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Short filmTranscript
00:00People think running a sidewalk coffee stand in downtown Houston is just vibes and iced latte aesthetics.
00:06Cute cups, sunshine, maybe a dog or two.
00:10Yeah, no, it's caffeine warfare.
00:13By 8.15 a.m., I'm elbow deep in chaos,
00:16trying not to scream at the espresso machine that is definitely sentient and definitely plotting against me.
00:22The line is snaking down the plaza,
00:25people are yelling mobile order names that don't exist in my system,
00:28and the building manager is marching toward me with the stern purpose of a man who hates small joys, and me.
00:35Myla, he says, we talked about this.
00:40We did, I say, wrestling a portafilter that refuses to lock in.
00:45You said rent is overdue, and I said,
00:49please stop talking while I'm holding boiling liquids.
00:52He doesn't laugh, because his soul is basically a spreadsheet.
00:55You have until the end of the week, then you're out.
01:00He walks off like he just dropped a tax bill on Christmas,
01:04leaving me in full panic mode while a woman impatiently taps her acrylics on my counter.
01:09I ordered a skinny vanilla, like ten minutes ago.
01:13I'm skinny and vanilla, I mutter,
01:15but I can't make myself in a cup.
01:17She doesn't find that funny.
01:21I hand her the drink before she calls 911 or something,
01:24and I'm already trying to rebuild my sanity when the line goes quiet.
01:29Not slows down.
01:30Not murmurs.
01:32Quiet.
01:33Like the sun took a breath.
01:36Because a man just stepped up to the counter,
01:38and I swear reality rearranges itself around him.
01:41Tall.
01:42Sharp suit.
01:43Open collar.
01:44Gold watch catching the light like it's flirting.
01:47Dark hair styled like he walked through a magazine shoot and didn't bother fixing it.
01:52He has the kind of presence that makes people straighten without realizing why.
01:56And his eyes.
01:58Slate gray.
01:59Observant.
02:00Calm in a way that feels dangerous.
02:03He's looking at my menu like it's a document he plans to seize in a hostile takeover.
02:07Morning, he says, voice low enough to vibrate through my ribs.
02:12Do you sell anything that doesn't taste like regret?
02:15Nope.
02:15I shoot back.
02:18Regret is extra, actually.
02:19Premium topping.
02:21A slow smile touches his mouth, like I've surprised him.
02:25Beautiful.
02:26Great.
02:27I'm flirting with a man who looks like he keeps lawyers in his pocket.
02:31What's good?
02:32He asks.
02:34Depends.
02:35Do you like bitterness, chaos, or emotional support?
02:38His brows lift a little.
02:41I have officially become his morning entertainment.
02:44Let's try chaos, he says.
02:47Double shot Americano coming right up.
02:50People stare at him like he's a celebrity, or someone they owe money to.
02:54A tall guy behind him whispers something like,
02:57That's him.
02:59Which is... comforting.
03:01As I grind beans, the machine sputters again, making that dying whale sound that means I might
03:07cry if it quits on me.
03:09Hold on, I tell it, because encouraging my equipment is now part of my mental health routine.
03:15The man leans a little closer.
03:18You talk to your machines?
03:21Sure, I say.
03:22It helps them behave.
03:25He taps his fingers on the counter, amused.
03:28Does it work?
03:29Sometimes.
03:30Better than talking to landlords.
03:33His gaze sharpens with interest.
03:35Trouble?
03:37Just the regular kind, being poor in America.
03:40He huffs something like a laugh, then studies the stand.
03:44Really studies it.
03:46Like he's scanning every bolt, every crack, every inch of my chaotic livelihood.
03:51Your name?
03:52He asks.
03:54Why?
03:56You planning to report me to the Department of Beverage Integrity?
03:59Is that a real department?
04:01Probably.
04:02Somewhere.
04:03He looks at me for a long beat, like he's memorizing the way I dodge questions.
04:08Myla, I say finally.
04:11He says it softly, rolling the syllables.
04:13Like he's tasting them.
04:15Great.
04:16Now my bloodstream is doing gymnastics.
04:19And you are?
04:21I ask.
04:22Elias.
04:24Just Elias.
04:26Which is suspicious.
04:28People who look like him always come with last names that get whispered or googled.
04:32I hand him his drink.
04:34He takes one sip.
04:36Stops.
04:37Looks at the cup like he might propose to it.
04:40This is good, he says.
04:42Told you.
04:43Chaos flavored.
04:45For a second, the air settles around us, warm from the sun bouncing off the glass buildings,
04:51the city humming with life.
04:52And then.
04:55Myla.
04:56The building manager's voice blasts across the plaza like a bad trumpet.
05:01I flinch so hard I almost launch a cup into orbit.
05:04He storms back toward me, waving a paper like a referee about to throw me out of the game.
05:10The rent.
05:11You're out Friday.
05:12No negotiation.
05:15I feel my cheeks heat.
05:17Humiliation scraping at my ribs.
05:19People stare.
05:21Phones come out.
05:22God bless America.
05:24Got it.
05:25I mutter.
05:26Thanks for the public shaming.
05:28He leaves.
05:29And I try to steady my breathing.
05:31But Elias is watching me.
05:34Really watching.
05:35It's unsettling.
05:37Like he sees right through the brittle sarcasm, the tiredness under my eyes, the panic I keep
05:43patching up with duct tape and caffeine.
05:46Why are you losing the stand?
05:48He asks, voice softer.
05:50Because rent is due, and money hates me.
05:54How much?
05:55Nope.
05:56Not playing that game.
05:58You're giving intimidating man who can solve problems with a phone call.
06:01And I'm not asking for charity.
06:04Something flickers across his expression.
06:07Interest?
06:08Amusement?
06:09Something warmer?
06:11You think I'd just...
06:12Fix your life?
06:14He asks.
06:15I think you could, I say.
06:18Which is terrifying.
06:20He leans in slightly, the sunlight catching in his gray eyes.
06:23And if I wanted to?
06:25My heartbeat gets confused and tries to escape.
06:28This is America, I say.
06:32People don't just fix things for strangers.
06:35Maybe I'm not people.
06:37He takes another slow sip of his Americano.
06:40Gaze locked on mine.
06:42It's like he's measuring my reactions.
06:44Weighing decisions I don't understand yet.
06:47Then he pulls out his phone.
06:49Not just a phone.
06:51A sleek, gold-edged piece of technology that probably cost more than my yearly income.
06:56He taps once.
06:58Lifts it to his ear.
07:01Elias?
07:02Someone answers instantly.
07:04The respect in the voice is palpable even at this distance.
07:08Yes.
07:09I'm buying the block on Main and Broxton.
07:13I freeze.
07:15No way.
07:16He glances at me as he continues.
07:18Yes.
07:19All of it.
07:20The plaza, too.
07:21Today.
07:22A pause.
07:24Yes.
07:24I know it's fast.
07:26Handle it.
07:27He ends the call.
07:29My throat dries to dust.
07:31Did you...
07:31Did you just purchase real estate while drinking my coffee?
07:34Yes.
07:35Like...
07:36This real estate?
07:37Yes.
07:39And you did that?
07:40Why?
07:41He sets his cup down gently.
07:44Controlled.
07:45Calm.
07:46Like buying buildings is something he does between brushing his teeth and checking his emails.
07:51You shouldn't lose your stand.
07:53He pauses, eyes softening in a way that feels like trouble.
07:57Not when it's the best coffee I've tasted.
08:00My heart does something ill-advised and dramatic.
08:03Well?
08:04I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
08:08That's...
08:09Incredibly insane.
08:11Probably.
08:12He agrees.
08:13But I don't like watching people get pushed around.
08:17Heat rushes to my cheeks.
08:18You can't just...
08:20Buy a building for someone.
08:23His gaze flickers.
08:24Warm and sharp.
08:26I didn't buy it for someone.
08:28I bought it for you.
08:30My lungs forget how to function.
08:32And you're not paying rent anymore.
08:34He continues.
08:35What?
08:36You're the owner now.
08:38I choke on air.
08:40I...
08:40What?
08:41That's not...
08:42Elias, you don't just hand people buildings like they're glitter pens.
08:45I can, he says simply.
08:49Why?
08:50A slow, dangerous smile.
08:53Because I want to see what you do when the world stops pushing you around.
08:57My knees wobble.
08:59People are staring.
09:01The plaza is buzzing.
09:03Elias stands there, suit catching the sunlight, looking like a problem I absolutely should not want.
09:09Then he says it, low and certain.
09:12Myla, you're not leaving my sight today.
09:17The way he says it isn't possessive.
09:19It's protective.
09:21Unshakeable.
09:22Final.
09:23And I know, right then, this is the moment of no return.
09:28Because a man like Elias doesn't enter your life.
09:31He reroutes it.
09:32Elias escorts me away from my own coffee stand like it's suddenly a federal crime scene,
09:38and I'm the bewildered witness he's sworn to protect.
09:40The plaza is full of wide-eyed bystanders, but he moves with such steady purpose that people
09:46instinctively step aside, as if the ground itself knows better than to get in his way.
09:52I, however, have no such instincts.
09:56Where exactly are we going?
09:58I ask, hustling to keep up with his long CEO of the underworld strides.
10:03To see what you own now.
10:05That sentence makes me want to lie down on the sidewalk.
10:10He glances at me, lips twitching.
10:12Don't.
10:14Houston Pavement is unforgiving.
10:16I can't believe you bought a building like you were ordering takeout.
10:20He shrugs.
10:21It was available.
10:23I wanted it.
10:25That's not how normal people operate.
10:27I'm not normal.
10:29No argument there.
10:30We step inside the building lobby.
10:34It's marble everything.
10:35With plants that cost more than my used Honda.
10:38The security guard sits up straight like he's just seen the president and the IRS walk in holding hands.
10:44Morning, Mr. Tavaro.
10:46He says.
10:47Tavaro.
10:49My stomach drops.
10:50I've heard that name.
10:52Everyone has.
10:53Not in a celebrity gossip way.
10:55More like a, your cousin whispers it at Thanksgiving and won't say anything else without making the sign of the crossway.
11:02I shoot Elias a sharp look.
11:05You didn't mention your whole last name is a warning label situation.
11:09You didn't ask.
11:11I didn't think I needed to ask if you were like...
11:14I gesture to him.
11:16This.
11:17He tilts his head.
11:19Would it have changed anything?
11:21I want to say yes.
11:22I want to claim I'd have run in the opposite direction.
11:26But I remember the moment he stepped up to my counter.
11:29Calm and solid while my whole life was falling apart in public.
11:33The part of me that always survives by instinct had responded to him first.
11:38No.
11:39I admit quietly.
11:41Probably not.
11:43The elevator whisks us upward with dramatic, whoosh-you're-being-upgraded speed.
11:48The sun pours through the glass walls, blinding and warm.
11:51This building is...
11:54Big, I say.
11:56It's modest.
11:58This elevator is fancier than my apartment.
12:01That concerns me, he says, half-teasing, half-serious.
12:06He stands close enough that I can smell the faint cedar in his cologne, but not close enough to crowd me.
12:11It's intentional.
12:13Controlled.
12:14He's letting me set the distance.
12:17The elevator opens into a wide, empty floor.
12:20Hardwood.
12:21Floor-to-ceiling windows.
12:23Morning sunlight blazing across the room.
12:26The Houston skyline stretches out like it's showing off.
12:29This whole floor is yours if you want it, he says.
12:33I stare.
12:35I sell coffee from a metal cart.
12:38You're underselling yourself.
12:40I'm literally not.
12:42You built a business on your own.
12:44You work every day.
12:45You fight for your space.
12:48His eyes meet mine.
12:50People like that deserve room to breathe.
12:53My chest tightens.
12:54Why are you...
12:56doing this?
12:58Really?
13:00Elias doesn't answer immediately.
13:02He walks to the windows, hands in pockets, the light outlining him in crisp gold.
13:07When he finally speaks, his voice is steady but quieter.
13:11My father grew up poor, he says.
13:14Not the kind that makes you tough.
13:17The kind that breaks you.
13:19I shift, listening.
13:21He told me once that power means nothing if you don't use it to make the world easier
13:26for someone who reminds you of the kid you used to be.
13:28I swallow, surprised at the vulnerability in his tone.
13:32You think I remind you of you?
13:34I ask.
13:36No.
13:37He turns slightly, eyes pinned to mine.
13:41You remind me of what it looks like when someone refuses to break.
13:45My breath catches.
13:46He said it like he wasn't flirting, but his voice carried all the weight of it anyway.
13:52I need air.
13:53And a couch.
13:54And maybe a therapist.
13:57So, I say, pacing a little.
14:00You're just...
14:02generous now?
14:03Like the Robin Hood of real estate?
14:05He laughs softly.
14:07I'm not a hero, Myla.
14:09I'm barely even the good guy.
14:11And yet here we are, I say.
14:13He watches me, something unreadable crossing his face.
14:17Here we are.
14:19The elevator dings again, and a man steps out holding a folder so thick it could be a weapon.
14:25He's all neat hair, expensive suit, clipped efficiency.
14:30Mr. Tavaro, he says.
14:32Everything's ready.
14:34Good.
14:35Elias replies.
14:37Then to me.
14:38Myla, this is Alden, my attorney.
14:41I lift a hand.
14:44Hi.
14:44I'm the person whose life is dangerously off-script today.
14:49Alden gives me a polite smile like he's used to clients detonating realities before lunch.
14:54Mr. Tavaro asked me to draw up ownership documents.
14:57The property transfer can be completed as soon as you sign.
15:00Hold on.
15:01I raise both hands.
15:03You guys move fast.
15:04Like cartel fast.
15:06Alden's smile tightens.
15:08Elias looks amused.
15:09Are you scared?
15:11He asks softly.
15:13I'm... something, I say.
15:16Concerned?
15:17Confused?
15:18Possibly hallucinating?
15:20He steps closer.
15:22A measured inch.
15:24I told you.
15:25You're not losing what you built.
15:26And I told you that you can't just hand people buildings.
15:30You're not people.
15:31His eyes warm.
15:32You're you.
15:34My heart does another aerial stunt.
15:36But before either of us speaks, Alden clears his throat like a man who desperately wants plausible deniability.
15:43There is one complication.
15:46Elias sighs.
15:48Of course there is.
15:50The Kendaro family is contesting the block.
15:52They're claiming they had an offer lined up.
15:55Ugh.
15:55I don't know them, but the name has a sharp, unfriendly sound.
16:00Rival, probably.
16:02And not the friendly rivalry like we both love football.
16:06More like someone might flip a table.
16:08I look at Elias.
16:11This is... a mafia thing, isn't it?
16:14He doesn't blink.
16:16Everything is a mafia thing if you follow the threads far enough.
16:19Not comforting.
16:22It wasn't meant to be.
16:24Alden adds.
16:25They're already calling our office.
16:28Elias' jaw tightens a fraction.
16:30Set up a meeting.
16:31Public place.
16:33Noon.
16:34Public?
16:35I ask.
16:36I'm trying to be civilized.
16:38They're less likely to start trouble on a sunlit patio.
16:41That is an objectively ominous sentence.
16:44It's a realistic one.
16:47I exhale.
16:47Okay, but where do I fit into this?
16:52Because the last time I checked, I was just trying to sell caffeine to stressed accountants.
16:56His expression shifts.
16:59Darkens.
17:00Softens.
17:01You fit into this because someone tried to humiliate you.
17:05Because you deserved better.
17:08He steps closer again, closing the distance by degrees until I feel the warmth of him.
17:13And because I decided you won't be stepped on by men like him ever again.
17:17Elias.
17:21My voice trails.
17:23I'm not sure whether I want to lean in or run.
17:26He lowers his voice.
17:29Don't look at me like that unless you want me to forget we're in a legal meeting.
17:32I snap my gaze away so fast he huffs a laugh.
17:37This is insane, I whisper.
17:39Possibly.
17:40But you're not alone in it.
17:42I shake my head, but there's a flutter in my chest that doesn't feel like fear anymore.
17:48Fine, I say.
17:50Show me the contract.
17:51Alden hands it over.
17:54It's thick.
17:56Intimidating.
17:57Full of legal jargon that looks like it was written by homicidal English majors.
18:01But the first line makes my stomach flip.
18:04Owner of record.
18:06Myla Reese.
18:06My name.
18:08In print.
18:09On something impossible.
18:11I blink hard.
18:13Is this real?
18:15Completely, Elias says.
18:17And I don't owe you anything?
18:19Not a cent.
18:21Then why?
18:23His eyes settle on me.
18:24Steady and sure.
18:26Because I want to see what you become when you're not fighting the world every morning.
18:30Something inside me tilts.
18:34You barely know me.
18:36I know enough.
18:39He says it with a straightness that feels suspiciously like fate.
18:43Before I can sign, shouting erupts from outside the glass walls.
18:48A group of men in suits storms through the lobby, gesturing wildly.
18:53They look irritated in an expensive way.
18:56Alden peers over the railing.
18:57Kendaro's guys.
19:00They're early.
19:02Elias's expression goes calm.
19:04Too calm.
19:06Controlled like a surgeon or a storm about to make decisions.
19:09He gestures to the balcony walkway.
19:12Come with me.
19:13Is this safe?
19:14I ask.
19:15Yes.
19:16Are you lying?
19:18He hesitates.
19:20A little.
19:21Fantastic.
19:22But I follow him anyway.
19:24Because something in his presence makes my instincts shift from run to stay where he is.
19:30We step onto the balcony that overlooks the lobby.
19:34Sunlight floods everything, turning the tension strange and bright.
19:38One of the Kendaro men spots us and shouts,
19:41Tavero!
19:43Elias leans on the railing casually, like this is all a brunch inconvenience.
19:47This block is ours, the man yells.
19:51We had the offer in first.
19:53You didn't close it, Elias calls down.
19:57I did.
19:58This isn't over.
19:59Elias's eyes narrow slightly.
20:02It is.
20:03Unless you want to embarrass yourselves further.
20:06The men curse.
20:07Stomp.
20:08Talk big into their phones.
20:10Then file out.
20:11A daylight confrontation.
20:13A clean one.
20:15No violence.
20:16Just heat and ego.
20:18My heart hammers.
20:20Does this happen...
20:21Often?
20:22Often enough, he says.
20:25But daylight keeps things civilized.
20:27And you brought me to it?
20:29You're the owner, he says simply.
20:31This is your world, step one.
20:34My throat goes dry.
20:36Alden approaches.
20:38Should we proceed with signing?
20:41Elias looks at me.
20:43And the world goes quiet.
20:45No fear now.
20:46No pressure.
20:47Just the wide, golden expanse of a future I never thought I'd be allowed to imagine.
20:53Your move, Myla.
20:54He says softly.
20:56It's not the words.
20:58It's the way he says them.
21:00The trust.
21:02The challenge.
21:03The low, warm current beneath everything.
21:06I inhale, squeeze the pen, and sign.
21:10My signature sweeps across the paper like a door unlocking.
21:13Elias watches me.
21:15A flicker of something.
21:16Pride.
21:17Relief.
21:18Interest that's turning into something heavier.
21:21Crossing his face.
21:22Welcome to your building, he murmurs.
21:27I swallow.
21:28This is insane.
21:30And yet here we are.
21:32He steps closer.
21:34Sunlight glinting off his watch.
21:36His voice dropping into something that curls under my skin.
21:38You're with me now.
21:42Not an order.
21:44Not a threat.
21:45A promise.
21:47A dangerous one.
21:48And I realize, with a terrifying little spark in my chest,
21:52I don't want to walk away.
21:55People always imagine life-changing moments happen in slow motion.
21:59A choir sings.
22:01Angels zipline out of the sky.
22:03Your hair magically behaves.
22:05Nope.
22:07For me, it's Tuesday.
22:09Bright Texas sun.
22:11A coffee stain on my shirt.
22:13A building deed in my hand.
22:15And a mafia storm brewing under the skylights.
22:18After signing the papers,
22:20everything moves with a kind of humming clarity.
22:23Elias stands beside me,
22:25shoulders squared, jaw tight,
22:28looking like the human version of a locked vault.
22:31I can practically feel the battle lines rearranging under his skin.
22:35Don't panic, he says.
22:37I blink.
22:39I'm not panicking.
22:41You are.
22:42I'm handling my life just fine, thank you.
22:45He gestures to the contract folder,
22:48trembling in my hand like it's participating in a tiny earthquake.
22:51Your paper is shaking.
22:54It's the air conditioning.
22:56There is no air conditioning on this floor.
22:59I glare at him.
23:01I'm adjusting.
23:02And I am.
23:04Sort of.
23:05Not well.
23:06But still.
23:08He studies me with that calm, enigmatic expression of his,
23:11then gently takes the folder from my hand.
23:13The touch is brief.
23:16But it feels like someone plugged me into a mellow power outlet.
23:20Come on, he says.
23:22We need to meet them.
23:24Them, I repeat.
23:26The daylight-friendly mafia who already screamed at you from the lobby?
23:30They weren't screaming, he says.
23:33They were posturing.
23:35I'm pretty sure one of them cursed out your ancestors.
23:38My ancestors can handle themselves.
23:42We head down the elevator.
23:44It glides.
23:45It hums.
23:46It mocks me with its wealth.
23:49We're doing this on a patio, I ask.
23:51At noon?
23:52In public?
23:53He nods.
23:55Sunlight keeps people honest.
23:57That's wildly optimistic.
23:59I don't rely on optimism.
24:01What he relies on, apparently,
24:03is the kind of confidence that could reroute a hurricane.
24:06When we reach the ground floor,
24:08a black SUV waits outside,
24:10shining like it was waxed by angels with too much free time.
24:13The driver steps out and opens the door for us.
24:16I hover.
24:18Do I...
24:19just get in?
24:21Yes.
24:22Elias says, amused.
24:24It's a car, not a portal.
24:27It feels like a portal.
24:29It's just a ride.
24:31Your rides cost more than my worldview.
24:33He smirks again.
24:35Get in, Myla.
24:37My entire stomach flutters.
24:39I slip inside,
24:41and the seat hugs me like memory foam sent straight from heaven.
24:45Elias climbs in beside me,
24:47and we merge into the sunny Houston traffic,
24:50like we're on a casual target run,
24:52not heading into a mob negotiation.
24:55Is this dangerous?
24:57I ask.
24:58Everything is dangerous.
25:00Okay.
25:01But is this dangerous in a bad Yelp review way,
25:04or a my obituary will have a spelling error way?
25:08He looks over,
25:10eyes sliding over my face.
25:12I won't let anything happen to you.
25:15And the way he says it?
25:17It knocks something loose in my chest.
25:19We pull into a busy outdoor cafe.
25:22Umbrellas.
25:23Sunshine.
25:23People eating brunch without knowing a mafia turf conflict is about to play out besides someone's avocado toast.
25:30There's a table already occupied by three suit-clad men.
25:34The Kandaro faction.
25:35They look pissed.
25:37They look pissed, but politely so.
25:39Like angry dentists.
25:42Elias steps out first.
25:44The temperature changes.
25:45People notice.
25:46An older woman at a nearby table squints at him like she recognizes him from something.
25:52Maybe the news.
25:53Maybe her nightmares.
25:55I get out, too.
25:56My legs wobble, but not from fear.
25:59From pressure.
26:01Purpose.
26:01Something charged and strange.
26:04Elias walks me to the table like I'm the guest of honor at an event hosted by billionaires with questionable hobbies.
26:10One of the Kandaro men stands.
26:13Tavaro.
26:14Marlo?
26:15Elias says coolly.
26:18Marlo gives me a once-over.
26:20This the girl?
26:22I stiffen.
26:23Elias' voice turns to velvet-lined steel.
26:26This is the woman who owns the building.
26:29Marlo's eyes widen.
26:30You transferred it.
26:33Effective immediately, Elias replies.
26:36You're provoking us.
26:38You're wasting your breath.
26:40The tension crackles in the sunlit air.
26:43A waiter approaches, oblivious to the thickening atmosphere.
26:47Can I get anyone started with drinks?
26:50Water, I say quickly, because hydration seems like a survival tactic.
26:55The men order espresso shots with corporate aggression.
26:58When the waiter leaves, Marlo speaks.
27:01This deal was ours.
27:03You didn't close.
27:04Elias says.
27:06We had terms.
27:07You had intentions.
27:09I had signatures.
27:11One of Marlo's guys leans forward.
27:14You don't make unilateral moves on territory we're contesting.
27:17You know the rules.
27:19Elias lifts a brow.
27:21I follow the rules when they're intelligent.
27:24Otherwise, I write new ones.
27:27My pulse jumps.
27:28The man is insane.
27:30Bold.
27:30Brilliant.
27:31Possibly suicidal.
27:33You're destabilizing things.
27:35Marlo snaps.
27:36I'm expanding things.
27:38Elias counters.
27:40This puts us in a difficult position.
27:42Not my problem.
27:43Marlo glares.
27:45You're provoking a war.
27:47No.
27:48Elias says calmly.
27:50You're trying to frame business competition as war.
27:53Buy another block.
27:54Petition the council.
27:56Negotiate like normal people.
27:58Don't posture at me on a brunch patio.
28:00There's a beat of stunned silence.
28:03The sunlight glints off Marlo's cufflinks.
28:05Then he says, quiet but sharp.
28:08This woman has nothing to do with our conflict.
28:11She doesn't deserve the fallout.
28:12Elias speaks before I can.
28:16Exactly why you'll keep your distance.
28:19Marlo looks at me again.
28:21This time with something different.
28:23Sympathy?
28:24Annoyance?
28:25Recognition of a civilian dragged into shark territory?
28:28You know what you're getting into?
28:31He asks me.
28:33I swallow.
28:35I knew what I was getting into 5% of the time this week, so probably not.
28:39One of his men snorts.
28:41Even Elias's lip twitches.
28:44Marlo sighs.
28:45Fine.
28:47He looks at Elias.
28:48You want this block that badly?
28:50Keep it.
28:52But don't move past it.
28:53Not without talking to us.
28:54Elias considers this.
28:58Fair.
28:58Marlo nods once.
29:00Sharply.
29:01Then stands.
29:02Stay safe, Myla.
29:04It sounds more like a warning than a wish.
29:07The men walk away, melting into the city stream like they're late for a board meeting.
29:12My head spins.
29:14That was...
29:16Weirdly civil.
29:17It could have gone worse, Elias says.
29:21Define worse.
29:23Hospital bills.
29:25I blink.
29:27I'm...
29:27Very grateful for the sunshine policy.
29:30He laughs softly.
29:32Daylight negotiations are underrated.
29:35We sit there for a moment.
29:37Both of us processing.
29:39The waiter returns with my water, and Elias's iced coffee.
29:42He thanks the man calmly, like he didn't just diffuse a mafia confrontation over brunch.
29:49I sip my water, trying to steady my breath.
29:53The world feels different now.
29:55Not darker.
29:56Just whiter.
29:57Bigger.
29:58More full of consequences I never asked for, but can't walk away from.
30:02You handled yourself well, he says.
30:05I didn't do anything.
30:07You stayed.
30:08That's something.
30:09I fiddle with the condensation on my glass.
30:13Why does it matter to you?
30:15Me staying?
30:16His expression changes.
30:18Softens.
30:19Cracks open at the edges in a way that feels private.
30:23Because I want you here.
30:25My heart does something foolish.
30:28He leans slightly closer.
30:30And because you're the first person in a long time who talks to me like I'm not a headline or a threat.
30:36Sometimes you are a threat.
30:37Sometimes, he agrees.
30:40But not to you.
30:42I look at him.
30:44Really look.
30:45The weight he carries.
30:46The empire he shoulders.
30:48The tenderness he hides under strategy and steel.
30:51Why me?
30:52I whisper.
30:54Elias inhales slowly.
30:56His jaw tightening like he's debating how much to reveal.
31:00Because, he says.
31:02You showed up to your stand every morning even when the world was cruel.
31:06Because you fought to keep something small and good alive.
31:10Because when life shoved you, you shoved back.
31:14His voice drops.
31:17And because when I saw you, I recognize the kind of strength that doesn't announce itself.
31:22Warmth unfurls under my ribs.
31:26Soft and unsettling.
31:27When I can speak again, it comes out small.
31:31I don't know how to do this.
31:33Any of this.
31:35I don't expect you to.
31:37But I'm in your world now.
31:38No.
31:39No.
31:40He says gently.
31:41I brought my world to yours.
31:44I feel that down to my bones.
31:46A breeze brushes past us.
31:48Sunlight shifts.
31:50The city hums around us like it's urging me toward an answer.
31:55Elias, I say.
31:56I don't want to be a pawn.
31:58He holds my gaze.
32:00Then don't be.
32:01I don't want to be protected if it means being caged.
32:05You won't be.
32:06What if I walk away?
32:08A muscle in his jaw twitches.
32:11Then I'd let you.
32:12He swallows.
32:13But I wouldn't like it.
32:16My breath catches.
32:17And if I stay?
32:18I ask.
32:20Barely audible.
32:21His voice turns low.
32:22Steady.
32:24Sure.
32:25Then I'll spend every day proving you made the right choice.
32:28My chest tightens.
32:29Warmth pulses in my throat.
32:31There's a gravity to him that feels like coming home and running toward the unknown at the same time.
32:36I don't need buildings, I murmur.
32:40I just...
32:41need honesty.
32:43He nods slowly.
32:45Then that's what you'll have.
32:47The waiter drops off a check.
32:50Elias doesn't even look at it.
32:52The driver appears behind him and handles it wordlessly.
32:55He stands and offers me his hand.
32:58Not possessive.
33:00Not demanding.
33:01An invitation.
33:03The sunlight glints behind him, haloing his silhouette in gold like the universe is leaning in.
33:08Myla, he says.
33:11Come with me.
33:13And this time, I don't question it.
33:16Don't doubt it.
33:17Don't second-guess every scar on my heart telling me to run.
33:21I slip my hand into his.
33:23It fits too well.
33:25He smiles.
33:26Just a little.
33:28Just for me.
33:29And something unspoken clicks into place.
33:32A beginning.
33:34A future.
33:34A spark of something terrifying and heartbreakingly hopeful.
33:39As we walk back toward the car, he keeps his hand wrapped around mine like he's memorizing the feel of it.
33:45I look at him.
33:46This absurd, dangerous, warm man, who rewired my entire life in the span of a day.
33:52You know, I say, most people try not to impress the girl by causing a mafia standoff during brunch.
33:58Did it work?
34:00He asks.
34:01I squeeze his hand.
34:03Yeah.
34:04I whisper.
34:05It worked.
34:07He exhales, almost smiling.
34:10And under the wide, bright Texas sun, with traffic humming and the scent of street tacos floating on the breeze, I realize.
34:17I'm not scared anymore.
34:20I'm choosing this.
34:22Choosing him.
34:23And somehow, impossibly, he's choosing me, too.
34:28Hey, love.
34:29If this daylight-drenched mafia romance made your heart sprint a little, hit that like button before Elias decides to buy the whole app.
34:37Drop a comment.
34:39Tell me your favorite moment.
34:40And smash subscribe so you don't miss the next wild, sun bright.
34:44Did he seriously just do that?
34:46Love story.
34:48Your reactions and support keep these bright, burning tales alive.
34:53So don't be shy.
34:54I'm always watching for your emojis.
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