10:56Sit,
10:56he says.
10:57Not loud,
10:58not threatening,
11:00but in that voice that makes obedience feel like instinct.
11:03I'm not...
11:04Maddie?
11:06Just my name,
11:07but it freezes me in place.
11:08You're not in danger,
11:10yet,
11:10yet.
11:11I drop into the chair.
11:13That's not comforting.
11:14He sighs,
11:16running a hand through his hair.
11:17Do you know who those men were yesterday?
11:19The ones in the black SUV?
11:21I assume tax auditors,
11:23he almost smiles,
11:24rival investors.
11:25They want something that belongs to me.
11:28And let me guess,
11:30I say.
11:31You mean belong in the
11:33threatening,
11:34possibly illegal sense?
11:35His eyes sharpen.
11:37You're quick.
11:38Yeah.
11:39I'm also broke,
11:41anxious,
11:41and very allergic to criminal behavior.
11:44So maybe this,
11:45whatever this is,
11:47should stop here.
11:48He studies me for a long second.
11:51You're not afraid of me.
11:53That's debatable.
11:55No.
11:56He says quietly.
11:58You should be,
11:59but you're not.
12:00I roll my eyes,
12:01standing up again.
12:02Oh, please.
12:03You don't scare me.
12:05You're just some billionaire
12:06with too much power
12:07and an ego the size of your restaurant.
12:09He rises, too.
12:11Not angry,
12:12just amused.
12:13You think I'm arrogant?
12:15I think you're used to people
12:16doing whatever you say.
12:17He smirks.
12:19And you're the exception?
12:20Apparently.
12:22There's that dangerous silence again.
12:24The one that hums between us like static.
12:27And I don't know who moves first,
12:28but suddenly,
12:29he's closer.
12:30Not touching.
12:31Just there.
12:32And it feels like the air shifts around him.
12:35Tell me something.
12:36He murmurs.
12:37Why were you filming that video?
12:39I was...
12:40promoting a local business.
12:41Trying to stay relevant.
12:43I lost my marketing job two months ago.
12:45He nods slowly,
12:46eyes still on me.
12:48So you're surviving.
12:50Trying to.
12:51His jaw tightens.
12:52Like that hits a nerve.
12:54Then he says,
12:56almost to himself,
12:57you remind me of someone
12:59who used to fight for everything, too.
13:01Who?
13:02My sister,
13:04he says quietly.
13:05Before she left,
13:06I blink.
13:07Left where?
13:08Here.
13:09My world.
13:10The honesty in his voice
13:12catches me off guard.
13:13For the first time,
13:14he doesn't sound like the untouchable Dawn.
13:16He sounds human.
13:18Wounded, even.
13:18Did you love her?
13:19I ask softly.
13:21More than anything.
13:22What happened?
13:23He exhales.
13:25She didn't want the money.
13:26Or the name.
13:27Said it poisoned everything it touched.
13:29I nod slowly.
13:30Maybe she was right.
13:32His gaze sharpens again,
13:33but there's no anger.
13:34Just curiosity.
13:36You're not afraid to tell me that.
13:38Nope.
13:38I'm from Kansas.
13:40We say what we think.
13:41That earns me a quiet laugh.
13:43You're impossible.
13:45You're welcome.
13:46The tension lightens for a moment.
13:49Sunlight glinting off glass.
13:51The sound of the city below.
13:53It's strangely peaceful.
13:55Then,
13:55just as I'm about to relax,
13:57a loud crash echoes from downstairs.
14:00The sound of something breaking.
14:02Dominic's expression changes instantly.
14:05He pulls out his phone,
14:06murmurs something in Italian,
14:08and within seconds,
14:09two men in tailored suits
14:10rush out from inside.
14:11I grab my bag,
14:14heart racing.
14:15Okay, what the hell was that?
14:17He holds up a hand.
14:19Stay here.
14:20Like hell I will.
14:22Maddie.
14:23His voice goes firm again,
14:25that command tone
14:25that leaves no room for argument.
14:28Please!
14:29The please throws me!
14:31He steps toward the railing,
14:32scanning below.
14:33From where I stand,
14:34I can see two delivery trucks
14:36parked by the curb.
14:37But the men unloading them
14:38don't look like delivery guys.
14:40Within moments,
14:42Dominic's men intercept them.
14:45There's yelling,
14:45but no guns,
14:46no chaos,
14:47just quiet intimidation.
14:49Whatever threat existed
14:50vanishes fast,
14:52like before.
14:53When he returns,
14:55his calm looks
14:55freshly painted on.
14:57Minor misunderstanding!
14:59You call that minor?
15:00I gesture wildly
15:01toward the street.
15:03Who are you, John Wick?
15:04He smirks faintly.
15:06If I told you,
15:06you wouldn't believe me.
15:08I cross my arms.
15:09Try me.
15:10He looks at me,
15:11long and searching,
15:12then says,
15:13I was born into this.
15:14The Rossi name
15:15built half of this city.
15:17Restaurants,
15:17casinos,
15:18construction.
15:19But not everything
15:20we built was
15:21legal.
15:22I've spent years
15:22trying to clean it up.
15:24Clean it up?
15:25I repeat,
15:26like a rebranding?
15:27Like survival,
15:28he says simply.
15:30My competitors
15:30don't like change.
15:32They think I'm soft,
15:33that I've forgotten
15:34where I come from.
15:35And have you?
15:36He pauses.
15:38Maybe.
15:39Until yesterday.
15:40I frown.
15:41What does that mean?
15:43He leans in slightly,
15:44his eyes locked on mine.
15:46You walked into my frame too,
15:48Maddie.
15:48Reminded me of what
15:49normal looks like.
15:50What honesty feels like.
15:52I swallow hard.
15:54Don't romanticize me,
15:55Dominic.
15:55I'm not your redemption arc.
15:57His smile tilts,
15:58half sad,
15:59half amused.
16:01Maybe not.
16:02But you're the first person
16:03in a long time
16:04who isn't afraid
16:04to tell me no.
16:06Well,
16:07I'm not about to join
16:08your crime syndicate
16:09if that's what
16:10this lunch is about.
16:11He laughs.
16:13Genuinely,
16:14this time.
16:15Relax,
16:16I don't recruit civilians.
16:18Good,
16:18I mutter,
16:19because my resume
16:20is terrible.
16:21He shakes his head,
16:22still smiling.
16:23You're
16:24something else.
16:26Before I can respond,
16:27one of his men approaches,
16:29whispers something
16:29in his ear,
16:30and Dominic's
16:31entire demeanor shifts.
16:33Colder,
16:34focused.
16:35What is it?
16:36I ask.
16:37Someone's been watching you,
16:39he says,
16:40and the air leaves my lungs.
16:41What?
16:42He gestures to his phone.
16:44You've been followed
16:45since you left here yesterday.
16:47Probably to see
16:48if you're connected to me.
16:50Why would anyone think that?
16:51Because you are,
16:53he says,
16:53calm but deadly serious.
16:55At least now.
16:57Oh no,
16:58I say standing.
16:59No,
17:00no,
17:00no.
17:00I didn't sign up for this.
17:02I don't want bodyguards
17:03or black SUVs
17:04or whatever the hell this is.
17:06He rises too,
17:07voice gentle now.
17:08You didn't sign up for it.
17:10I pulled you in.
17:11I glare at him.
17:12Then pull me out.
17:13He hesitates.
17:14I can't,
17:15not yet.
17:16If they think you matter to me,
17:17you're leverage.
17:18Leverage?
17:19That's why you'll stay here for now,
17:21he says.
17:22Here?
17:23Like,
17:24in your restaurant?
17:25In my home.
17:26I laugh in disbelief.
17:27Are you insane?
17:29I barely know you.
17:30Then get to know me,
17:31he says evenly.
17:33Because the alternative is worse.
17:35I stare at him,
17:37pulse racing,
17:38torn between panic and fascination.
17:41You're really not giving me a choice,
17:43are you?
17:44He shakes his head.
17:45No,
17:46but I'm giving you protection.
17:48And what if I say no?
17:49He looks at me,
17:50quietly,
17:51steadily.
17:51Then I'll still protect you.
17:54You'll just make it harder.
17:56Something in his tone breaks through the fear.
17:59That rare softness under all the power.
18:02And somehow,
18:03against every ounce of logic I own,
18:05I nod.
18:07He exhales,
18:08relieved.
18:10Good.
18:11My driver's waiting.
18:12As he leads me out,
18:14the sunlight catches his profile.
18:16Strong.
18:17Controlled.
18:18Impossible to read.
18:19And I realize something terrifyingly true.
18:22I'm not just caught in his world anymore.
18:25I'm starting to want to be.
18:31When I wake up,
18:33sunlight is spilling across white marble floors
18:35and designer furniture
18:36that looks like it's never been touched.
18:39For a second,
18:40I don't remember where I am.
18:42Then I see the panoramic ocean view.
18:44The Italian coffee machine
18:45that probably costs my yearly rent.
18:47And the quiet man standing by the terrace
18:50with a phone in his hand.
18:52Dominic Rossi.
18:54The Mafia Don,
18:55who somehow turned my world inside out
18:58in 48 hours.
19:00He glances over when I sit up on the sofa.
19:03Good morning.
19:04Morning, I mumble.
19:06You didn't tell me your guest room
19:07is basically a museum,
19:09he smirks faintly.
19:10You were tired.
19:12I didn't want to send you home.
19:14Home, I echo.
19:16Right.
19:17The place where people
19:17don't get followed by men in suits.
19:19He pockets his phone.
19:21They're gone.
19:22My men made sure of it.
19:24I blink.
19:24So I can go?
19:26He hesitates,
19:26which tells me everything.
19:28Dominic.
19:29They'll be back,
19:31he says quietly.
19:32And not for me this time.
19:34I stand, crossing my arms.
19:36You're saying I can't leave
19:37because you made me a target?
19:39His jaw tightens.
19:40I'm saying I'll fix it.
19:42Yeah?
19:42How?
19:43With another terrifying stare?
19:45Because that seems to be your go-to move.
19:47He almost smiles,
19:49but there's tension under it.
19:50It works.
19:52This isn't funny.
19:53I know.
19:55His voice softens.
19:56I didn't mean for any of this to touch you.
19:59Well, it did, I snap.
20:01I was just making a stupid video, Dominic.
20:04A video.
20:05Now I'm living in a billionaire safe house
20:06like some mob witness.
20:08His eyes meet mine,
20:09steady and full of something unguarded.
20:12You think I'm proud of that?
20:13The room goes quiet.
20:15And for the first time since I met him,
20:17I see the cracks.
20:19The exhaustion behind the control.
20:21The loneliness buried under his charm.
20:24He's a man who's built walls so high,
20:27he forgot how sunlight feels.
20:29I sigh.
20:31Softer now.
20:32So what happens next?
20:34He looks out the window.
20:35I have a meeting today
20:36with the head of the Bellini family.
20:38They think they can scare me
20:39into backing down from a land deal.
20:41They're wrong.
20:42The Bellinis, I ask.
20:44They sound...
20:45Friendly.
20:46Ruthless, he corrects.
20:48But businessmen.
20:49They'll talk before they shoot.
20:51Wow.
20:52Reassuring.
20:53He turns back, his tone low.
20:55I need you to stay inside.
20:57Don't open the door for anyone
20:58except Marco or me.
21:00I fold my arms tighter.
21:02And what if you don't come back?
21:03He gives me that faint, maddening smile.
21:06Then I'll haunt you.
21:08Not funny.
21:09Didn't mean it to be.
21:11By noon, the house feels too quiet.
21:14I scroll through my phone,
21:16half-heartedly filming a day in the life
21:18of a mafia hostage video just to stay sane.
21:22Hey guys, I narrate.
21:24Today's aesthetic is anxiety chic.
21:27My captor has excellent taste in espresso, though,
21:30so maybe I'll stay.
21:31I laugh to myself.
21:32But my voice sounds hollow.
21:34Then I hear it.
21:36The buzz of a private gate opening downstairs.
21:39I grab my phone and creep toward the terrace,
21:42peeking through the glass.
21:43A convoy of cars rolls up the long driveway,
21:46glossy black,
21:47sun gleaming off every hood.
21:50Dominic's men fan out immediately,
21:52but my stomach knots when I realize he's not among them.
21:55Marco, his head of security,
21:57spots me through the window and gestures for me to step back.
22:00What's going on?
22:02I call through the glass.
22:03Stay inside, Miss Maddie, he says.
22:05Mr. Rossi's orders.
22:06Where is he?
22:08Finishing business.
22:09I don't know what that means.
22:10But the look on his face doesn't calm me.
22:13I back away,
22:14heart thudding.
22:16When my phone buzzes with a message,
22:17Dominic Rossi.
22:19If anything happens, don't run.
22:21I'm coming for you.
22:23What?
22:23I start to whisper.
22:25When the front gate alarm blares.
22:27It's chaos.
22:28Shouting outside,
22:29the sound of tires,
22:30doors slamming.
22:31Marco rushes in.
22:33Get down!
22:34Before I can process anything,
22:36the glass window beside me explodes.
22:38Sunlight and shards fly across the room.
22:41Marco pulls me behind the marble island,
22:43barking orders into his earpiece.
22:45I'm shaking,
22:46adrenaline flooding my veins.
22:48What is happening?
22:50Bellini sent a message.
22:51He growls.
22:52Stay down.
22:53Minutes stretch like hours.
22:55It's loud.
22:56It's bright.
22:56It's surreal.
22:57And then,
22:59silence.
23:01A car door slams outside.
23:02Footsteps approach the house,
23:04calm,
23:05deliberate.
23:05I peek up.
23:06And there he is,
23:07Dominic.
23:08His beige suit's wrinkled.
23:10His shirt half unbuttoned.
23:12But he's alive.
23:14Furious,
23:15but alive.
23:16He steps through the shattered glass like it's just another workday.
23:19Is she okay?
23:21He demands.
23:21Marco nods.
23:22Not a scratch.
23:24Dominic exhales,
23:25then looks at me.
23:25His voice is low,
23:27controlled,
23:28but his eyes burn.
23:29I told you not to run.
23:31I stand slowly,
23:32shaking.
23:33You call that not running?
23:34I almost died.
23:35He's across the room in two strides,
23:37hands on my shoulders.
23:39You're safe.
23:40That's all that matters.
23:41I'm not safe with you,
23:43I whisper.
23:44He flinches,
23:45just barely.
23:46You are now.
23:48No,
23:49Dominic,
23:49I'm not.
23:50I push away,
23:51anger and fear tangled in my chest.
23:54I didn't ask for this.
23:55I didn't ask for you to protect me or trap me in your chaos.
23:59He's silent,
24:00just watching me with that unreadable expression,
24:03then quietly.
24:05You're right.
24:06I blink.
24:08Wait, what?
24:09He runs a hand through his hair,
24:10pacing.
24:12You were the only normal thing that's touched my life in years.
24:15And I destroyed it the moment I smiled at your camera.
24:18The confession hits like a punch.
24:21Dominic,
24:22no.
24:23He shakes his head.
24:25You don't owe me forgiveness.
24:26You don't owe me anything.
24:28But I'm not letting you get hurt because of me.
24:30This ends today.
24:31Ends?
24:32I repeat.
24:33How?
24:33He looks out the window toward the coast,
24:35his jaw set.
24:37I'm walking away.
24:38I laugh,
24:39incredulous.
24:40From what?
24:41You're the don of half this city.
24:43Not anymore.
24:43I stare at him.
24:45You can't just quit being a mafia boss like it's a gym membership.
24:48He actually smiles.
24:50Watch me.
24:51Dominic.
24:51He turns to me serious again.
24:54You wanted to know what kind of boss I am.
24:56The kind who knows when to stop before the thing he loves burns with him.
25:00My heart trips.
25:01You love me?
25:03He doesn't say it.
25:04He doesn't have to.
25:05It's in his eyes.
25:06That raw, impossible honesty that replaces all the careful charm.
25:10And before I can stop myself, I cross the space between us.
25:14Dominic.
25:15He exhales my name like it's the only word he's ever believed in.
25:19His hands find my face.
25:20Slow.
25:21Reverent.
25:22And when he kisses me, it's sunlight and surrender and everything in between.
25:27No danger.
25:28No darkness.
25:28Just him.
25:29When we pull apart, I whisper.
25:31So what happens now?
25:32I meet with Bellini, he says.
25:35We make peace.
25:36Then you go back to your life.
25:38Without you?
25:39He hesitates.
25:40With freedom.
25:41For both of us.
25:43The next day is painfully bright.
25:45The kind of California sunlight that refuses to let you hide from anything.
25:49Dominic meets Bellini's convoy at his coastal property.
25:54No guards.
25:55No guns.
25:56Just him in that same black shirt.
25:58Sleeves rolled up.
25:59Calm as ever.
26:01I'm watching from a distance, behind Marco and his men.
26:05Stomach twisted in knots.
26:06They talk.
26:07Quietly.
26:08Tensely.
26:09Then shake hands.
26:11Bellini leaves.
26:13It's over.
26:14Or so I think.
26:16When Dominic walks back toward me,
26:18there's relief in his smile.
26:20But it doesn't reach his eyes.
26:22It's done, he says.
26:24They won't touch you, I exhale.
26:27And you?
26:28I'm done, too.
26:29I laugh shakily.
26:30You really did it, didn't you?
26:32He nods, glancing at the sea.
26:34Turns out peace feels better than power.
26:37Wow, I whisper.
26:38You're going soft, Rossi, he smirks.
26:41Careful.
26:42I could still ruin your credit score.
26:44We both laugh.
26:45Quiet.
26:46Tired.
26:47Real.
26:47And then his expression softens again.
26:50Go home, Maddie.
26:52Start over.
26:53Make your videos.
26:54Live your life.
26:55Come with me.
26:56He shakes his head.
26:57You don't need my world.
26:58You just needed to survive it.
27:00Tears sting my eyes, stupid and unexpected.
27:03And what about you?
27:05He looks out at the horizon, golden and endless.
27:08I'll figure it out.
27:10Maybe open another restaurant somewhere quieter.
27:12Or buy an island, I snort.
27:14Very low-key.
27:15He smiles, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out my phone.
27:20One last thing.
27:21He scrolls to the video.
27:22That video.
27:23The TikTok that started it all.
27:26Me, talking to the camera.
27:28Bright sunlight.
27:29Nervous smile.
27:30Then him.
27:31Walking into frame, smirking like he already knew the ending.
27:34He hands it to me.
27:36Post it.
27:37What?
27:37Post it, he repeats, softer this time.
27:40Let them see what real looks like.
27:42I look at him for a long time, then hit upload.
27:46Within minutes, the comments flood in.
27:49Who's the guy?
27:50OMG, is this real?
27:52He smiled like he knows her.
27:53I laugh through the tears.
27:55You just went viral, Don Rossi.
27:57He grins.
27:58Guess I'm trending now.
27:59I step closer, touching his hand.
28:02You'll miss me.
28:03I already do, he says quietly.
28:07The breeze catches his hair, sunlight glinting off his watch.
28:11He looks different now.
28:12Lighter, freer.
28:14Like the power finally let him go.
28:16We don't say goodbye.
28:18We just stand there.
28:20Two people who collided in the wrong frame at the right time.
28:23Smiling at the absurdity of it all.
28:25Then I turn and walk away.
28:27Phone buzzing in my hand.
28:29Notifications exploding.
28:30Life restarting.
28:31And as I step into the blinding daylight, I swear I hear him behind me, laughing softly to himself.
28:38Three weeks later, my video hits ten million views.
28:41Brands are emailing.
28:42Rents paid.
28:43The world feels bright again.
28:45And sometimes when I film by the beach, a sleek black car will pass in the distance.
28:51Never close enough to touch.
28:52Just close enough to know.
28:54He kept his promise.
28:55If you loved Maddie and Dominic's story, like, comment and subscribe for more cinematic
29:02mafia romance stories told from the heart.
29:04Anne.
29:04So, see you next time.
29:14In the future.
29:14We'll see you next time.
29:15Let's do it.
29:15We'll see you next time.
29:16We'll see you next time.
29:16We'll see you next time.
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