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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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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00The first thing I hear is screaming. Not human, thank God, but a bird.
00:00:04A very loud, very panicked bird.
00:00:07It's caught on a wrought-iron fence the size of a small prison.
00:00:10And somehow, even though I'm late for my job interview and sweating through my $12 target blouse,
00:00:16I decide that rescuing this bird is now my life mission.
00:00:19Hang on, little guy, I mutter.
00:00:22Balancing my purse and a crumpled resume folder like I'm auditioning for world's dumbest heroics,
00:00:27the parrot flaps madly, its foot tangled in some fishing line or wire.
00:00:32The fence belongs to that mansion.
00:00:34You know, the one people whisper about in hushed tones at the coffee shop.
00:00:37Palmetto estate.
00:00:39White columns, perfectly trimmed hedges, a driveway big enough for an actual parade.
00:00:45Everyone in Palmcrest knows it's owned by a man no one ever sees but everyone fears.
00:00:49I, apparently didn't get the memo to stay away.
00:00:53The parrot shrieks again, feathers flying.
00:00:55Mikey, Mikey!
00:00:57Help me!
00:00:58It squawks.
00:00:59I freeze.
00:00:59Did it just...
00:01:00Mikey, I echo.
00:01:02You can talk.
00:01:03Help me!
00:01:04Okay, that's unsettling.
00:01:05But now I'm emotionally attached.
00:01:07I kick off my heels, climb the bottom rail, and reach over the top spike to untangle its foot.
00:01:14My heart's racing, my arms bleeding a little from a snag of metal, and all I can think is,
00:01:19what if this bird belongs to the scary billionaire mafia rumor guy?
00:01:23Before I can talk myself out of it, I free the bird.
00:01:26It flutters once, lands on my shoulder like we've been best friends since preschool and
00:01:31says, good girl.
00:01:33Ah, thanks.
00:01:35That's when a deep, calm voice behind me says, I wouldn't move if I were you.
00:01:39I spin so fast the parrot nearly falls.
00:01:43There he is.
00:01:45Standing on the gravel path in front of me.
00:01:47Black designer shirt, half unbuttoned.
00:01:49Sleeves rolled to his forearms.
00:01:51Sunglasses he doesn't need in this perfect daylight.
00:01:54And the kind of confidence that makes your nervous system malfunction.
00:01:58He's...
00:01:59Breathtaking.
00:02:00And terrifying.
00:02:00I, uh, I wasn't stealing, I blurt.
00:02:03There was a bird.
00:02:04Your bird, I think.
00:02:05He was stuck.
00:02:06He takes off the sunglasses slowly.
00:02:10And wow.
00:02:11Yeah.
00:02:11That's a face sculpted by chaos and luxury.
00:02:15Sharp jaw.
00:02:16Dark eyes that seem to know every lie I've ever told.
00:02:19And a smirk that looks dangerous even when it's lazy.
00:02:23My bird?
00:02:24He repeats, tilting his head.
00:02:26You broke into my property to perform wildlife rescue?
00:02:29I didn't break in, I say quickly.
00:02:32Technically, I reached over.
00:02:33That's not a felony, right?
00:02:35More like...
00:02:35Compassionate trespassing.
00:02:37He almost smiles.
00:02:39Almost.
00:02:41The parrot, apparently sensing the tension, flies to him and lands gracefully on his arm.
00:02:46Mikey!
00:02:47It chirps.
00:02:48Mikey?
00:02:48I say again, stunned.
00:02:50The bird was calling your name.
00:02:52That's because I taught him.
00:02:54He looks at the parrot, then back at me.
00:02:58Years ago.
00:02:59Oh.
00:02:59So this is that Mikey.
00:03:00The...
00:03:01Mikey, who supposedly runs half the city's underground business empire and donates millions
00:03:06to charity in the same week.
00:03:08Great.
00:03:09I just climbed.
00:03:10The fence of the most feared man in Palmcrest.
00:03:13To rescue his pet.
00:03:15You're bleeding, he notes, eyes flicking to the scratch on my arm.
00:03:19Do I need to call security?
00:03:20Or are you planning to sue me for emotional distress?
00:03:23I cross my arms.
00:03:25You could just say thank you.
00:03:27He actually laughs, low and surprised.
00:03:30You're interesting.
00:03:32Most people just call me broke.
00:03:34Ah, he says, stepping closer.
00:03:36So you're not here for a payout.
00:03:39I'm here because I have a job interview in twenty minutes.
00:03:42And I stopped to help a bird that apparently has a better vocabulary than my ex.
00:03:46That earns a full smile this time.
00:03:49Small, sharp, and real.
00:03:50You're bleeding on my driveway, sweetheart.
00:03:53Sorry, I'll leave.
00:03:55Didn't mean to.
00:03:56Disturb your, uh, mafia-looking morning.
00:03:59He raises a brow.
00:04:00Mafia-looking?
00:04:01You know what I mean.
00:04:03The sunglasses, the car collection, the bodyguards who are definitely pretending to garden.
00:04:08I gesture toward the hedges, where a man in black clearly has an earpiece.
00:04:12You're observant.
00:04:14I'm anxious.
00:04:16The parrot squawks again.
00:04:18Good girl.
00:04:19Mikey.
00:04:20God, that name sounds too casual for him.
00:04:22Reaches up.
00:04:23Scratches the bird's neck and says softly,
00:04:25I thought you flew away years ago.
00:04:27Then, to me.
00:04:30Seems like fate wanted to bring him back.
00:04:33Fate's got weird timing.
00:04:34I mutter.
00:04:35What's your name?
00:04:37He asks.
00:04:38Lila.
00:04:39Lila who?
00:04:40Lila Carmine.
00:04:40Why?
00:04:41He smiles faintly, but it's unreadable.
00:04:43Because I like knowing who trespasses on my property.
00:04:45I didn't trespass.
00:04:48You climbed my fence.
00:04:50I reached.
00:04:51There's a difference.
00:04:53He steps closer again.
00:04:55Close enough that I can smell expensive cologne.
00:04:57Something subtle and ruinous.
00:05:00And what do you plan to do with my bird, Lila Carmine?
00:05:03Return him?
00:05:04Obviously.
00:05:05I think he's already decided otherwise.
00:05:07The parrot hops back onto my shoulder like it agrees.
00:05:10Mikey smirks.
00:05:12He likes you.
00:05:13I have that effect on animals.
00:05:16Humans, not so much.
00:05:17His eyes drop to my hand.
00:05:19The one still trembling slightly.
00:05:21You're shaking.
00:05:22I'm late for my interview.
00:05:23And possibly about to be arrested.
00:05:26He studies me for another long second.
00:05:28The silence feels like it's made of sunlight and tension.
00:05:32Finally, he says.
00:05:34You're not going anywhere just yet.
00:05:37My chest tightens.
00:05:39Excuse me?
00:05:40He gestures toward the mansion gates.
00:05:42You're hurt.
00:05:43Come inside.
00:05:44I'll have someone clean that cut.
00:05:46No, that's fine.
00:05:48Really.
00:05:48I can just...
00:05:49Lila.
00:05:51His voice lowers.
00:05:52Firm, but not cruel.
00:05:53It wasn't a suggestion.
00:05:55For some reason, that doesn't scare me.
00:05:57It just confuses me.
00:05:58He's not threatening.
00:06:00He's commanding, sure.
00:06:01But in this disarming, magnetic way that makes defiance feel like flirting.
00:06:05Are you always this bossy?
00:06:07I ask.
00:06:08Only when people climb my fence.
00:06:10Well, maybe put up a Don't Rescue the Bird sign.
00:06:14I'll consider it.
00:06:15His hand touches the small of my back.
00:06:18Gentle.
00:06:19Guiding.
00:06:20Absurdly confident.
00:06:21And I swear my knees forget how to function.
00:06:23He leads me through the open gates, past marble fountains and a driveway lined with cars that
00:06:29probably each cost more than my apartment building.
00:06:33Inside, the mansion looks like a magazine spread.
00:06:37Sunlight pouring through tall glass walls.
00:06:40Floors that gleam like mirrors.
00:06:42Fresh citrus scent in the air.
00:06:43It's too clean.
00:06:45Too perfect.
00:06:45Too him.
00:06:46A woman in a pale uniform hurries over.
00:06:49Mr. Moretti?
00:06:50Mikey Moretti.
00:06:51Of course.
00:06:52Get a first aid kit.
00:06:53He says, motioning toward my arm.
00:06:55And water.
00:06:56She looks ready to faint.
00:06:58I'm fine.
00:06:59I mutter, though my legs disagree.
00:07:01He ignores that.
00:07:02Sit.
00:07:03I don't take orders well.
00:07:05Then consider it advice.
00:07:08I sit.
00:07:09As the woman cleans my cut, Mikey watches me like he's solving a puzzle.
00:07:14The silence stretches until I blurt.
00:07:16So, you really are that Mikey Moretti?
00:07:18The one they tell stories about?
00:07:20He says, half amused.
00:07:22Depends on the story.
00:07:23The one who owns half of Palmcrest?
00:07:26Only the half that interests me.
00:07:28That's comforting.
00:07:29He tilts his head again, studying me.
00:07:32Why were you really here, Lila Carmine?
00:07:34I told you.
00:07:36The bird.
00:07:37That called my name as if it knew I'd come.
00:07:40That's poetic, but weirdly specific.
00:07:43He leans closer, voice soft.
00:07:45You sure you didn't come looking for me?
00:07:47I blink.
00:07:48Oh yeah, totally.
00:07:50I just wake up on Tuesdays and decide to trespass on mafia estates for cardio.
00:07:54His laugh is low and real this time.
00:07:57You're not scared of me.
00:07:58Should I be?
00:07:59Probably.
00:08:00And somehow that makes me grin.
00:08:02The parrot suddenly squawks again.
00:08:05Good girl.
00:08:06And Mikey murmurs.
00:08:07Smart bird.
00:08:08Always had good instincts.
00:08:09I roll my eyes.
00:08:11Yeah, he knows a rescuer when he sees one.
00:08:13Or a thief.
00:08:14I glare.
00:08:15I didn't steal your bird.
00:08:18No.
00:08:19He says softly.
00:08:20That smirk returning.
00:08:22But you might have just stolen something else.
00:08:25What?
00:08:26Your ego?
00:08:27He smiles.
00:08:29My afternoon.
00:08:30The words hang in the bright air.
00:08:32Heavier than they should.
00:08:34Because in that moment,
00:08:35standing barefoot in his perfect,
00:08:37sunlit mansion with his bird on my shoulder
00:08:39and his eyes locked on me.
00:08:42I know one thing for sure.
00:08:44I've officially crashed into the most dangerous man in the city.
00:08:48And for reasons I can't explain,
00:08:50I don't want to climb back out.
00:08:56It's been 24 hours,
00:08:57and I'm still here.
00:08:58At his mansion.
00:08:59Apparently,
00:09:00you're not leaving until I decide,
00:09:02wasn't metaphorical.
00:09:05Mikey Moretti doesn't do metaphor.
00:09:07I'm sitting by a giant sunlit window
00:09:09overlooking a pool
00:09:10that looks like it belongs in a resort ad.
00:09:13A maid brought me breakfast this morning
00:09:14on a tray that cost more than my entire wardrobe.
00:09:18Croissants,
00:09:19berries,
00:09:19a cappuccino with foam art shaped like a heart,
00:09:22which I'm 99% sure was not her idea.
00:09:25The parrot,
00:09:26now fully at home on the balcony,
00:09:28keeps yelling my name.
00:09:30Lila, good girl!
00:09:31Lila!
00:09:32Every time he does it,
00:09:35one of Mikey's bodyguards
00:09:36looks at me like I'm the weird one here.
00:09:38I've been advised not to wander the property,
00:09:41which basically means I'm trapped,
00:09:42though the prison cell is made of sunlight,
00:09:45flowers,
00:09:45and billion-dollar marble.
00:09:47I tried arguing with Mikey about it earlier,
00:09:50but he just said,
00:09:51humor me.
00:09:53Someone trespasses onto my land,
00:09:55I don't just let them walk out
00:09:56before I know why.
00:09:57So now I'm stuck in the prettiest hostage situation in Florida.
00:10:02The door clicks open.
00:10:04Speak of the devil.
00:10:06And here he is.
00:10:07Again,
00:10:08in that perfectly unbuttoned black dress shirt and slacks
00:10:10that look like they were tailored specifically to distract people.
00:10:14He's carrying a plate of fruit,
00:10:16which somehow makes him look even more dangerous.
00:10:19Still here, huh?
00:10:20I say.
00:10:21Guess your hospitality package doesn't include freedom.
00:10:24He sets the plate down.
00:10:26You're dramatic.
00:10:27I'm unemployed and trapped.
00:10:29Drama's free.
00:10:30He smirks faintly.
00:10:32You'd rather I let you go with a cut on your arm
00:10:34and a mouth that runs faster than your common sense?
00:10:37I said thank you.
00:10:39He leans against the window frame,
00:10:41arms folded.
00:10:43You said thank you with the tone of a woman
00:10:45who'd throw the plate at me if I turned my back.
00:10:48Tempting.
00:10:49Then stay seated.
00:10:51He says,
00:10:52calm but sharp.
00:10:53I don't like dodging projectiles before lunch.
00:10:56I narrow my eyes.
00:10:58You really think I'm dangerous?
00:11:00I think you're unpredictable.
00:11:02I think you're used to people doing whatever you say.
00:11:05He grins.
00:11:06You'd be right.
00:11:08There's that pause again.
00:11:10The one where I can feel my pulse matching the rhythm of his quiet confidence.
00:11:14I hate that it gets to me.
00:11:16Look, Mikey.
00:11:17Mr. Moretti.
00:11:18Oh, come on.
00:11:19I just saved your bird.
00:11:21He exhales slowly.
00:11:23And for a second I catch something behind the control.
00:11:26A flicker of amusement.
00:11:28Maybe even...
00:11:30Warmth.
00:11:31Fine.
00:11:32Mikey.
00:11:35He nods toward the balcony.
00:11:37You made quite the impression on him.
00:11:39He hasn't left since yesterday.
00:11:41Yeah, well, I'm basically a bird whisperer.
00:11:43If you had a parrot adoption program, I'd be your star volunteer.
00:11:47He almost smiles again.
00:11:49I don't do programs.
00:11:50Right.
00:11:51You do...
00:11:51What?
00:11:52Power?
00:11:53Control?
00:11:53Mafia brunches?
00:11:54That earns a soft laugh.
00:11:56You've got quite a mouth, Lila Carmine.
00:11:58Usually gets me fired.
00:12:00Occasionally gets me in trouble with men in designer shirts who think they own the world.
00:12:04I do own most of it, he says dryly.
00:12:08And I never said you were fired.
00:12:10From what?
00:12:11My accidental fence rescue internship?
00:12:13He tilts his head, studying me in that way that feels both invasive and intoxicating.
00:12:18You said you had a job interview.
00:12:20Had, I correct.
00:12:22Past tense.
00:12:23Missed it thanks to your bird drama.
00:12:26He gestures to the sunlit garden outside.
00:12:28Then consider this your new interview.
00:12:30I blink.
00:12:31For what?
00:12:32Personal assistant.
00:12:34Temporary.
00:12:34I laugh.
00:12:35You're joking.
00:12:37I don't joke.
00:12:38Oh, you so do.
00:12:39I've seen that smirk.
00:12:41Try me, he says evenly.
00:12:43You're clever.
00:12:43Fast talking.
00:12:45Not easily intimidated.
00:12:46I could use that.
00:12:48I'm not working for the Mafia.
00:12:50He raises a brow.
00:12:51I never said I was Mafia.
00:12:53You didn't have to.
00:12:54Your security guards wear suits like they're auditioning for the Godfather, poolside edition.
00:13:00He chuckles low.
00:13:02If you think that's funny, you'll last exactly one day in my office.
00:13:06Office?
00:13:07You have one of those?
00:13:08I assumed you just command empires from pool loungers.
00:13:12He looks almost delighted.
00:13:13You're enjoying this, aren't you?
00:13:15I'm just trying to survive the world's weirdest Tuesday.
00:13:18Then take the job.
00:13:20I can't.
00:13:21I need to.
00:13:23Like, breathe air that isn't imported or filtered through Italian marble.
00:13:26He takes a step closer.
00:13:29I could make that worth your while.
00:13:31There's a note in his voice that makes my breath catch.
00:13:35It's not just money.
00:13:36It's curiosity.
00:13:37Challenge.
00:13:38I cross my arms.
00:13:40You think everything has a price?
00:13:41Doesn't it?
00:13:42Not me.
00:13:44Then maybe you're the first.
00:13:45The parrot whistles from the balcony.
00:13:48Good girl!
00:13:49I shoot at a look.
00:13:50Not helping.
00:13:51Mikey smiles faintly.
00:13:53He seems to disagree.
00:13:54You trained him to flirt, didn't you?
00:13:56I trained him to recognize loyalty.
00:13:59And here I thought I was just rescuing a bird.
00:14:02You might have done more than that.
00:14:04He says softly.
00:14:07His tone changes.
00:14:09Quieter.
00:14:10Thoughtful.
00:14:12He glances out the window for a moment, and I catch something unexpected in his expression.
00:14:16Not arrogance.
00:14:17Not coldness, just distance.
00:14:20You said you taught him years ago.
00:14:22I say carefully.
00:14:23He's been gone since then?
00:14:25He nods.
00:14:26Flew off one morning.
00:14:27I never saw him again.
00:14:28Until you showed up with him on your shoulder like a message.
00:14:31Maybe he just needed someone who still believes in rescuing things.
00:14:37His eyes flick back to mine.
00:14:39You believe in rescuing people, too?
00:14:41Only the ones worth saving.
00:14:43Then you're in the wrong house.
00:14:45Am I?
00:14:46That makes him pause.
00:14:48For once, he doesn't have a clever comeback.
00:14:51Later that afternoon, he lets me wander the garden.
00:14:54Under supervision, of course.
00:14:56Which basically means one of his guards, Dominic,
00:14:59follows me around, pretending he's interested in flowers.
00:15:03I'm halfway through texting my roommate,
00:15:06when I notice Mikey standing by the fountain,
00:15:08talking to two men in suits.
00:15:10They're animated, serious.
00:15:12One of them gestures toward me.
00:15:14Mikey's eyes flick up instantly.
00:15:16Sharp, assessing.
00:15:18I can't hear them, but the tension is obvious.
00:15:21Dominic shifts closer.
00:15:22You should head back inside, Miss Carmine.
00:15:26Why?
00:15:27Did I offend the roses?
00:15:28Mr. Moretti said,
00:15:30Yeah, yeah.
00:15:31He decides.
00:15:32I get it.
00:15:33Still,
00:15:34something about the way those men glance my way makes my stomach tighten.
00:15:38Mikey breaks away and walks over,
00:15:40calm, but coiled.
00:15:42Inside, Lila.
00:15:43I open my mouth to argue,
00:15:45then see the look in his eyes.
00:15:47Not anger.
00:15:48Protectiveness.
00:15:50Who were they?
00:15:50I ask as he ushers me through the sunlit hallway.
00:15:54Associates.
00:15:55That's vague and suspicious.
00:15:57Good.
00:15:58Keep it that way.
00:15:59You know,
00:16:00you're terrible at this whole
00:16:01don't look like a crime boss thing.
00:16:04And you're terrible at following orders.
00:16:07Lucky for you,
00:16:08I'm not on your payroll.
00:16:10Yet.
00:16:11He murmurs.
00:16:12We reach the sitting room again,
00:16:14and he stops in front of me.
00:16:16You see why I couldn't let you leave yet?
00:16:18Because your friends in suits don't like witnesses?
00:16:21Because people know you were here,
00:16:22he says quietly.
00:16:24And some of them might assume things.
00:16:26Like what?
00:16:27That I'm your new bird wrangler?
00:16:29He stares at me for a long beat,
00:16:31jaw tightening.
00:16:32That you matter.
00:16:34The words hang in the air,
00:16:36heavier than the Florida heat.
00:16:37I can't even think of something sarcastic to say.
00:16:41That's a first, Mikey.
00:16:43He steps back,
00:16:44tone returning to cool precision.
00:16:46Until I know who's been watching this house,
00:16:48you stay inside.
00:16:50Non-negotiable.
00:16:52So I'm...
00:16:53What?
00:16:54Your guest slash prisoner?
00:16:56Call it protected,
00:16:57I sigh.
00:16:58Do you treat all your houseguests like this?
00:17:00Only the ones who break in and steal my parrot.
00:17:02He turns to leave,
00:17:05and I call after him.
00:17:06You really think people are watching you?
00:17:09I don't think,
00:17:11he says without looking back.
00:17:13I know.
00:17:14That night.
00:17:16Not that it feels like night here
00:17:17with all the open glass and endless sun.
00:17:20The mansion hums quietly.
00:17:22Staff move like ghosts.
00:17:24The parrot sleeps on a perch beside the balcony.
00:17:27I pace,
00:17:28restless,
00:17:29staring at the wide lawn glowing gold
00:17:30under the afternoon sun.
00:17:32I should feel terrified.
00:17:34But instead I feel...
00:17:36Intrigued.
00:17:37He's not what I expected.
00:17:38He's not gentle,
00:17:39but he's not cruel either.
00:17:41He's this impossible mix of control and care.
00:17:43Someone who commands a world that doesn't make sense.
00:17:47And yet somehow made room for a girl
00:17:48with a bad resume and a bleeding arm.
00:17:51And now,
00:17:52because fate is a prankster,
00:17:54I'm locked in his mansion,
00:17:55safe and unsafe all at once.
00:17:57The door opens again.
00:17:59Mikey stands there,
00:18:00holding a glass of water,
00:18:02sleeves rolled up,
00:18:03eyes tired but soft.
00:18:06Still awake.
00:18:07He murmurs.
00:18:09Still kidnapped.
00:18:10He chuckles quietly.
00:18:12You get used to me.
00:18:14Not planning to.
00:18:15He takes a few steps closer.
00:18:18Good.
00:18:18You'd be boring if you did.
00:18:20Why am I really here, Mikey?
00:18:22I ask.
00:18:24Because something tells me it's not about the bird.
00:18:27He studies me a long moment,
00:18:29eyes dark and thoughtful.
00:18:31Because the moment you climbed that fence,
00:18:33someone took a picture.
00:18:35What?
00:18:36He nods.
00:18:37Someone sent it to me this morning.
00:18:39No message.
00:18:40Just the photo.
00:18:41That's not random.
00:18:43My stomach drops.
00:18:44So I'm part of some surveillance game now.
00:18:46Seems that way.
00:18:48Great.
00:18:49Love that for me.
00:18:51He sets the glass down and looks straight at me.
00:18:54Until I find out who sent it,
00:18:55you're staying here.
00:18:56You're under my protection.
00:18:57I shake my head, overwhelmed.
00:19:00This is insane.
00:19:02It's Tuesday in Palmcrest,
00:19:04he says, half smiling.
00:19:06Insane is normal, despite myself.
00:19:08I laugh, and when his eyes soften,
00:19:10warm, sunlit,
00:19:12dangerously sincere,
00:19:13I realize something I shouldn't.
00:19:15For the first time in years,
00:19:17I don't feel alone,
00:19:19even if I'm technically trapped.
00:19:20It's been three days
00:19:25since I accidentally became
00:19:27the world's most awkward
00:19:28houseguest-slash-hostage.
00:19:30Three days of sunshine
00:19:31spilling through floor-to-ceiling glass,
00:19:33of security guards
00:19:34pretending they're landscapers,
00:19:36and of Mikey Moretti
00:19:37pretending I don't make him smile.
00:19:39He's been busier lately.
00:19:41Calls that make his jaw tighten.
00:19:43Meetings that end with him
00:19:44pacing the marble floors,
00:19:46always in that same open-collar shirt
00:19:48like it's part of his armor.
00:19:50Meanwhile,
00:19:51I've discovered that
00:19:52boredom in a mansion
00:19:53is still boredom.
00:19:54I can only pet the parrot,
00:19:56swim in the pool,
00:19:57and sass bodyguards
00:19:58for so long
00:19:59before I start losing my mind.
00:20:01So when Mikey walks
00:20:02into the sunroom this morning,
00:20:04hands in his pockets,
00:20:06expression unreadable,
00:20:08I'm ready for war or adventure.
00:20:10Either will do.
00:20:11You're leaving the house,
00:20:13he says.
00:20:14I blink.
00:20:15Sorry, what?
00:20:16Did you just say freedom?
00:20:17Temporary.
00:20:18You really know how to crush dreams?
00:20:21Come with me.
00:20:22Where?
00:20:23He glances at the parrot
00:20:24perched on my shoulder.
00:20:26Somewhere public.
00:20:28Safer than keeping you cooped up here.
00:20:30I thought I was under your protection.
00:20:33You still are.
00:20:34His tone is calm,
00:20:36but his eyes flicker
00:20:37with something harder.
00:20:38Vigilance.
00:20:40I just prefer to protect you
00:20:41somewhere they can't aim at the windows.
00:20:44I freeze.
00:20:45They?
00:20:46He sighs softly.
00:20:47I told you someone took your picture.
00:20:50Whoever it was
00:20:50hasn't stopped watching.
00:20:52Okay,
00:20:52that's deeply comforting.
00:20:55Relax,
00:20:56he says,
00:20:57a corner of his mouth twitching.
00:20:59You'll be fine.
00:21:00You're with me.
00:21:01Ah, yes,
00:21:02I mutter.
00:21:04Nothing says inconspicuous
00:21:05like showing up anywhere
00:21:06with the richest,
00:21:07most recognizable man
00:21:08in Palmcrest.
00:21:10Think of it as good PR.
00:21:12For who?
00:21:13The mafia or the bird rescuer?
00:21:14He gives me that look again.
00:21:16Half amusement,
00:21:17half you're impossible.
00:21:19Both.
00:21:20We end up at a cafe
00:21:21in downtown Palmcrest
00:21:22that's so blindingly white and sunny
00:21:24it feels like heaven's waiting room.
00:21:26Mikey walks in beside me,
00:21:28commanding every square inch of space
00:21:30without saying a word.
00:21:31I can practically feel
00:21:33people's eyes on us.
00:21:35The hostess nearly trips
00:21:36trying to lead us to a table.
00:21:38The waiter calls him Mr. Moretti
00:21:40with a tremor in his voice.
00:21:41And I'm sitting there
00:21:42in my secondhand sundress,
00:21:44sipping lemonade,
00:21:45wondering if everyone can tell
00:21:47I don't belong in his orbit.
00:21:49Relax,
00:21:50he murmurs,
00:21:51reading my mind again.
00:21:53You look fine.
00:21:55I look like the unpaid intern
00:21:56on a date with a mob movie poster.
00:21:58He chuckles quietly.
00:22:00You really think people care
00:22:02what you look like
00:22:02when you're sitting next to me?
00:22:04Wow,
00:22:05you're humble and terrifying.
00:22:07How do you do it?
00:22:08He smirks,
00:22:09tearing a piece of bread.
00:22:11Practice.
00:22:12I try to focus on the sunlight
00:22:14glinting off the water glasses,
00:22:16the laughter from the nearby tables.
00:22:18But something's wrong.
00:22:20There's a man at the bar,
00:22:22wearing sunglasses inside.
00:22:24His gaze keeps flicking
00:22:25between his phone and us.
00:22:26I nudge Mikey.
00:22:28Don't look,
00:22:29but he's already noticed.
00:22:31Of course he has.
00:22:32His voice is casual,
00:22:34but his eyes sharpen.
00:22:35I see him.
00:22:36Should I, like,
00:22:37hide under the table,
00:22:38or...
00:22:39He shakes his head slightly.
00:22:40Smile.
00:22:41Smile.
00:22:42Pretend you're enjoying yourself,
00:22:43I force a grin.
00:22:44You have an odd definition
00:22:46of a date.
00:22:47Good thing it's not one.
00:22:50Ouch.
00:22:51The man at the bar
00:22:52stands up.
00:22:53Mikey's body tenses.
00:22:55I can practically feel
00:22:56the heat rolling off him.
00:22:57Quiet,
00:22:58lethal awareness
00:22:59under the smooth surface.
00:23:01He murmurs
00:23:02without looking at me.
00:23:04When I tell you,
00:23:05walk toward the exit.
00:23:07Don't run.
00:23:08My pulse jumps.
00:23:09You're kidding, right?
00:23:10He glances at me,
00:23:11eyes steady.
00:23:12Do I look like I'm kidding?
00:23:14I shake my head.
00:23:15No.
00:23:16You look like someone
00:23:17who should come
00:23:17with a warning label.
00:23:19Then trust me.
00:23:20He stands,
00:23:22calm and composed,
00:23:23tosses a hundred-dollar bill
00:23:24on the table
00:23:25like it's nothing.
00:23:26The man from the bar
00:23:27starts moving our way.
00:23:29Mikey takes my hand.
00:23:30His grip is firm,
00:23:31grounding.
00:23:32Now,
00:23:33he says softly.
00:23:35We walk.
00:23:37Casual.
00:23:38Deliberate.
00:23:40Out through the sunlight
00:23:41streaming over the cafe doors.
00:23:43The second we're outside,
00:23:44I whisper,
00:23:45Was that guy about to
00:23:47follow us?
00:23:49Probably.
00:23:51Okay.
00:23:51Cool.
00:23:52Totally normal Tuesday.
00:23:53He leads me to the car,
00:23:56a sleek black convertible
00:23:57that looks like sin on wheels.
00:23:59One of his guards
00:24:00opens the door
00:24:01before I can even think.
00:24:03The moment we pull away,
00:24:04I exhale.
00:24:06So what was that?
00:24:07Ex-boyfriend of the parrot?
00:24:09He doesn't answer right away.
00:24:10Rival family, maybe?
00:24:12Or someone hired
00:24:12to keep tabs on me?
00:24:14Or you?
00:24:14Me?
00:24:15You showed up on my property
00:24:16the same week
00:24:17my enemies started circling again.
00:24:19You really think
00:24:20I believe in coincidences?
00:24:22I turn toward him.
00:24:22You think I'm working with them?
00:24:25He finally looks at me,
00:24:26really looks,
00:24:27and shakes his head.
00:24:28No, but they might think you are.
00:24:31Great.
00:24:32Love that narrative.
00:24:33Girl climbs fence,
00:24:34rescues parrot,
00:24:36accidentally sparks mob war.
00:24:38You're handling this
00:24:39better than most.
00:24:41I panic through sarcasm.
00:24:43It's my brand!
00:24:44He smiles faintly,
00:24:46but his eyes stay on the road.
00:24:49By the time we're back
00:24:49at the mansion,
00:24:50the atmosphere's changed.
00:24:52There's a tension in the air now.
00:24:54Guards moving faster.
00:24:55Whispers exchanged in corners.
00:24:58I'm pacing in the living room
00:25:00when he comes in,
00:25:01sleeves rolled up,
00:25:02hair slightly tousled
00:25:03like he's been arguing with someone.
00:25:05You should pack a small bag,
00:25:07he says.
00:25:08What?
00:25:09Why?
00:25:10Just clothes.
00:25:11Essentials.
00:25:11We're leaving for a few days.
00:25:13I laugh nervously.
00:25:14Sorry,
00:25:15are we going on vacation
00:25:15or witness protection?
00:25:17Call it strategic relocation.
00:25:19Can I call it insane?
00:25:21He sighs.
00:25:22Lila.
00:25:23No, don't Lila me
00:25:24like that means logic.
00:25:25You can't just drag me out of the city
00:25:27because some guy
00:25:27stared at us in a cafe.
00:25:30He wasn't just staring.
00:25:31Then what was he doing?
00:25:33Waiting for a signal.
00:25:35The quiet in his voice
00:25:36chills me more
00:25:36than shouting ever could.
00:25:39Fine,
00:25:40I say finally.
00:25:41But if this turns into
00:25:42some desert hideout situation,
00:25:44I'm stealing your car.
00:25:46He almost smiles.
00:25:48Fair enough.
00:25:49Two hours later,
00:25:50we're driving down
00:25:51the sun-bleached highway
00:25:52in that same convertible,
00:25:54wind in our hair,
00:25:55the parrot squawking
00:25:56in the back seat
00:25:56like an uninvited DJ.
00:25:59Explain to me
00:26:00why I'm part of this mission,
00:26:01I say,
00:26:02shouting over the wind.
00:26:04Because you're safer
00:26:04where I can see you.
00:26:06That's romantic.
00:26:07And mildly creepy.
00:26:09Take your pick.
00:26:09The open road
00:26:11glows gold ahead of us,
00:26:12lined with palm trees
00:26:13and endless sky.
00:26:15For a moment,
00:26:15it's almost easy
00:26:16to forget the danger.
00:26:18Almost.
00:26:20Where are we going?
00:26:21My ranch outside Clearwater.
00:26:23Of course you have a ranch.
00:26:25What else?
00:26:26Private island?
00:26:27Submarine?
00:26:28He smirks.
00:26:29Two islands.
00:26:30No submarine.
00:26:31You joke,
00:26:32but I'm not convinced
00:26:33you don't own NASA.
00:26:34He chuckles quietly,
00:26:36and for a heartbeat
00:26:37he looks
00:26:37human.
00:26:39Relaxed.
00:26:40Like a man
00:26:41who once had a normal life
00:26:42before power hardened it.
00:26:45I study him.
00:26:46The way sunlight catches
00:26:47on his jawline.
00:26:49The faint tension
00:26:49behind his smile.
00:26:51And something twists
00:26:52inside me.
00:26:53He's not the monster
00:26:54the rumors painted.
00:26:56He's a man
00:26:57who built an empire
00:26:58with too many enemies
00:26:59and too few people
00:27:00he trusts.
00:27:01And somehow,
00:27:01against all logic,
00:27:03I've become
00:27:04one of those people.
00:27:06When we arrive,
00:27:07his ranch isn't
00:27:08what I expect.
00:27:09It's sprawling,
00:27:10yes,
00:27:11but bright,
00:27:11open,
00:27:12dotted with citrus trees
00:27:13and wildflowers.
00:27:14The air smells
00:27:15like salt and sunlight.
00:27:17This is where you hide
00:27:17from the world?
00:27:18I ask.
00:27:20Sometimes.
00:27:21Looks more like
00:27:22where billionaires
00:27:23come to reflect
00:27:23on their moral ambiguity.
00:27:26He laughs under his breath.
00:27:27Maybe that too.
00:27:29We walk toward
00:27:30the veranda,
00:27:30the parrot flying ahead
00:27:32and landing on the railing.
00:27:34Lila,
00:27:34good girl.
00:27:35It screeches.
00:27:36I roll my eyes.
00:27:38Your bird's obsessed
00:27:38with me.
00:27:40He has taste.
00:27:41I shoot him a look.
00:27:42Did you just flirt?
00:27:44Observation.
00:27:45Sure.
00:27:46He turns serious then,
00:27:48watching me
00:27:48in the fading light.
00:27:50I know this isn't
00:27:50fair to you.
00:27:53Understatement
00:27:53of the century.
00:27:55I'm not used to people
00:27:56who don't have an angle,
00:27:57he admits quietly.
00:27:58You showed up
00:28:00out of nowhere.
00:28:01No agenda.
00:28:02No fear.
00:28:02Just you.
00:28:04Yeah.
00:28:05Well,
00:28:06my superpower's
00:28:06bad timing.
00:28:08He steps closer,
00:28:10sunlight catching
00:28:10in his dark eyes.
00:28:12Maybe it's what I needed.
00:28:13The world feels
00:28:14suddenly too still.
00:28:16Too warm.
00:28:17I can smell
00:28:17citrus and salt
00:28:18and something electric
00:28:19in the air.
00:28:20I'm not one of your people,
00:28:22Mikey,
00:28:23I whisper.
00:28:23I'm not built
00:28:24for this world.
00:28:26Neither was I,
00:28:27he says softly.
00:28:29Until I had to be.
00:28:31Our eyes lock
00:28:32and something fragile
00:28:33forms between us.
00:28:34Trust, maybe.
00:28:36Or something dangerous
00:28:37that feels a lot like it.
00:28:39Then,
00:28:40in the distance,
00:28:41a car engine growls.
00:28:43Mikey tenses instantly.
00:28:45Inside.
00:28:46Now.
00:28:48What's
00:28:48go?
00:28:49I barely make it
00:28:51through the door
00:28:51before two black SUVs
00:28:52tear up the dirt road,
00:28:54dust flying
00:28:54in the golden light.
00:28:56Mikey's guards rush out,
00:28:57guns drawn.
00:28:58He moves like he's done
00:28:59this a thousand times.
00:29:01Calm.
00:29:02Precise.
00:29:03Furious beneath the calm.
00:29:05I duck behind the glass door,
00:29:07heart hammering,
00:29:08watching as he gives orders,
00:29:10shielding me with his body
00:29:11without even thinking about it.
00:29:13A shot rings out,
00:29:15sharp.
00:29:16Echoing through
00:29:16the bright afternoon,
00:29:18the parrot screeches.
00:29:19I gasp.
00:29:20Mikey turns,
00:29:21grabs my hand,
00:29:22pulls me down
00:29:23behind a marble pillar.
00:29:25Stay down.
00:29:26What the hell is happening?
00:29:27Rival family.
00:29:28They found us.
00:29:29I stare at him,
00:29:30the reality sinking in.
00:29:32You brought me into this.
00:29:34He meets my eyes,
00:29:35voice low.
00:29:36I'm sorry.
00:29:37Outside,
00:29:37more shouting.
00:29:38Tire screeching.
00:29:40Then silence.
00:29:42Minutes later,
00:29:42one of his men runs in,
00:29:44panting.
00:29:45They're gone.
00:29:47Mikey stands slowly,
00:29:48scanning the horizon.
00:29:49His hand is still on mine.
00:29:52Warm.
00:29:52Firm.
00:29:53Grounding.
00:29:54I whisper.
00:29:56So much for safe.
00:29:57He exhales.
00:29:59That's the thing about safety,
00:30:01Lila.
00:30:01It doesn't exist in my world.
00:30:04I swallow.
00:30:05Then maybe your world needs fixing.
00:30:07He looks at me then,
00:30:09like no one's ever said that to him before.
00:30:11Like maybe.
00:30:13Just maybe.
00:30:14He believes I mean it.
00:30:16And as sunlight pours through the shattered calm,
00:30:19one truth hits both of us at once.
00:30:22We're in this together now,
00:30:24whether we planned it or not.
00:30:30I wake to the scent of coffee and leather.
00:30:33The sunlight hits my face before my eyes open,
00:30:35and for a split second,
00:30:37I forget where I am,
00:30:39until I feel the silk sheets,
00:30:41hear the hum of an engine outside.
00:30:43And remember,
00:30:43I'm in his house.
00:30:44His mansion is too clean.
00:30:46Too calm.
00:30:47I sit up,
00:30:48still in the borrowed shirt he gave me last night.
00:30:51Black.
00:30:52Soft.
00:30:53Smelling like cologne and sin.
00:30:56My brain replays yesterday's madness like a movie on fast forward.
00:31:00The fake engagement.
00:31:01The gun at my back.
00:31:03The man named Marco whispering threats in Italian.
00:31:06And Matteo,
00:31:07always composed,
00:31:08always three steps ahead,
00:31:10grabbing my hand and saying,
00:31:11You're with me now.
00:31:13I wasn't sure if that was a promise or a sentence.
00:31:16Now,
00:31:17downstairs,
00:31:18he's standing by the massive glass wall overlooking his pool,
00:31:21shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows,
00:31:23reading something on his phone like it's the Bible.
00:31:26He doesn't notice me at first.
00:31:29Or maybe he does.
00:31:31Maybe he always does.
00:31:33You sleep like you don't owe me an explanation,
00:31:36he says without looking up.
00:31:37I didn't know I owed you one.
00:31:41He finally looks at me.
00:31:42His eyes are sharp,
00:31:44amused.
00:31:45But there's something else there.
00:31:47Something like fatigue.
00:31:49You pretended to be my fiancé
00:31:51in front of one of the most dangerous men in Florida.
00:31:54I'd say you owe me a few words.
00:31:56I pour coffee from the pot,
00:31:57trying to act unfazed.
00:31:59You're welcome for saving your life.
00:32:02He smirks just a little.
00:32:04Is that what that was?
00:32:05Heroism?
00:32:06Yeah, or stupidity.
00:32:07I haven't decided yet.
00:32:09He walks toward me,
00:32:11stopping close enough for me to smell the espresso on his breath.
00:32:14You're reckless, Avery.
00:32:15Brave, but reckless.
00:32:17That gets people killed in my world.
00:32:19Then maybe you should stop dragging me into it.
00:32:22He stares at me for a moment too long.
00:32:24Then softly.
00:32:26Maybe I don't want to.
00:32:28We spend the day pretending to have normal lives.
00:32:31He takes a phone call in the courtyard
00:32:33while I scroll through my cracked phone,
00:32:34pretending I'm not listening.
00:32:37The conversation's half in Italian,
00:32:39half in English.
00:32:40I catch words like shipment,
00:32:42problem,
00:32:43and Miami docks.
00:32:44When he hangs up,
00:32:45his jaw's tight.
00:32:47You have that face again,
00:32:49I say.
00:32:50The I'm going to kill someone at brunch face.
00:32:53He actually laughs,
00:32:54a quiet, rare sound
00:32:56that makes my stomach twist.
00:32:57You talk too much for someone hiding under my roof.
00:33:01I talk too much because it's either that or scream.
00:33:05He studies me like he's trying to figure out if I'm brave or just broken.
00:33:09Then he says,
00:33:10Get dressed.
00:33:11We're going out.
00:33:11I blink.
00:33:12Out where?
00:33:13You said I can't leave,
00:33:14not alone,
00:33:15with me.
00:33:16The Rolls-Royce glides through the streets of Palm Springs like it owns them.
00:33:20It probably does.
00:33:21Mateo's in a gray designer suit,
00:33:23sunglasses on,
00:33:24one hand on the wheel.
00:33:26The world outside glows gold.
00:33:27Palm trees,
00:33:28boutique stores,
00:33:29sunshine bouncing off everything.
00:33:31You sure it's safe?
00:33:32I ask.
00:33:33He glances at me.
00:33:34Safe is an illusion.
00:33:36You'll learn that if you stay near me long enough.
00:33:39So you're saying I should run?
00:33:40I'm saying you won't.
00:33:42He's right.
00:33:42And I hate that he's right.
00:33:44We stop at an art gallery.
00:33:46One of his, apparently.
00:33:48The manager practically bows when he walks in.
00:33:50The walls are filled with modern sculptures and wild colors that look nothing like him.
00:33:54You own this?
00:33:56I whisper.
00:33:56He nods.
00:33:58Diversification?
00:33:59From what?
00:34:00Crime to creativity?
00:34:01He tilts his head.
00:34:02You think I'm just one thing, Avery.
00:34:04Well, I haven't seen you paint any birds lately.
00:34:07His expression softens.
00:34:09Like I hit something real without meaning to.
00:34:12My mother used to paint birds.
00:34:14Before my father taught me how to break people instead.
00:34:17The air shifts.
00:34:18I don't move.
00:34:19I didn't know.
00:34:21I say quietly.
00:34:22Most don't.
00:34:24They see the suits.
00:34:25The money.
00:34:25The men with guns.
00:34:26They never see the cost.
00:34:28His voice cracks on that last word.
00:34:31Barely, but I hear it.
00:34:32He turns away before I can say anything.
00:34:35Back at the mansion, he's quieter.
00:34:37The sunlight stretches across the marble floors and I realize I don't want to leave.
00:34:42Not yet.
00:34:43Not until I understand him.
00:34:45Later, when we're out by the pool, the same bird, the one I freed from his fence days ago,
00:34:52returns.
00:34:53Its wing is healed now.
00:34:55It hops along the glass railing, chirping like it's announcing my mistake.
00:35:00Mateo watches it too.
00:35:01You really did break into my heart, he murmurs.
00:35:05I freeze.
00:35:06What?
00:35:07He smiles, slow and dangerous.
00:35:09That day, with the bird, I thought you were an intruder.
00:35:12You were.
00:35:13Just not the kind I expected.
00:35:14I laugh despite the lump in my throat.
00:35:18You think that's romantic?
00:35:19He shrugs.
00:35:20It's honest.
00:35:21I shake my head.
00:35:23You're insane.
00:35:24And yet you're still here.
00:35:26His hand brushes mine on the chair.
00:35:28It's not planned.
00:35:29It's not innocent either.
00:35:31The world goes still.
00:35:33When he leans in, the sunlight catches in his hair, and everything slows.
00:35:38His lips hover near mine, hesitating like even he doesn't trust himself.
00:35:42Then a sound shatters it.
00:35:45The sharp mechanical click of a gun cocking.
00:35:48He's up instantly, shielding me.
00:35:50Inside.
00:35:51Now.
00:35:52Chaos follows like a heartbeat.
00:35:54Men flood the lawn, yelling in Italian.
00:35:56His guards pull me toward the house, but Mateo shoves them off.
00:36:00No.
00:36:01He orders.
00:36:02She stays with me.
00:36:04We duck behind a column as gunfire rattles the air.
00:36:07Loud.
00:36:07Metallic.
00:36:08Too close.
00:36:10My chest burns.
00:36:11I don't even realize I'm holding his hand until his grip tightens around mine.
00:36:15Who are they?
00:36:16I shout.
00:36:17People who think they can take what's mine.
00:36:20His voice is calm.
00:36:21Terrifyingly calm.
00:36:23You mean your art gallery.
00:36:24He meets my eyes.
00:36:26I mean you.
00:36:27Before I can answer, he's pulling me toward the car, barking orders.
00:36:31The world becomes a blur of sunlight and fear.
00:36:34We speed through the gates, tires screeching on white gravel.
00:36:37He doesn't slow until we're miles away, parked at the edge of a citrus grove that smells like summer and adrenaline.
00:36:45I turn to him, heart hammering.
00:36:48You knew they'd come, he exhales hard.
00:36:51I hoped they wouldn't.
00:36:53But in my business, hope is just another lie.
00:36:55I want to scream at him.
00:36:58For dragging me into this.
00:37:00For making me care.
00:37:01But instead I say,
00:37:03You could have let me go.
00:37:05He looks straight ahead.
00:37:06I couldn't.
00:37:07Why not?
00:37:08He turns, eyes burning gold in the sun.
00:37:11Because the moment you walked into my life, everything I built started to feel...
00:37:15empty.
00:37:16I don't know what to do with that.
00:37:18So I do the stupid thing.
00:37:19The impossible thing.
00:37:21I kiss him.
00:37:22He doesn't hesitate this time.
00:37:24His hand slides into my hair.
00:37:26His breath rough against my lips.
00:37:27It's not gentle.
00:37:29It's desperate.
00:37:30Raw.
00:37:31Real.
00:37:32When we finally break apart, I whisper,
00:37:35Now what?
00:37:37He leans his forehead against mine.
00:37:39Now we fight back.
00:37:40The rest of the day moves in flashes.
00:37:43Calls.
00:37:43Plans.
00:37:44His men regrouping.
00:37:46And me.
00:37:47Sitting on the mansion steps.
00:37:49Watching that same bird circle above like it knows something I don't.
00:37:52Mateo joins me at sunset.
00:37:55Jacket off.
00:37:56Shirt unbuttoned at the throat.
00:37:58We have to make a move.
00:38:00He says.
00:38:01They won't stop until they get what they want.
00:38:04And what do they want?
00:38:05He looks at me.
00:38:07Control.
00:38:08Over what?
00:38:08Your empire?
00:38:09He shakes his head slowly.
00:38:11Over me.
00:38:12Over anyone I care about.
00:38:14The way he says it, it lands heavy.
00:38:16Dangerous.
00:38:17True.
00:38:18I swallow.
00:38:19Then they're gonna hate what happens next.
00:38:22His lips curve.
00:38:23You sound like me.
00:38:25Guess I've been spending too much time with a mafia boss.
00:38:28He tilts my chin up with one finger.
00:38:30No, Avery.
00:38:31You've been spending time with a man who stopped pretending not to feel.
00:38:35And before I can stop myself, I say it.
00:38:38Soft.
00:38:39Shaky.
00:38:40But real.
00:38:41Then don't stop now.
00:38:43He doesn't.
00:38:43The kiss that follows isn't chaos or panic.
00:38:46It's surrender.
00:38:48It's daylight and danger.
00:38:50And everything that shouldn't exist between us but somehow does.
00:38:54When we pull apart, he whispers against my skin.
00:38:57You started as a trespasser.
00:39:00And now?
00:39:01I ask.
00:39:02His smile is small.
00:39:03Now you're the only thing worth protecting.
00:39:05There's a new kind of silence in Mateo's mansion.
00:39:12Not peace.
00:39:14Tension.
00:39:15The kind that hums beneath every breath.
00:39:18Like the whole place is holding itself together out of pride.
00:39:21I'm standing in front of a wall of glass when he comes in.
00:39:25Voice low from a phone call.
00:39:28Cancel the delivery.
00:39:30No one moves without my order.
00:39:31He hangs up, tosses the phone on the counter, and rubs his temples.
00:39:36The Martellis are moving faster than I thought.
00:39:40The guys who attacked us?
00:39:42He nods once.
00:39:43They're not just after territory.
00:39:46They want a message.
00:39:48And that message is you dead?
00:39:50He looks up, eyes shadowed by exhaustion.
00:39:54That message is me on my knees.
00:39:56They won't get it.
00:39:57But something inside me aches, watching him like this.
00:40:02This man who carries power like armor but bleeds in silence when no one's looking.
00:40:07He's been snapping at everyone.
00:40:09Sleeping barely at all.
00:40:10And I can feel it.
00:40:12The wall going back up between us.
00:40:15You should leave, he says suddenly.
00:40:18I blink.
00:40:20Excuse me?
00:40:21He turns toward the window.
00:40:24It's not safe here anymore.
00:40:25I'll have one of my men take you to Miami.
00:40:28You'll disappear.
00:40:29Start over.
00:40:30Start over?
00:40:31I snap.
00:40:32Like none of this happened?
00:40:34Like you didn't drag me into your war?
00:40:37His jaw tightens.
00:40:39You think I wanted that?
00:40:41You think I did?
00:40:43I fire back.
00:40:44I was just trying to save a stupid bird.
00:40:47His voice rises, sharp.
00:40:48And you walked into my life.
00:40:50We stand there, the words between us heavier than the sunlight streaming through the windows.
00:40:57He takes a slow breath.
00:40:59You don't belong here, Avery.
00:41:01You're not built for this.
00:41:03I swallow the lump in my throat.
00:41:06Then stop making me want to be.
00:41:08He freezes, his expression cracking for a fraction of a second.
00:41:13Then he looks away.
00:41:15Pack your things, he says.
00:41:17You're leaving by noon.
00:41:18By the time I make it to my room, my hands are shaking.
00:41:23I don't even know if it's anger or heartbreak.
00:41:26Or both.
00:41:28I throw clothes into a bag, ignoring the sting behind my eyes.
00:41:32My chest feels hollow.
00:41:34My heart a bruise.
00:41:36Every laugh.
00:41:37Every stolen glance.
00:41:38Every kiss.
00:41:39It all feels like smoke now.
00:41:42I open the window, hoping for air.
00:41:45The bird, the same one I rescued, flits across the sky.
00:41:49Landing on the fence again.
00:41:51Yeah.
00:41:52I whisper bitterly.
00:41:54You got out.
00:41:55Lucky you.
00:41:56The door opens behind me.
00:41:59I turn, expecting Mateo.
00:42:01It's not him.
00:42:02It's Marco.
00:42:03His smirk is colder than before.
00:42:05His gun glinting in the sunlight like something out of a bad dream.
00:42:08Miss Avery, he says in a mock-polite drawl.
00:42:13Long time no see.
00:42:15Mateo's not here, I manage.
00:42:18Oh, I know, he says.
00:42:19That's why I'm here.
00:42:21My pulse spikes.
00:42:23What do you want?
00:42:24He steps closer, eyes gleaming.
00:42:27You.
00:42:28Your leverage, sweetheart.
00:42:29The Don's got a soft spot and you're it.
00:42:32Before I can move, he grabs my wrist, pressing the barrel of the gun against my ribs.
00:42:38We're going for a little drive.
00:42:40They drag me into a black SUV parked near the gate.
00:42:44The world outside blurs again.
00:42:46Palm trees.
00:42:47Sunlight.
00:42:48The road cutting through the desert heat.
00:42:50My mind races.
00:42:52Mateo will come for me.
00:42:54He has to.
00:42:55But what if he doesn't?
00:42:57What if this is exactly what he wanted?
00:43:00To let me go and clean his hands of it?
00:43:02No.
00:43:04That's not him.
00:43:05Not anymore.
00:43:07Marco glances at me in the rearview mirror.
00:43:10You must be something special, huh?
00:43:12Don't see the big man lose his cool often.
00:43:16I glare at him.
00:43:17You don't know him.
00:43:19He laughs.
00:43:20Oh, I know him.
00:43:21I used to work for him.
00:43:23That stings more than it should.
00:43:26Used to?
00:43:27He smirks.
00:43:29Until I realized being loyal to Mateo DeLuca means dying for his mistakes.
00:43:33He doesn't make mistakes.
00:43:36Marco's grin turns cruel.
00:43:38He made one.
00:43:39You.
00:43:41The SUV jerks to a stop in an abandoned citrus grove,
00:43:45heat shimmering off the pavement.
00:43:48Marco drags me out, gun still trained on me.
00:43:51Don't bother screaming.
00:43:53He says.
00:43:54No one around for miles.
00:43:56My mind scrambles for something.
00:43:58Anything.
00:44:00Mateo's going to kill you.
00:44:01I say.
00:44:02You know that, right?
00:44:04He shrugs.
00:44:05He can try.
00:44:06By the time he finds you,
00:44:08he'll have lost everything else.
00:44:10And that's when I hear it.
00:44:12The roar of an engine.
00:44:14The sound grows louder.
00:44:16Closer.
00:44:16Faster.
00:44:17Mateo's rolls bursts through the dust like a silver bullet, gravel flying.
00:44:22The doors slam open before it even stops.
00:44:26His men swarm out, guns drawn.
00:44:29Marco jerks me close, arm around my throat.
00:44:32Not another step, DeLuca.
00:44:34Mateo stands in the sun.
00:44:35No gun.
00:44:36Just that terrifying calm that makes everyone else flinch.
00:44:40Let her go, Marco.
00:44:42Or what?
00:44:44Marco spits.
00:44:45You'll shoot me and prove you're just like your father?
00:44:49Mateo's jaw clenches.
00:44:51You don't want to test that theory.
00:44:54The world holds its breath.
00:44:56Marco presses the gun tighter.
00:44:58I can feel the barrel tremble against my ribs.
00:45:02Please.
00:45:03I whisper.
00:45:05Mateo's voice breaks through the silence.
00:45:08Low.
00:45:09Steady.
00:45:10Deadly.
00:45:11Avery.
00:45:13Trust me.
00:45:14He moves fast.
00:45:15Too fast for me to process.
00:45:18One second, Marco's holding me.
00:45:20The next, Mateo lunges forward.
00:45:21A shot cracks through the air, and Marco drops to the ground, screaming.
00:45:26The gun clatters.
00:45:28Mateo catches me before I fall.
00:45:31You okay?
00:45:32He breathes, scanning my face.
00:45:36I nod shakily, tears spilling over.
00:45:39You came.
00:45:41Of course I came.
00:45:43His voice cracks this time, raw and real.
00:45:47You think I could let you go?
00:45:48We're back at the mansion before I realize I'm still shaking.
00:45:53His men clean up the mess, but the damage is already done.
00:45:57The Marcellis will come harder now.
00:45:59Mateo knows it.
00:46:01He sits on the patio steps, unbuttoned shirt clinging to him, eyes far away.
00:46:07I walk over, folding my arms.
00:46:11You told me to leave.
00:46:13He nods slowly.
00:46:14I did.
00:46:16Then why didn't you let me?
00:46:18He lifts his gaze.
00:46:20Because losing you felt worse than dying.
00:46:23I sit beside him.
00:46:25You don't get to say stuff like that and expect me to walk away.
00:46:28He huffs a broken laugh.
00:46:30What do you want me to say, Avery?
00:46:33That I'm sorry for dragging you into this?
00:46:35I am.
00:46:36That I wish things were different?
00:46:38I do.
00:46:40But this is my world.
00:46:41You can't fix me.
00:46:44I wasn't trying to fix you, I whisper.
00:46:47I was trying to love you.
00:46:49That hits him like a slap.
00:46:51His eyes close.
00:46:52His hands grip his knees.
00:46:54He finally speaks, voice barely a breath.
00:46:58If you stay, you'll be hunted.
00:47:00If you go, I'll burn the world trying to find you.
00:47:03Then maybe the world needs to burn.
00:47:06He looks at me like he can't believe what he's hearing.
00:47:09Like I'm the one making the impossible sound easy.
00:47:12But before either of us can say another word, his phone buzzes.
00:47:17He glances at it.
00:47:18And everything in his face changes.
00:47:21What is it?
00:47:23He stands, pacing.
00:47:26They hit the Miami docks.
00:47:27Took everything.
00:47:29Everything?
00:47:30He nods grimly.
00:47:32My shipments.
00:47:33My money.
00:47:33My leverage.
00:47:35I rise, too.
00:47:36So what do we do?
00:47:38He stares at me.
00:47:39Something fierce sparking behind his exhaustion.
00:47:42We fight back.
00:47:43But I can't do it if I'm worried about you.
00:47:45I grab his hand.
00:47:46Then stop worrying and use me.
00:47:49He freezes.
00:47:50What?
00:47:51You need someone they won't suspect.
00:47:54Someone not in your world.
00:47:55That's me.
00:47:56He looks at me like I've lost my mind.
00:47:59Maybe I have.
00:48:00Then slowly he says,
00:48:02If I say yes,
00:48:04there's no going back.
00:48:06I squeeze his hand.
00:48:08I already didn't.
00:48:09By the next morning,
00:48:11the plan's in motion.
00:48:12I wear sunglasses and nerves,
00:48:14pretending to be the clueless girlfriend at a marina meetup.
00:48:18Mateo's men shadow me from a distance while he sets his trap.
00:48:22But the Marcellis are smarter than we thought.
00:48:25Before I can even signal his men,
00:48:26I see a flash of chrome,
00:48:28and a boat explodes at the dock,
00:48:30fire bursting skyward in a roar.
00:48:33Mateo's name echoes through the chaos,
00:48:35someone shouting,
00:48:37He's down!
00:48:39No!
00:48:40I breathe.
00:48:41No!
00:48:41No!
00:48:42No!
00:48:43I run toward the smoke,
00:48:45ignoring the guards,
00:48:46ignoring the screams.
00:48:48Mateo's on the ground,
00:48:49blood streaking his temple but still breathing,
00:48:52still conscious.
00:48:53He grabs my hand weakly.
00:48:56Don't...
00:48:57cry.
00:48:58Shut up.
00:48:59I choke out.
00:49:00You're not dying.
00:49:02Not like this.
00:49:03He manages a faint smile.
00:49:05Still giving me orders, huh?
00:49:08Always.
00:49:09He laughs once.
00:49:10Quiet.
00:49:11Broken.
00:49:12God, I love you.
00:49:14The words hang there,
00:49:16bright and brutal.
00:49:17And in that burning daylight,
00:49:19with everything falling apart around us,
00:49:21I realize something simple.
00:49:23The empire might crumble.
00:49:24The money might vanish.
00:49:26But love,
00:49:27real love,
00:49:28doesn't bow to fear.
00:49:31Hours later,
00:49:31after the medics and the fire and the chaos,
00:49:35we're back at the mansion.
00:49:37Mateo's bruised,
00:49:38stitched,
00:49:39alive.
00:49:41He sits across from me,
00:49:43the sunlight painting his face gold.
00:49:45You could still go,
00:49:47he says softly.
00:49:49I shake my head.
00:49:51You think I'm leaving the guy who owes me a bird and a heart?
00:49:54He laughs,
00:49:56quiet,
00:49:57disbelieving.
00:49:57Then,
00:49:59just before the scene fades into the golden silence of late afternoon,
00:50:04he says,
00:50:05then God help anyone who tries to take you from me again.
00:50:08The sun over Palm Springs feels too bright for what's left of us.
00:50:18The fire at the docks made the news,
00:50:20mysterious explosion linked to organized crime.
00:50:24And now,
00:50:25every tabloid in California has Mateo's name on its tongue.
00:50:28I'm sitting on the balcony of his mansion,
00:50:31knees drawn to my chest,
00:50:33watching the same-heeled bird land on the railing like it owns the place.
00:50:37The irony isn't lost on me.
00:50:40That bird flew free.
00:50:41I stayed.
00:50:42Mateo's been downstairs all morning,
00:50:45meeting with his men.
00:50:47His voice rises,
00:50:48sharp and final,
00:50:50then fades again.
00:50:51When he finally steps out into the sunlight,
00:50:55his jacket is gone,
00:50:57his white dress shirt rolled up,
00:50:59the top button undone,
00:51:01the signature look of a man holding everything together by force.
00:51:05Come down,
00:51:07he says,
00:51:08voice low but firm.
00:51:10It's time.
00:51:11I stand,
00:51:12my stomach tight.
00:51:14Time for what?
00:51:16For the reckoning,
00:51:17he says simply.
00:51:18He gathers his men on the courtyard lawn,
00:51:22where the light hits his face like a spotlight.
00:51:25Behind him,
00:51:26his black rolls glints like a weapon in the sun.
00:51:30I stay on the steps,
00:51:31watching him take command with quiet fire.
00:51:34I built everything to protect us,
00:51:36he tells them.
00:51:38The docks,
00:51:39the trade,
00:51:40the network.
00:51:41But power built on fear never lasts.
00:51:45You all saw what happened.
00:51:46The Markellys came for our name.
00:51:49And they almost got it.
00:51:51He glances at me briefly,
00:51:53just once,
00:51:54and my chest tightens.
00:51:56Today,
00:51:57he continues,
00:51:58we don't retaliate.
00:52:00We expose them.
00:52:01Publicly.
00:52:02No bullets.
00:52:03No bodies.
00:52:04Just truth.
00:52:05The men exchange uneasy glances.
00:52:08That's not how things are done, boss.
00:52:10One mutters.
00:52:11Mateo's smile is faint,
00:52:13but lethal.
00:52:14Then it's time we start doing them differently.
00:52:18He waves one of his men forward,
00:52:20and the guy hands me a tablet.
00:52:22On it are files,
00:52:24receipts,
00:52:24offshore accounts,
00:52:26secret transfers,
00:52:27all proof that the Marcelli laundered money
00:52:29through legitimate corporations,
00:52:31Mateo's companies.
00:52:33You were collecting this?
00:52:35I ask softly.
00:52:37For years,
00:52:38he says.
00:52:39I wanted leverage,
00:52:40not war.
00:52:41But they chose war.
00:52:43He turns back to his men.
00:52:45We're sending this to the feds.
00:52:47Everything.
00:52:49And then we walk away clean.
00:52:51The silence that follows
00:52:52is thick enough to choke on.
00:52:55Boss,
00:52:56another man says.
00:52:57You can't just give up the business.
00:52:59I'm not giving it up,
00:53:02Mateo says,
00:53:03his tone calm but cutting.
00:53:05I'm giving it meaning.
00:53:08He looks straight at me as he adds,
00:53:10I'm done letting power decide who I become.
00:53:14Later,
00:53:15when the courtyard empties,
00:53:17I find him leaning against the balcony railing,
00:53:19staring at the horizon
00:53:20like he's waiting for it to blink first.
00:53:23You really mean it,
00:53:25I say.
00:53:26You're walking away.
00:53:28He doesn't look at me.
00:53:30Every empire ends.
00:53:32I'd rather end mine on purpose.
00:53:34I step beside him,
00:53:36sunlight reflecting in his eyes.
00:53:38You could have left before.
00:53:40You didn't.
00:53:42He exhales slowly.
00:53:45Before you?
00:53:46I didn't have a reason to.
00:53:48That knocks the breath out of me.
00:53:50You're saying all this,
00:53:52risking your life,
00:53:54your legacy,
00:53:55because of me?
00:53:57He shakes his head.
00:53:58No.
00:53:59Because of what you made me remember.
00:54:01That I'm human.
00:54:03For the first time since I met him,
00:54:06there's peace in his voice.
00:54:07But before I can answer,
00:54:09his phone buzzes.
00:54:11He glances at it,
00:54:12eyes narrowing.
00:54:13They know,
00:54:15he says,
00:54:16the Marcellis.
00:54:17How?
00:54:19He sighs.
00:54:19Because in my world,
00:54:22nothing stays secret for long.
00:54:24By noon,
00:54:25the mansion's surrounded,
00:54:27but not by his men.
00:54:29Police cruisers line the gates,
00:54:31blue and red lights flashing against white stucco walls.
00:54:35My heart leaps.
00:54:37Mateo.
00:54:38He raises a hand.
00:54:40It's okay.
00:54:41What do you mean, okay?
00:54:43They're here for you.
00:54:44He turns to me,
00:54:46calm in a way that terrifies me.
00:54:49That was part of the plan.
00:54:50What plan?
00:54:52The deal.
00:54:53I hand them everything.
00:54:54They take down the Marcellis,
00:54:56and I testify.
00:54:57I stare at him,
00:54:59the world tilting sideways.
00:55:01Testify?
00:55:02Against the mafia?
00:55:04He nods.
00:55:05Against all of it.
00:55:06It ends today.
00:55:08I take a shaky breath.
00:55:10They'll destroy you.
00:55:11He steps closer,
00:55:13brushing a hand against my cheek.
00:55:15Then let them.
00:55:16As long as they don't destroy you.
00:55:19I grab his hand,
00:55:21gripping it tight.
00:55:23No.
00:55:24You don't get to play the martyr, Mateo.
00:55:27Not after everything we've survived.
00:55:30He smiles faintly.
00:55:32You said you wanted me to stop pretending not to feel.
00:55:36I'm feeling now.
00:55:37And it hurts like hell.
00:55:39When the FBI agents enter,
00:55:41it's bright and loud and unreal.
00:55:43Mateo walks out in full daylight.
00:55:46No cuffs.
00:55:47Just composure.
00:55:48His men stay silent.
00:55:50Heads bowed.
00:55:52He gives a statement.
00:55:53Calm.
00:55:54Detailed.
00:55:55Brutal.
00:55:57The Marcellis' names.
00:55:59Their roots.
00:56:00Their offshore accounts.
00:56:01It all spills out.
00:56:03Surgical and final.
00:56:04And then he does something I don't expect.
00:56:08He looks at me across the courtyard and says,
00:56:10I'll be back for her.
00:56:13The lead agent gives him a look that says don't promise things you can't keep.
00:56:17But Mateo doesn't blink.
00:56:20As they escort him into the car,
00:56:22the same bird from the fence lands on the fountain's edge and chirps once,
00:56:26loud and defiant.
00:56:27I swear he sees it.
00:56:29Then he's gone.
00:56:30The next few weeks move like sunlit dreams and heartbreak.
00:56:35The feds clean house.
00:56:37The Marcellis' empire burns.
00:56:39And news anchors can't stop saying Mateo DeLuca's name like he's some fallen angel who confessed for love.
00:56:45Maybe he is.
00:56:47I rent a small place near Joshua Tree.
00:56:50A stretch of desert light and quiet wind.
00:56:52Every morning I walk to the fence outside and leave crumbs for that same damn bird.
00:56:58I tell myself I'm moving on.
00:57:00That I'm building something normal.
00:57:03But every sound of a car,
00:57:05every whisper of an engine makes my heart stutter.
00:57:08And then one morning,
00:57:09there he is.
00:57:10Standing in the middle of the road in a crisp black shirt.
00:57:13Sleeves rolled.
00:57:14No guards.
00:57:15No chaos.
00:57:16Just him.
00:57:17I freeze.
00:57:19Mateo?
00:57:20He smiles.
00:57:21Slow.
00:57:22Tired.
00:57:22Beautiful.
00:57:24They called it time served.
00:57:25Cooperation deal.
00:57:27I don't move.
00:57:28My throat tightens.
00:57:29You're free.
00:57:30He nods.
00:57:32For now.
00:57:33I laugh through a half sob.
00:57:35That's the most romantic thing you've ever said.
00:57:39He grins,
00:57:40stepping closer.
00:57:41Don't make me compete with my own reputation.
00:57:45I throw my arms around him before my brain can talk me out of it.
00:57:48He holds me tight.
00:57:49His breath warm against my hair.
00:57:52The sun burns gold around us.
00:57:55And for once,
00:57:56the world doesn't feel like a trap.
00:57:59You could have disappeared.
00:58:01I whisper.
00:58:02Started over somewhere far away.
00:58:05He pulls back just enough to look me in the eye.
00:58:07I did start over.
00:58:10Right here.
00:58:12We drive out to the cliffs later that afternoon.
00:58:15No guards.
00:58:16No meetings.
00:58:17No danger.
00:58:18Just us.
00:58:20Sunlight.
00:58:21And the kind of silence that feels like peace instead of fear.
00:58:24He parks the car and leans against it,
00:58:27watching the horizon.
00:58:29You ever think about what comes after all this?
00:58:31He asks.
00:58:32After what?
00:58:34He smiles faintly.
00:58:36After survival.
00:58:38I think about it for a long moment.
00:58:41Yeah.
00:58:42I say finally.
00:58:43I think it looks like this.
00:58:46He turns his head,
00:58:47watching me instead of the view.
00:58:50You sure?
00:58:51No mansions?
00:58:52No private jets?
00:58:53I grin.
00:58:54I'm dating the guy who gave up an empire.
00:58:57I think I'll be fine.
00:58:59He laughs softly,
00:59:01the sound easing something in both of us.
00:59:04Then he takes my hand and presses it to his chest.
00:59:07You broke into my home, Avery.
00:59:10Then you broke into my life.
00:59:12And your heart.
00:59:13I remind him.
00:59:14He nods.
00:59:16That too.
00:59:17And I'm never changing the locks.
00:59:19We sit there until the sun drops low,
00:59:23turning everything golden.
00:59:25The bird from before circles above,
00:59:27coasting on the wind.
00:59:29Mateo watches it,
00:59:30eyes softer than I've ever seen.
00:59:33I used to think freedom meant power,
00:59:35he says.
00:59:36Now I think it means peace.
00:59:38And does it scare you?
00:59:40I ask.
00:59:42He smirks.
00:59:43Only a little.
00:59:44I reach for his hand again.
00:59:47Then let's be scared together.
00:59:48He looks at me,
00:59:50sunlight catching in his eyes.
00:59:53Deal.
00:59:54Weeks later,
00:59:55people still whisper about the downfall of the DeLuca Empire.
00:59:59But here,
01:00:01in the desert,
01:00:02the air smells like citrus and second chances.
01:00:06Mateo works on a quiet business venture,
01:00:08something legal this time,
01:00:10and I teach art to kids in town.
01:00:13Sometimes he teases me about the bird that started all of this.
01:00:16Maybe it wasn't the bird's wing that needed saving,
01:00:20he says.
01:00:21Maybe it was mine.
01:00:23I roll my eyes.
01:00:25You really are dramatic,
01:00:27he smirks.
01:00:28And you love it.
01:00:31I do.
01:00:32God help me, I do.
01:00:34On the one-year anniversary of the day,
01:00:36I broke into his mansion fence.
01:00:39We drive back there,
01:00:40his property now empty,
01:00:42the walls overgrown with vines.
01:00:43The gate creaks open,
01:00:47sunlight flooding the courtyard where we first met.
01:00:50The fountain's cracked,
01:00:52but the water still runs.
01:00:54He kneels beside it,
01:00:55dips his hand in and says,
01:00:57Guess it's poetic.
01:00:59Every empire ends,
01:01:01but some stories don't.
01:01:03I crouch beside him,
01:01:04smiling.
01:01:06Ours won't.
01:01:07The bird lands nearby again,
01:01:10wings fluttering in the light.
01:01:11Mateo looks at me,
01:01:13voice soft but sure.
01:01:15You freed something in me that day, Avery,
01:01:18and I'll spend the rest of my life earning it.
01:01:21I press my forehead to his,
01:01:23whispering,
01:01:24Then we're even.
01:01:26He smiles.
01:01:27No,
01:01:28you still owe me a bird.
01:01:30I laugh,
01:01:31loud and real,
01:01:33and for the first time,
01:01:34everything feels exactly how it should,
01:01:37bright,
01:01:38raw,
01:01:39and beautifully alive.
01:01:40If you felt every heartbeat,
01:01:43every moment of danger,
01:01:45and every ounce of love in this story,
01:01:47don't forget to subscribe for more cinematic mafia romance tales.
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01:02:01I'll see you there.
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