- 3 weeks 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
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The parrot is staring at me like it knows my credit score.
00:03Its beady little eyes follow me as I lean on the counter of Palm Paradise Pet Shop,
00:08where I've been working for a total of three hours.
00:11I got the job this morning after lying on the application form that I love animals.
00:16The truth is, I'm terrified of anything with feathers or scales.
00:21But rent was due last week and the universe doesn't exactly take payment plans.
00:25Come on, Mango, I mutter, tapping on the cage gently.
00:29I say something cute for the lady who's trying not to lose her mind.
00:33The bird tilts its head, opens its beak, and says,
00:36Talia, I freeze.
00:39What, what did you just say?
00:41Talia, it's my name.
00:43In a man's voice, deep, smooth, confident,
00:46like the voice of someone who never had to worry about eviction notices.
00:50My manager, a woman named Beverly who wears fake eyelashes like battle gear,
00:55looks over and sighs.
00:57Oh, he does that sometimes.
00:59We got him from some rich guy's estate sale last month.
01:02The bird's mouthy, thinks he's funny.
01:04Funny?
01:05It just said my name.
01:07Yeah, well, maybe you just look like his ex-girlfriend or something.
01:11Beverly shrugs, snapping her gum.
01:13Feed him some seeds, sweetheart.
01:15Don't make me regret hiring you.
01:18I pour birdseed into the tray, but my hands are shaking.
01:21The parrot's eyes are sharp, too knowing.
01:22It says again, softer this time.
01:25Talia, come here.
01:27And now my brain does a weird somersault, because that voice, it's familiar, but it can't be.
01:33I've never known anyone who sounds like that.
01:35Not personally.
01:36Just the kind of voice you'd expect in a movie.
01:38The one that makes even the villains sound irresistible.
01:41Okay, I whisper, staring at the bird like it might pull a gun next.
01:48You're creepy.
01:49And I'm quitting.
01:51Before I can take off my apron, the bell above the door jingles.
01:54And the entire pet shop shifts.
01:56I mean, not physically.
01:59But energy-wise.
02:00Like the air itself suddenly got expensive.
02:03I turn, and there he is.
02:06The man walking in looks like he stepped out of a billionaire's magazine spread.
02:10Tall.
02:11Broad-shouldered.
02:12Wearing a tailored black shirt that fits him like sin.
02:15And an open collar that makes every woman in the store stop pretending she's not staring.
02:20His sunglasses catch the sunlight pouring through the glass front.
02:23And for a second, I swear he glances straight at me before scanning the shop like he owns it.
02:28And maybe he does.
02:30Because every instinct in me, the kind that's kept me alive, through all my bad decisions,
02:37is screaming that this man is dangerous.
02:39Can I help you?
02:40Beverly asks, straightening her top like she just remembered she has cleavage.
02:45The man smiles slightly.
02:48It's not warmth.
02:49It's something practiced.
02:51Controlled.
02:51I'm looking for a parrot, he says, voice smooth as silk and twice as expensive.
02:57My stomach twists.
02:59That voice.
03:01He looks toward the cages.
03:03And when his eyes land on Mango, the bird starts flapping and screeching,
03:07Dominic!
03:09Dominic!
03:10The man laughs quietly, one corner of his mouth curving up.
03:13Guess he remembers me.
03:14I blink.
03:16You're Dominic?
03:16He finally looks at me.
03:18Really looks.
03:19And I swear the room goes still.
03:21His eyes are light brown with tiny gold flecks, the kind that make you forget how to breathe.
03:26Do I know you?
03:28He asks.
03:28I don't think so.
03:30But your bird apparently does.
03:32And, uh, also, me?
03:33Mango squawks again.
03:35Talia, come here.
03:36Beverly gasps.
03:38Well, would you look at that?
03:39He says her name, too.
03:41Dominic's expression changes.
03:43Not dramatically, but enough.
03:45His gaze sharpens, interest flickering behind that calm surface.
03:49What did you say your name was?
03:51I didn't, I reply, crossing my arms.
03:54Guess your parrot's psychic.
03:56He takes a few steps closer, slow and deliberate.
03:58I can smell something clean and expensive.
04:02Leather and citrus and danger.
04:04That bird doesn't talk to strangers, he says quietly.
04:08I snort.
04:09Lucky me.
04:10I guess I'm special.
04:12He studies me for a moment that stretches too long.
04:15Then, with an unreadable half-smile, he murmurs.
04:18Apparently you are.
04:20Beverly, blissfully unaware of the tension, pipes up.
04:23So you're here to buy mango back?
04:26Dominic's eyes stay on me.
04:28That depends.
04:29On what?
04:30I ask, my sarcasm slipping as my heart kicks up.
04:34On whether he's happier where he is.
04:36The bird screeches,
04:38Mine!
04:39Dominic chuckles, a low sound that does things to my pulse.
04:43Guess that answers that.
04:44He turns to Beverly.
04:46I'll take him.
04:47Of course.
04:48Beverly gushes, rushing to the register.
04:51Dominic hands her a black credit card that probably has its own security detail.
04:55At a donation for the store.
04:57For renovations.
04:59Beverly's eyes go wide.
05:01Oh, thank you, sir.
05:02He looks back at me.
05:04You'll help me carry the cage.
05:05I'm actually off.
05:07No, you're not.
05:08He says calmly, like he already owns my schedule.
05:11And somehow, without even realizing it, I'm holding the cage, following him out into the blazing sunshine.
05:19Outside, parked right in front of the store, is the most ridiculous car I've ever seen.
05:24A white Rolls Royce with tan leather seats and a license plate that literally says Dom.
05:30Seriously?
05:31I mutter.
05:33That's subtle.
05:34He opens the door for me like it's the most natural thing in the world.
05:37Get in.
05:39I hesitate.
05:40Why would I get in your car?
05:42He lowers his sunglasses and I almost forget what I was saying.
05:45Because I think you deserve answers.
05:47And because my parrot knows your name.
05:50Which means fate might be playing a joke on both of us.
05:53I should say no.
05:54I want to say no.
05:56But there's something about him.
05:58Not just the money.
05:59Not just the confidence.
06:01Something magnetic.
06:03Like gravity forgot its rules around him.
06:06I get in.
06:07The parrot sits in the back seat, muttering nonsense.
06:11Dominic slides behind the wheel, glancing at me briefly before pulling onto the street.
06:16The car hums like a private jet.
06:19So, I say, trying to sound casual.
06:22You're just going to kidnap me in broad daylight?
06:24He smirks.
06:26Kidnap is such a harsh word.
06:27I prefer...
06:29Escorting.
06:29Oh, that's comforting.
06:31I'll make sure to tell the cops that.
06:33He laughs softly.
06:34Genuinely, this time.
06:36You have a mouth on you, Talia.
06:38You have a parrot that stalks me.
06:40We all have issues.
06:42His smile fades just a little.
06:44I taught that bird to say your name years ago.
06:46My breath catches.
06:48Excuse me?
06:50He glances at me.
06:51And there's something different in his eyes now.
06:53Not arrogance.
06:55But curiosity.
06:57Confusion.
06:57I don't forget faces.
07:00And I don't forget voices.
07:02But yours?
07:03I swear I've heard it before.
07:05That's impossible.
07:06I whisper.
07:07Maybe, he says.
07:09Or maybe you're part of something you don't know yet.
07:12He turns onto Ocean Drive.
07:14Sunlight bouncing off palm trees.
07:17The ocean glittering beside us.
07:18And for a moment, I forget I'm supposed to be freaked out.
07:23It feels too cinematic.
07:24Too unreal.
07:25You're seriously telling me you trained that parrot to say my name before we even met?
07:29I don't believe in coincidences.
07:31He says simply.
07:32I believe in patterns.
07:34And if fate keeps repeating something, it means I need to pay attention.
07:38I shake my head, laughing nervously.
07:41You sound insane.
07:42He grins.
07:43Probably.
07:43We pull up in front of a gleaming glass building that looks like it costs more than my entire
07:48existence.
07:50Two men in suits open the doors like they're expecting royalty.
07:54Dominic steps out first, then gestures for me to follow.
07:58Welcome to my world, Talia.
08:00Your world?
08:01I echo.
08:02What even are you?
08:03He looks down at me, sunlight cutting across his face.
08:07That half-smile still there.
08:09Equal parts charm and danger.
08:11I'm someone who doesn't believe in chance encounters, he says.
08:16Especially not when a parrot predicts them.
08:19And as the elevator doors close behind us, I know one thing for sure.
08:24My life just got a whole lot more complicated.
08:30The elevator doors open into a penthouse that looks like heaven had a budget.
08:34Floor-to-ceiling glass.
08:36Sunlight bouncing off cream marble.
08:38A skyline that stretches all the way to the glittering coastline.
08:42There's a grand piano, an infinity pool on the balcony, and a sculpture that probably
08:46costs more than my student debt.
08:48And I'm standing here holding a parrot cage.
08:52Dominic gestures for me to set Mango on a table.
08:55He remembers home.
08:57Home?
08:58I repeat, setting the cage down carefully.
09:00You mean this wasn't just your bird?
09:02He lived here?
09:03Dominic nods once.
09:04He was my grandfather's first gift to me when I was ten.
09:08Parrots outlive most people, did you know that?
09:10Yeah, well, I mutter.
09:13I didn't expect to meet one that had my name preloaded.
09:16He smiles faintly, loosening his shirt cuffs.
09:20That makes two of us.
09:22I watch him move around the room like someone who never has to check a bank account.
09:27Everything he does is precise.
09:28Pouring water into a crystal glass, adjusting his watch, feeding the bird like it's a ritual.
09:35You said you don't believe in coincidences, I say, folding my arms.
09:41So what's your theory, Dominic?
09:43He looks at me for a long moment, the sunlight catching on his jawline.
09:47That maybe someone I cared about once had your name.
09:50Or your voice.
09:52I laugh, nervous and incredulous.
09:54Right, so what, reincarnation?
09:56The mafia version of soulmates?
09:58He raises a brow.
09:59Who said anything about mafia?
10:01Please, I snort.
10:03You walked in with two bodyguards and a car that costs more than NASA's budget.
10:07You have a poker face that screams,
10:09I've threatened someone before lunch.
10:12I may be broke, but I'm not blind.
10:15He laughs quietly.
10:16A real one this time.
10:18You're brave.
10:19Desperate, I correct.
10:20There's a difference.
10:22He studies me again.
10:23That sharp gaze softening just a little.
10:25Then let me make you an offer, Talia.
10:28You need money.
10:29I need answers.
10:30Answers?
10:31He leans against the counter, arms crossed.
10:34Someone's been leaking information from my companies.
10:37I think they used my old estate sale to send me a message.
10:40That parrot showing up where you work, saying your name, wasn't random.
10:45Wait, you think I'm part of some criminal conspiracy involving your talking bird?
10:50He grins, amused.
10:51No, but I think you're part of the solution.
10:53I blink.
10:55What, like I'm going to interrogate the parrot?
10:57Maybe you'll get him to talk.
10:59Dominic.
11:00He says cracker and mine every ten minutes.
11:03He's not exactly a witness.
11:05But Dominic just smiles, pouring me a drink.
11:07Humor me.
11:09Hours later, I'm sitting on a sunlit balcony overlooking the ocean.
11:13Mango's perched on my shoulder, muttering random nonsense while I feed him seeds.
11:17Dominic lounges on a deck chair, his black shirt unbuttoned at the top, sunglasses on, watching me like I'm some kind of puzzle.
11:25So you're seriously not worried about people seeing you up here?
11:29I ask, sipping iced tea.
11:30No secret hitmen following you around?
11:32They wouldn't dare in daylight, he says simply.
11:36Too many witnesses.
11:38Charming.
11:39He smirks.
11:40You're good at pretending you're not scared.
11:42I'm not pretending.
11:44Liar.
11:45I roll my eyes, but he's right.
11:48My heart's been racing since the second I got in his car.
11:51Not just from fear, but something...
11:52Else.
11:53He stands, walking over until he's close enough that I can smell his cologne again.
11:59Subtle.
12:00Expensive.
12:01Intoxicating.
12:02You remind me of someone I used to know.
12:05The one who taught the bird my name?
12:07He nods once, looking away toward the ocean.
12:11Her name was Natalia.
12:12She used to work in one of my hotels.
12:14She disappeared five years ago.
12:16And you think I'm her reincarnation or something?
12:19I think you sound like her.
12:21Laugh like her.
12:21And somehow my parrot.
12:23Who hasn't spoken her name in years.
12:25Says yours the first time he sees you.
12:28I don't know what to say to that.
12:30The silence stretches.
12:31Filled only by the sound of waves and mango-crunching seeds.
12:35So, I finally say.
12:37What happened to her?
12:39She betrayed me.
12:40He says simply.
12:41Or at least, that's what I was told.
12:44There's something raw under his voice.
12:46Something that sounds too human for the image he projects.
12:49I look down.
12:51My sarcasm faltering.
12:53I'm sorry.
12:55He shrugs, putting the mask back on.
12:57You shouldn't be.
12:58Still, I say softly.
13:00That sucks.
13:01He looks at me again.
13:03This time without the armor.
13:04You talk like nobody's scared of me.
13:07Should I be?
13:08He smiles faintly.
13:09Probably.
13:10The next morning, I wake up to chaos.
13:13Someone's banging on the penthouse door.
13:16Dominic's already up.
13:17Shirt halfway buttoned.
13:19Looking every bit the powerful man who never sleeps.
13:22He motions for me to stay back.
13:24Two men rush in.
13:25One holding a tablet.
13:27Boss, the shipment warehouse in Clearwater.
13:29Someone hit it.
13:30Broad daylight.
13:31My stomach tightens.
13:32Hit it?
13:33Like...
13:33Robbed?
13:34Dominic's voice is calm.
13:36Anyone hurt?
13:37Three men.
13:38One's critical.
13:39Cameras caught someone dropping off a birdcage before it happened.
13:43I freeze.
13:44A birdcage?
13:45Dominic's jaw flexes.
13:47Show me.
13:48They play the footage.
13:49Grainy, but clear enough.
13:50Someone leaves a small cage at the gate.
13:53A few minutes later, explosions rip through the area.
13:55That's oh my god.
13:57I step back.
13:58You think...
13:59I think whoever's sending me messages is using you as bait.
14:02Dominic says quietly.
14:04Bait?
14:05He turns to me.
14:06His expression suddenly protective.
14:08You didn't come into that shop by accident.
14:11They wanted me to find you.
14:12I can't breathe.
14:13That's insane.
14:14I was just looking for a job.
14:16Exactly.
14:17They made sure that's where you'd end up.
14:19I shake my head.
14:20No, that's...
14:21No one even knows me.
14:22He walks closer.
14:24His voice softer now.
14:25They do now.
14:26I stare at him, realizing the truth of it.
14:28So what happens to me?
14:30His jaw tightens.
14:32You stay here.
14:33Until I figure out who's behind this.
14:35Oh, absolutely not.
14:37I'm not hiding in your golden tower while the FBI or whoever thinks I'm part of some
14:41bird-themed mob war.
14:43He smirks, despite the tension.
14:45You have a dramatic way of describing things.
14:48I'm serious, Dominic.
14:50So am I.
14:51The way he says it, firm, final, leaves no room for argument.
14:56But there's something else in his eyes now.
14:59Fear.
15:01For me.
15:02Over the next few days, I learn more about Dominic Romano than the internet ever could.
15:08He's ruthless in business.
15:10Yes, but he's also strangely human in private moments.
15:13He drinks his coffee with too much sugar.
15:15He reads newspapers instead of scrolling on his phone.
15:18He hums when he's thinking, though he denies it.
15:21And he watches me.
15:23Constantly.
15:24It's not creepy.
15:26It's like he's trying to decode something only I can't see.
15:29You still think this is fate?
15:32I ask him one afternoon as we sit by the pool, sunlight glinting off the water.
15:36He doesn't answer immediately.
15:39I think the universe has a dark sense of humor, Mango squawks from the balcony.
15:44Talia, come here.
15:45Dominic smirks.
15:46See?
15:47Even the bird agrees.
15:48I throw a grape at him.
15:50He's bossier than you are.
15:52That's impossible.
15:54I laugh, and for a second, the heaviness lifts.
15:58But then his phone buzzes.
16:00His smile fades.
16:02He glances at the screen, mutters a curse, and stands.
16:05They just hit another one.
16:07Another what?
16:08My man's safe house.
16:10In Tampa!
16:11My chest tightens.
16:12Dominic?
16:13He's already moving toward the door.
16:15I have to go.
16:16I'm coming with you.
16:17His head snaps around.
16:19No, you're not.
16:21You said they're targeting me, too.
16:22I'm safer where you are.
16:24He hesitates, then sighs.
16:26You're stubborn.
16:28Adaptable.
16:29He grabs his jacket, eyes locking on mine.
16:32Fine.
16:33But stay close.
16:34The drive to Tampa feels unreal.
16:38Sunlight flashing across the hood of the Rolls Royce.
16:41Palm trees lining the freeway.
16:43And me sitting beside a man who could probably buy the entire state if he wanted to.
16:47When we arrive at the burned-out safe house, Dominic's men are already there, combing through the wreckage.
16:54And in the middle of it all, sitting on a fence post like a ghost from a nightmare, is another parrot.
17:01I whisper.
17:03Please tell me that's not what I think it is.
17:07Dominic's expression hardens.
17:09They're mocking me.
17:11The bird flaps its wings and shrieks.
17:13Talia!
17:15I stumble back.
17:16Dominic!
17:17He catches me by the wrist, pulling me close.
17:20It's a warning, he says.
17:22Whoever this is, they want me to protect you.
17:25Or destroy you.
17:26Destroy me?
17:27Why would anyone...
17:28His grip softens, but his voice drops low.
17:30Because you remind them of someone who betrayed me.
17:34And now, everyone's watching to see if I'll make the same mistake twice.
17:39I look up at him.
17:41This powerful, impossible man.
17:44And realize something terrifying.
17:47I'm not sure whether I'm safer with him or without him.
17:50And worse than that.
17:52I don't want to leave.
17:53The next morning, sunlight floods the penthouse like it's mocking me.
18:02Dominic's pacing the terrace, phone pressed to his ear, his tone razor-sharp and calm in
18:08that scary Mafia Don way he does so well.
18:10I sip coffee from a mug that probably costs more than my car, staring at the ocean and wondering
18:16how my life turned into a true crime documentary with luxury interiors.
18:21Mangoes perched beside me, chewing on a cracker and muttering,
18:25Talia, come here.
18:26Don't cry.
18:27I blink.
18:28What did you just say?
18:29Dominic freezes mid-sentence.
18:31He ends the call, sets the phone down, and strides over.
18:35Say it again, he tells the parrot.
18:37Don't cry.
18:39Dominic's eyes narrow, his mind clearly sprinting.
18:43He never said that before.
18:45Maybe he's just evolving, I suggest, weakly.
18:48But he shakes his head.
18:51No, someone taught him that recently.
18:53That phrase, Natalia said it to me the day she disappeared.
18:57I swallow hard.
18:59Dominic, this is getting weird even for you.
19:01He takes a deep breath, gaze flicking to me.
19:06We're close.
19:07Whoever's behind this, they're watching.
19:09Oh, good, I say flatly.
19:11I love being surveillance bait.
19:13He doesn't smile.
19:15Pack a bag.
19:16We're going to my estate in Palm Springs.
19:18Safer there.
19:20Right.
19:21Because nothing says safety like being alone with a mafia boss in the desert.
19:25He gives me that dry half-smile again.
19:28You'll have sunshine.
19:29And me.
19:29What else do you need?
19:31Therapy.
19:32I mutter.
19:33But he's already on the move.
19:36The Palm Springs estate looks like a five-star resort got jealous of itself.
19:40Wide open spaces.
19:42Glass walls.
19:43Palm trees swaying against a cloudless sky.
19:47It's blindingly beautiful.
19:49Almost too much for someone who's used to budget apartments and dollar menu dinners.
19:53I try not to gawk.
19:55But Dominic notices anyway.
19:57You don't like it?
19:58I didn't say that, I reply.
20:01I just didn't know sunlight could be rich.
20:03He laughs softly, setting his jacket on a chair.
20:06You're different from everyone here.
20:09Refreshing.
20:11Translation.
20:11I'm the only one who tells you when you sound insane.
20:15Exactly.
20:15I grin despite myself.
20:17For a few blissful hours, it's peaceful.
20:22We sit by the pool.
20:23Mango sings random words.
20:25Dominic tells me stories about growing up under a father who made him choose between love and loyalty.
20:29I can see the cracks beneath his armor.
20:32The kind of pain that built empires but left a man lonely inside them.
20:36Why do you stay in it?
20:38I ask.
20:40The power?
20:41The fear?
20:41The control?
20:43Doesn't it ever exhaust you?
20:44He watches the horizon, sunlight glinting off his watch.
20:48Control is easier than trust.
20:50That's not living.
20:52He glances at me.
20:54Neither is running from rent collectors.
20:57Touché.
20:57I throw a grape at him.
21:00It misses.
21:01He smirks like he let it.
21:03And for a moment, everything feels light.
21:06Two people on opposite ends of the world, somehow finding common ground under the same sun.
21:10But the illusion doesn't last.
21:13By mid-afternoon, his phone rings again.
21:16He steps away to answer, his posture stiff.
21:19I can't hear the words.
21:21Just the tone.
21:22Tense.
21:23Clipped.
21:24Lethal.
21:25When he returns, the calm mask is gone.
21:29They found something.
21:30My stomach drops.
21:32Who?
21:32The mole.
21:33The one feeding them information.
21:35One of my lieutenants.
21:36He's on his way here.
21:37Here?
21:38Why?
21:38Before I can finish, there's a screech from the balcony.
21:41Mango flaps wildly, squawking.
21:43Talia, run!
21:45Dominic spins, hand going to his side where I know he keeps a weapon.
21:49Then glass shatters.
21:50A shot rings out.
21:52Sharp.
21:52Shocking.
21:53Echoing against the open space.
21:55I scream and duck behind the table.
21:58Dominic moves faster than I can think, pushing me down, shielding me with his body as more glass
22:03rains from the broken window.
22:04When he looks up, his expression is pure fury.
22:08Stay down, he orders.
22:10Voice calm but lethal.
22:12I can't move.
22:13My pulse is chaos.
22:15Dominic.
22:16He's already gone, disappearing through the side door with terrifying focus.
22:21I peek through the glass.
22:23Outside, under the blazing sunlight, two men are running across the yard.
22:27Dominic tackles one, disarms him in seconds.
22:29It's not cinematic.
22:31It's surgical.
22:32Precise.
22:33The other man tries to flee.
22:34I can't move.
22:35But Dominic's security team swarms him.
22:37It's over before I even process it.
22:40When he comes back inside, his shirt is torn, sunlight catching on a smear of blood across
22:45his forearm.
22:46You okay?
22:47He asks, voice softer now.
22:50I think so.
22:51Mango chirps.
22:52Dominic!
22:53Don't cry.
22:54He actually laughs.
22:55A breathless, wild sound.
22:57Even the damn bird knows me too well.
22:59I shake my head, half laughing, half shaking.
23:02You got shot at in daylight, Dominic.
23:04What kind of person does that to prove a point?
23:07His expression sobers.
23:09Someone who wants me distracted.
23:11Distracted from what?
23:13He looks at me then.
23:14Not just at me into me.
23:16You.
23:16Later, when things calm down, the sun is still bright, the air heavy with that electric
23:23kind of silence that follows adrenaline.
23:25Dominic sits beside me on the terrace, his arm wrapped in gauze.
23:30You should leave, he says finally.
23:33Before they try again, I turn to him.
23:35Leave?
23:36You think they'll just stop because I'm not standing next to you.
23:39I can handle myself.
23:40You shouldn't have to be part of this.
23:42Maybe I already am.
23:44He exhales, frustrated.
23:45You don't understand the world I live in, Talia.
23:48People like me.
23:50We don't get to have peace.
23:52Or normal.
23:53Maybe not, I say quietly.
23:55But you could have something real.
23:57He looks at me, eyes tired, conflicted.
24:00You think that's you?
24:02I don't know.
24:03But you sure as hell look at me like it is.
24:06For a second, he says nothing.
24:08The sunlight catches the corner of his smile, faint but real.
24:11You're impossible.
24:14Then Mango breaks the moment by squawking,
24:17Kiss her!
24:19I choke on air.
24:20Did he just...
24:21Dominic chuckles low, shaking his head.
24:24That bird's got better instincts than most people I know.
24:27I laugh.
24:28But my heart's beating too fast.
24:31You trained him to say that, too?
24:33He leans closer, eyes never leaving mine.
24:36No, that one's all him.
24:37And then he kisses me.
24:39Warm, certain, sunlit.
24:41It's not rushed or desperate.
24:43It's a promise.
24:44A question.
24:45And an apology all at once.
24:49When he pulls back, I whisper,
24:51So what now?
24:53He stands, looking out at the horizon like it might answer him.
24:57Now I finish this.
24:59The next day he's gone before I wake up.
25:02But there's a note on the table, written in sharp, clean handwriting.
25:06Trust the bird.
25:08Stay in the light, my heart sinks.
25:11I know what that means.
25:12He's walking into danger alone.
25:14I grab my phone and the car keys he left behind.
25:17I don't even think.
25:19When I find him, it's in a courtyard of white stone.
25:22Sunlight blazing down on him, and a man in a gray suit.
25:26The traitor.
25:27The lieutenant.
25:28They're arguing.
25:29Voices raised.
25:30I hide behind a column, listening.
25:33You think using that girl makes you clever.
25:35Dominic's voice is ice.
25:37She's not innocent.
25:38The man spits.
25:39She's Natalia's sister.
25:41My breath stops.
25:42Dominic stills.
25:43What did you just say?
25:45She didn't tell you, did she?
25:46Different name.
25:47Same bloodline.
25:48I thought you'd recognize the voice.
25:50But you never could see past your guilt.
25:52My head spins.
25:53Sister?
25:53Natalia's sister?
25:55Dominic turns slowly toward where I'm standing.
25:57He doesn't look shocked.
25:59Just sad.
26:00Talia, he says softly.
26:02Is it true?
26:03I step out, trembling.
26:05I didn't know, Dominic, I swear.
26:07My parents.
26:08Natalia left before I was even old enough to remember her.
26:12The lieutenant laughs bitterly.
26:14How poetic.
26:15The ghost returns in sunlight.
26:17Dominic's hand flicks up.
26:19Enough.
26:20His voice carries the weight of finality.
26:22You used her to hurt me.
26:24You failed.
26:25He doesn't draw his gun.
26:27He doesn't need to.
26:28His men appear, swift and silent.
26:30The lieutenant's taken away, still shouting.
26:34Dominic turns back to me.
26:35The anger gone.
26:37Only exhaustion left.
26:39You didn't have to come.
26:41You didn't have to go alone.
26:43He sighs.
26:44You really are her sister.
26:47Maybe.
26:47I whisper.
26:49But I'm not her.
26:51And you're not the man who lost her anymore.
26:54He stares at me.
26:55Sunlight glinting in his eyes.
26:57And for a moment, the world narrows to just us.
27:01Two people caught between past and present.
27:03Pain and possibility.
27:05Then Mango lands on a nearby fence, screeching.
27:09Talia, come here.
27:10Dominic loves you.
27:12Dominic bursts out laughing, the sound raw and real.
27:14I swear, that bird's gonna ruin my reputation.
27:18Too late, I grin.
27:20He already did.
27:22A week later, everything's calmer.
27:24The trader's gone.
27:25The threat's stopped.
27:27And the penthouse feels like sunlight again instead of tension.
27:30Dominic's at the piano, playing something slow and haunting.
27:35I sit nearby, Mango on my shoulder, repeating,
27:38Love you, Talia.
27:39Until it becomes almost funny.
27:41When Dominic looks up, he smiles.
27:43Not the controlled smirk, but a real easy one.
27:47He's learning new words again.
27:49So am I.
27:50He tilts his head.
27:52Like what?
27:53Home, I say.
27:55I forgot what that felt like.
27:57He stands, crossing to me,
27:58brushing a thumb across my cheek.
28:01Then maybe we both found it again.
28:03Mango whistles.
28:04Mine!
28:05Dominic laughs.
28:06Even the bird agrees.
28:07I laugh too, the sound bright and free.
28:11For the first time in years,
28:12it feels like sunlight inside me instead of just around me.
28:16If you love this story,
28:18don't forget to subscribe, like, comment, and share.
28:21Your support keeps these cinematic mafia love stories coming every week.
Be the first to comment