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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm currently wedged between a dumpster and a potted fecus in the lobby of the most expensive
00:04building in Miami, holding a plastic container with air holes, whispering the name Mr. Whiskers
00:10like my life depends on it. Because apparently, it does.
00:16Ma'am, the security guard's voice echoes across the marble. I need you to come out from behind
00:22that plant. I'm not behind the plant, I call back, which is technically true since I'm more beside it.
00:28I'm looking for a hamster. For the third time, there is no hamster in this building.
00:35There is absolutely a hamster in this building. Mrs. Chen from 4B saw him scurry through the
00:41revolving door this morning while she was chasing him with a butterfly net and her infamous lack of
00:46coordination. The hamster belongs to her grandson. The grandson is eight and has already texted me
00:52fourteen crying emojis. I'm not a monster. Listen, I just need five more minutes.
00:58You need to leave now or I'm calling the police. I peek around the ficus. The security guard looks
01:05exhausted, which I get because I've been here for forty minutes and I'm also exhausted. Behind him,
01:11the elevator doors open with a soft chime that sounds like it costs more than my rent.
01:15And that's when I see him. Tall, dark suit that probably costs more than my car,
01:22if I still had a car. The kind of face that makes you forget you're supposed to be looking for a
01:26hamster. Sharp jaw, dark hair pushed back like he just stepped out of a cologne ad. He's flanked by
01:33two men in matching black suits who look like they bench-press refrigerators for fun. He stops walking.
01:39His eyes lock onto mine across the lobby. I'm still crouched behind a plant, holding a hamster
01:43container with my hair in a messy bun and what I'm now realizing is a Cheeto dust stain on my shirt.
01:49Fantastic. Mr. Moretti, the security guard stammers, suddenly standing straighter.
01:55I apologize, sir. I'm handling this situation. I can see that. His voice is low, controlled.
02:04He doesn't look away from me. Who is she? A trespasser, sir. She claims she's looking for a...
02:11The guard clears his throat. A hamster. A hamster? Yes, sir. There's a pause. The two refrigerator guys
02:21exchange glances. Mr. Moretti, apparently that's his name, tilts his head slightly, still staring at
02:27me like I'm a puzzle he's deciding whether to solve or throw away. Come here. He says it quietly,
02:34but it's not a request. I should run. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to grab my
02:40empty hamster container and sprint for the exit. But my legs apparently have different priorities
02:45because I stand up, smooth down my Cheeto stained shirt, and walk across that stupidly expensive
02:51marble floor like I'm accepting an Oscar. When I stop in front of him, I have to tilt my head back to meet
02:56his eyes. They're dark, almost black, with this intensity that makes my stomach do something
03:02inconvenient. So, I say, because silence makes me nervous and my mouth makes poor choices.
03:08You must be the guy who owns the building where hamsters come to start new lives.
03:12One of the refrigerator guys makes a choking sound. Mr. Moretti's expression doesn't change.
03:18What's your name?
03:20Chloe.
03:20Chloe. I lift my chin. Chloe Bennett. And before you ask, yes, I'm aware this looks insane.
03:27But my neighbor's grandson is eight years old, and his hamster is currently loose in your very
03:31intimidating lobby. So if you could just give me five more minutes? There's no hamster in my lobby.
03:37With all due respect, you've been here for like 30 seconds. I've been hunting this thing for almost
03:41an hour. Mr. Whiskers is fast, and he's strategic. Mr. Whiskers. That's his name. I didn't choose it.
03:50His jaw tightens, which I'm learning might be his version of amusement.
03:55And you thought breaking into my building was the best approach?
03:59I didn't break in. The door was open. I gesture toward the revolving entrance.
04:05That's basically an invitation. That's basically not how property law works.
04:10Are you a lawyer? No. Then we're both learning something today.
04:16I cross my arms, container tucked against my side. Look, I know this is weird, but that kid's been
04:23crying all morning. His parents are at work. Mrs. Chen is 74 and already threw out her back trying to
04:29catch Mr. Whiskers with kitchen tongs. I'm literally his last hope. Mr. Moretti studies me for a long
04:37moment. His gaze travels from my face down to my Cheeto-stained shirt, then back up. I resist the
04:44urge to fidget. Marcus, he says, without looking away from me. Check the cameras. One of the
04:50refrigerator guys pulls out a phone, taps the screen a few times, then leans in to show his
04:55boss something. Mr. Moretti's expression shifts slightly. Something flickers across his face that
05:01might be surprise. She entered at 947 AM, Marcus reports. Followed something small through the
05:08main entrance. She's been searching the lobby and first floor hallway ever since. So you're telling
05:14me, Mr. Moretti says slowly, that you've been crawling around my building for an hour looking
05:19for a hamster? Yes. That's literally what I've been saying. And you live where? The apartment complex
05:27across the street. The one with the broken A.C. and the interesting smell on Thursdays.
05:32I don't know why I'm telling him this. Look, can we focus? Mr. Whiskers is probably terrified.
05:39He's in a strange environment. There are scary men in suits everywhere, no offense. And he just wants
05:44to go home. None taken. His mouth curves slightly and it transforms his entire face. Suddenly he looks
05:52less like an intimidating building owner and more like someone who might actually have a sense of
05:56humor buried under all that expensive fabric. What does he look like? Small, brown and white,
06:04extremely judgmental eyes for a rodent. Judgmental? You'd understand if you met him.
06:11He nods once, then turns to the security guard. Call maintenance. Tell them to check the vents and
06:16behind the planters and bring... He glances at me. What do hamsters eat? Literally anything,
06:23but he likes carrots. Bring carrots. The security guard blinks. Sir? Carrots, David. Now. David scurries
06:34off like he's been ordered to defuse a bomb. Mr. Moretti turns back to me, and I'm suddenly very
06:39aware of how close he's standing. He smells like something expensive and dangerous. Cedar, maybe,
06:45with an edge of something darker. You're going to help me find this hamster, he says. It's not a
06:52question. That's what I've been trying to do. No. You've been hiding behind plants and annoying my
06:58security. Now you're going to do it properly. He gestures toward the elevator. Come on. Come on
07:05where? Security office. If Mr. Whiskers is in this building, the cameras will show us where.
07:10I hesitate, because following strange men into elevators generally ranks high on the list of
07:16things I shouldn't do. But he's already walking, and something about the way he moves, confident,
07:23controlled, like he's never doubted a decision in his life, makes me want to follow. Also,
07:28he said he'd help find Mr. Whiskers. I hurry to catch up, my sneakers squeaking on the marble.
07:34For the record, I say as we step into the elevator, this is the weirdest Monday I've had in months.
07:41He presses a button and the doors slide shut, sealing us in with soft lighting and mirrors.
07:46Miss Bennett, he says quietly, watching our reflection. Your Monday is about to get much weirder.
07:53The security office is less office and more NASA mission control if NASA tracked elevator movements
07:59and lobby foot traffic. I'm staring at 12 screens showing every angle of this building,
08:04and Mr. Moretti is standing so close behind me I can feel the heat radiating off his body.
08:10He's leaning over my shoulder, pointing at screen seven with one hand, the other braced on the desk
08:15beside me. I'm trying very hard to focus on the hamster. There. His voice is right next to my ear.
08:22Bottom right corner. 10.23 a.m. I squint at the grainy footage. A small brown blur zips past a decorative
08:29fountain on the second floor. That's him. Mr. Whiskers is heading toward the east wing.
08:35How can you tell that's him and not a rat? Rats don't move with that kind of confidence.
08:40I tap the screen. That's the stride of a hamster who knows exactly what he's doing.
08:44You're insane. You're the one helping me. He makes a sound that might be a laugh,
08:49and I feel it vibrate through my back. Marcus clears his throat from the doorway,
08:54and Mr. Moretti straightens, putting professional distance between us.
08:59Sir, we've checked the second floor east wing. No sign of the animal.
09:04Then check again. Mr. Moretti's tone shifts into something harder.
09:08And this time, check the storage rooms. Marcus nods and disappears.
09:13I turn around, which puts me directly in front of Mr. Moretti,
09:17close enough to see the fine lines at the corners of his eyes.
09:20You're really good at the whole authoritative thing, I say. It's my job.
09:25What exactly is your job? Besides owning buildings and having suspiciously large men
09:30follow you around? His expression doesn't change, but something shudders behind his eyes.
09:37I manage investments. Uh-huh, and I'm the Queen of England. You're not even British.
09:43Exactly my point. I lean against the desk, crossing my arms.
09:47Look, I don't care what you actually do. I'm just here for the hamster.
09:52But you should know that your I manage investments line needs work.
09:55Maybe try I do business things next time. More vague, less suspicious.
10:00He stares at me for a long moment, and I can't tell if he's annoyed or impressed.
10:05Maybe both.
10:07You're not afraid of me.
10:08Should I be?
10:10Most people are.
10:11Most people probably haven't spent their morning crawling around your lobby
10:15looking for a rodent named Mr. Whiskers. Fear loses its power when you're already at rock
10:20bottom dignity-wise. This time he definitely almost smiles.
10:25Fair point. His phone buzzes. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and his entire demeanor
10:30changes. The almost smile vanishes, replaced by something cold and sharp.
10:35I need to take this. He's already moving toward the door.
10:39Stay here.
10:40What? No. We're in the middle of Operation Hamster Rescue.
10:44Marcus will continue the search. You'll wait here.
10:48I don't take orders from you.
10:50He stops in the doorway, turns back.
10:53The look he gives me is dark enough to make my breath catch.
10:57Chloe. Stay. Here.
11:00Then he's gone.
11:01I stand there for approximately fifteen seconds before deciding that staying put is boring
11:06and I've never been good at following rules anyway.
11:09I find him on the rooftop terrace.
11:11The Miami sun is brutal up here, bouncing off white furniture and infinity pool water.
11:16Mr. Moretti is standing near the edge, phone pressed to his ear, his other hand gripping
11:20the railing hard enough that his knuckles are white.
11:22I don't care what Lorenzo thinks he's owed, he's saying, voice low and dangerous.
11:28He crossed a line. You tell him if he comes near my properties again, he won't live long
11:32enough to regret it. I should leave. This is clearly private. Possibly illegal. Definitely
11:38none of my business. But then he turns slightly and I see his face. There's something raw there,
11:46something that looks almost like pain beneath the anger. He ends the call and I watch his shoulders
11:52drop for just a second before he catches himself, straightening back into that controlled posture.
11:58I told you to stay downstairs, he says without turning around. I'm bad at following instructions.
12:05Add it to my list of flaws. I walk closer, squinting against the sunlight.
12:11You okay? I'm fine. That's what people say when they're the opposite of fine.
12:17He finally looks at me. You don't know me well enough to make that assessment.
12:22True. But I know what a person looks like when they're holding everything together by sheer force
12:27of will. I stop a few feet away. I'm looking at one right now. For a moment, he just stares at me.
12:35Then he runs a hand through his hair, messing up that perfect style. And suddenly he looks younger.
12:41More human. Business problems, he says finally. Someone's trying to move in on my territory.
12:49The investment business must be more cutthroat than I thought. You have no idea.
12:55So educate me. He laughs, but there's no humor in it.
12:58Why? So you can run screaming back to your apartment with the broken A.C.?
13:03Maybe I'm not the running type. Everyone runs eventually.
13:07He walks closer. And now we're standing in the full Miami sun, heat shimmering off the pool behind us.
13:15Especially when they realize what they've gotten involved with.
13:18I'm not involved with anything. I'm just looking for a hamster.
13:23You walked into my building. You saw my face. You're in my security footage.
13:28His voice drops lower.
13:30You're already involved, Chloe. The question is what I'm going to do about it.
13:34My heart starts beating faster, but I hold my ground.
13:38Is that a threat?
13:40It's a fact.
13:40He's close enough now that I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
13:45Do you know who I am?
13:47Mr. Moretti.
13:49Owner of this building.
13:50Possible investment manager.
13:52Definitely intimidating.
13:54Luca Moretti.
13:55And I don't manage investments.
13:57He watches my face carefully.
14:00I run the Moretti family.
14:01We control the ports, the clubs, half the real estate in Miami.
14:05What people call investments, I call territory.
14:09Oh, oh.
14:11So, you're...
14:12Yes.
14:14I should be terrified.
14:15I should absolutely be running for the exit right now.
14:19Instead, I hear myself say,
14:20Does this mean you have people who could find a hamster really efficiently?
14:25He blinks.
14:26Then he laughs.
14:28Actually laughs.
14:29And the sound is so unexpected and genuine that it transforms his entire face.
14:33You're unbelievable.
14:35I get that a lot.
14:37I smile despite the situation.
14:39Look, I don't know anything about your world.
14:42I'm a freelance graphic designer who can barely afford groceries.
14:46The most illegal thing I've ever done is keep a library book for three months.
14:49But that kid downstairs is waiting for his hamster, and I promised I'd find him.
14:53The hamster or the kid?
14:55Both, technically.
14:57Luca shakes his head, still almost smiling.
15:01You're either the bravest or the stupidest person I've ever met.
15:04Why not both?
15:06His phone buzzes again.
15:08He ignores it, still looking at me with this expression I can't quite read.
15:13If I help you find this hamster, he says slowly, you're going to owe me.
15:18Owe you what?
15:19I haven't decided yet.
15:21He reaches out, and for a second I think he's going to touch my face.
15:25But instead he plucks a piece of plant leaf from my hair.
15:28Apparently a souvenir from my ficus hiding spot.
15:31But when I collect, you don't get to run.
15:34I already told you.
15:36I'm not the running type.
15:38We'll see.
15:40Marcus's voice crackles through Luca's phone.
15:43Sir, we found the rodent.
15:45Third floor, trapped behind a vending machine.
15:48Luca's eyes never leave mine.
15:50Send someone to retrieve it.
15:52Carefully.
15:53He pauses.
15:55And Marcus?
15:56Bring it to the rooftop.
15:58The rooftop, sir.
15:59You heard me.
16:01He ends the call, and we stand there in the bright Miami sun, and I realize that everything just changed.
16:08I came here looking for a hamster, and somehow I've ended up on a rooftop with a mafia boss who's looking at me like I'm the most interesting thing he's seen in years.
16:18Your Monday just got weirder.
16:20I say quietly.
16:21Our Monday, he corrects, and there's something in his voice that makes my stomach flip.
16:27You're not leaving, Chloe.
16:28Not yet.
16:29Because I owe you?
16:31Because I'm not done figuring you out.
16:33And God help me, I don't want to leave either.
16:35Mr. Whiskers is sitting in my lap, eating a baby carrot like he didn't just cause an international incident.
16:42We're still on the rooftop, but now I'm perched on one of those expensive lounge chairs that probably cost more than my monthly rent,
16:48and Luca is sitting across from me, watching the hamster with the same intensity he probably uses to negotiate million-dollar deals.
16:55He's staring at me, Luca says.
16:59I told you.
17:00Judgmental eyes.
17:02I don't like being judged by a rodent.
17:05Then maybe don't run a criminal empire.
17:08I stroke Mr. Whiskers' tiny head.
17:11He's very moral for a hamster.
17:14Luca's phone hasn't stopped buzzing for the past ten minutes.
17:17He keeps ignoring it, which seems like a bad business strategy for someone whose business apparently involves not getting killed by rivals.
17:23You should probably answer that, I say.
17:28Probably.
17:29But you're not going to.
17:32Not yet.
17:33He leans forward, elbows on his knees.
17:37Tell me something, Chloe.
17:39What were you doing before you started chasing hamsters for your neighbors?
17:43That's a weird question.
17:46Humor me.
17:47I sigh, adjusting Mr. Whiskers in my hands.
17:50I was freelancing, graphic design, mostly logos for small businesses, living paycheck to paycheck in an apartment that's falling apart, eating ramen four nights a week, the dream, basically.
18:02No family?
18:04Parents died when I was 22.
18:07Car accident.
18:08I say it matter-of-factly because I've had eight years to practice.
18:13No siblings, just me and Mrs. Chen and her grandson and Mr. Whiskers here.
18:17Something shifts in his expression.
18:21I'm sorry.
18:22Don't be.
18:23I'm okay.
18:25And weirdly, sitting here in the Miami sun with a mafia boss and a hamster, I actually mean it.
18:32What about you?
18:33I'm guessing the Moretti family business isn't new.
18:37Fourth generation.
18:39He leans back and the son catches his profile.
18:42My grandfather built it from nothing.
18:45My father expanded it.
18:46I inherited it when I was 26.
18:49That's young.
18:51He was killed.
18:53Luca's voice doesn't change, but I see his jaw tighten.
18:57Rival family.
18:59They thought taking him out would collapse our operations.
19:02Instead, it just made me ruthless.
19:04Is that why you're so controlled all the time?
19:07Because you had to be?
19:09He looks at me, surprised.
19:11How did you...
19:12You hold yourself like someone who can't afford to break.
19:16I scratch behind Mr. Whiskers' ears.
19:19I recognize it because I do the same thing.
19:22Different reasons.
19:23Same result.
19:24His phone buzzes again.
19:26This time he actually looks at it.
19:28And whatever he sees makes his expression go dark.
19:31I need to handle something.
19:34The Lorenzo situation?
19:36You were eavesdropping.
19:39You were talking on a rooftop.
19:40That's basically public domain.
19:43I stand up, cradling Mr. Whiskers.
19:46Go.
19:46Do your mafia thing.
19:48I'll get him back to Mrs. Chen.
19:50Chloe.
19:51He stands to and suddenly we're close again.
19:54Close enough that I can see the gold flecks in his dark eyes.
19:58This isn't over.
20:00The hamster rescue?
20:01I'd say it's pretty much wrapped up.
20:04You know that's not what I mean.
20:06My heart does something complicated.
20:10Luca.
20:10I can't get involved in your world.
20:13I'm barely surviving in my own.
20:15What if I want you in both?
20:17That's insane.
20:18You don't even know me.
20:20I know you spent an hour crawling around my building for a neighbor's grandson.
20:24I know you're not afraid of me even though you should be.
20:26I know you make jokes when you're nervous and you notice things other people miss.
20:31He reaches out and this time he does touch my face, his thumb brushing my cheek.
20:37I know I haven't stopped thinking about you since you popped up from behind that plant.
20:41It was a ficus.
20:43Chloe.
20:44This is crazy.
20:46You're a—you're you.
20:47I'm me.
20:48I have Cheeto dust on my shirt.
20:50I don't care about the Cheeto dust.
20:52Mr. Whiskers chooses this moment to squeak, as if offering his opinion on the situation.
20:58Luca's phone buzzes again, more insistent.
21:01He swears under his breath, glancing at the screen.
21:04I have to go.
21:06Now.
21:07Then go.
21:09Come with me.
21:11What?
21:11No.
21:12I have a hamster to return and a life that doesn't involve—I gesture vaguely at him.
21:18Whatever you're about to do.
21:21It's just a meeting, downtown.
21:23But I want you there.
21:25His voice drops.
21:27I need you there.
21:29Why?
21:30Because when I walk into that room, I'm going to be Luca Moretti, head of the family, making decisions that might get people killed.
21:38And for the first time in seven years, I want to come back to someone who sees me as just Luca.
21:44He cups my face with both hands now.
21:47Even if that someone thinks I'm absurd for helping hunt a hamster.
21:51I never said absurd.
21:53I was thinking more along the lines of unexpectedly decent.
21:57Is that a yes?
21:59I should say no.
22:01Every rational part of my brain is screaming no.
22:04But I'm looking into his eyes, and I'm thinking about how he called for carrots and checked the cameras and sat on this rooftop talking to me about things that clearly hurt him.
22:13I need to return Mr. Whiskers first.
22:16His smile is sudden and devastating.
22:20Deal.
22:20Forty minutes later, I'm sitting in the back of a car that costs more than my entire existence, watching Miami pass by through tinted windows.
22:29Luca is next to me on his phone, speaking rapid Italian to someone who sounds extremely nervous.
22:35Marcus is driving.
22:37Mr. Whiskers is safely back with Mrs. Chen, who hugged me 14 times and promised to make me dumplings.
22:43I'm wearing the same Cheeto-stained shirt.
22:46You could have changed, Luca says, ending his call.
22:49This is designer Cheeto-dust.
22:52Very exclusive.
22:53You're impossible.
22:55You invited me.
22:56The car pulls up to a restaurant.
22:58One of those places with no sign and probably a year-long waiting list.
23:03Luca turns to me and his expression is serious.
23:05When we go in there, stay close to me.
23:08Don't talk to anyone unless I introduce you.
23:10And if anything feels wrong, you leave immediately.
23:13Marcus will take you.
23:15You're scaring me.
23:16Good.
23:17You should be scared.
23:19He takes my hand and his grip is firm.
23:22But I promise you, nothing will happen to you.
23:25Not while I'm breathing.
23:27We walk in together.
23:28The restaurant is mostly empty, except for a large table in the back where five men in
23:32expensive suits are waiting.
23:34They all stand when they see Luca, their expressions ranging from respectful to calculating.
23:39And sitting at the head of the table is someone who makes every instinct in my body scream danger.
23:46Luca.
23:47The man's voice is smooth.
23:49You brought a guest.
23:50How unexpected.
23:53Lorenzo.
23:55Luca's hand tightens on mine.
23:57We need to talk about boundaries.
23:58I agree.
24:01You've been very aggressive with your boundaries lately.
24:04The tension in the room is suffocating.
24:07I can feel every eye on me.
24:09Assessing.
24:10Calculating.
24:12Lorenzo's gaze lingers too long.
24:14Who's the girl?
24:16None of your concern.
24:18Everything in Miami is my concern.
24:22Lorenzo smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
24:24Especially when it involves pretty things wandering into places they don't belong.
24:30I feel Luca tense beside me and suddenly I understand.
24:34This isn't just about territory or business.
24:37This is about power.
24:38About control.
24:40About men playing games with people's lives.
24:43And I'm done being quiet.
24:45Excuse me?
24:47I hear myself say.
24:48I'm standing right here.
24:50If you want to know who I am,
24:52you could try asking me directly instead of talking over me like I'm furniture.
24:56The room goes silent.
24:58Lorenzo's smile widens.
25:00She has a mouth on her.
25:02She has a name.
25:04I shoot back.
25:05And basic respect for human decency,
25:07which seems to be in short supply around here.
25:11Luca makes a sound that might be a strangled laugh.
25:14Marcus, by the door,
25:15looks like he's watching a car crash in slow motion.
25:18Lorenzo stands up and I realize he's tall.
25:21Very tall.
25:22But I don't back down.
25:25I like her,
25:26he says, looking at Luca.
25:28She's got fire.
25:31She's off limits,
25:33Luca says, his voice deadly quiet.
25:35Like everything else you've been trying to touch lately.
25:38I haven't touched anything that wasn't already mine.
25:41The ports weren't yours.
25:43The buildings weren't yours.
25:45And she...
25:46Luca pulls me closer.
25:48She definitely isn't yours.
25:52Lorenzo's expression hardens.
25:54You're making a mistake, Moretti.
25:56Choosing a girl over the family business.
25:58I'm not choosing anything over anything.
26:02Luca's voice cuts through the room like a blade.
26:05I'm telling you that your games end today.
26:08Stay away from my properties.
26:10Stay away from my people.
26:11And if you even think about going near her,
26:14you'll what?
26:15Start a war?
26:16I'll end one.
26:18The silence that follows is terrifying.
26:21I can see the other men at the table exchanging glances,
26:24hands moving toward jackets where I'm guessing they're not keeping their wallets.
26:28Then Lorenzo laughs.
26:30Actually laughs.
26:32You've changed, Luca.
26:33I remember when you were smart enough not to show weakness.
26:37Caring about someone isn't weakness.
26:40In our world, it's the only weakness that matters.
26:43Luca steps forward and I feel him let go of my hand.
26:47Then watch me turn it into a strength.
26:49What happens next is fast.
26:53Luca speaks in rapid Italian,
26:54his voice carrying authority that makes grown men flinch.
26:57He's not threatening.
26:59He's promising.
27:00And somehow, that's so much worse.
27:04Lorenzo's smile fades.
27:06He looks at me one more time, then back at Luca.
27:09This isn't over.
27:11Yes, Luca says quietly.
27:14It is.
27:15We leave together, walking out into the bright Miami afternoon sun,
27:20and I realize I'm shaking.
27:22You okay?
27:24Luca asks when we reach the car.
27:26I just watched you face down a rival mob boss while holding my hand.
27:30I'm the opposite of okay.
27:32I turn to face him.
27:34You could have gotten killed.
27:36But I didn't.
27:38Luca?
27:39You were right.
27:41He cups my face again,
27:43and his hands are steady,
27:44even though mine aren't.
27:47About the control.
27:48About holding everything together.
27:50I've been doing it so long,
27:51I forgot what it felt like to want something more than power.
27:55He leans his forehead against mine.
27:58Then you popped up from behind that ficus.
28:01I really hate that plant.
28:03I'm having it move to my penthouse.
28:06You're insane.
28:07Probably.
28:09He pulls back just enough to look at me.
28:12Come home with me.
28:14Not because you owe me.
28:15Not because I'm telling you to.
28:17But because you want to.
28:19I'm still wearing Cheeto dust.
28:22I'll buy you new shirts.
28:24I barely know you.
28:26Then let me change that.
28:27I look at him.
28:30Really look at him.
28:31At the man who helped me find a hamster.
28:33Who sat on a rooftop and told me about his father.
28:37Who just faced down a dangerous rival while holding my hand
28:39because he refused to let me go.
28:42Okay, I hear myself say.
28:45But I'm keeping my apartment.
28:47I wouldn't dream of taking it away.
28:50And Mrs. Chen gets visiting rights.
28:53Naturally.
28:54And if Mr. Whiskers escapes again.
28:58I'll mobilize my entire organization to find him.
29:01I laugh.
29:02And it's real and unexpected and everything I need.
29:05You're ridiculous.
29:07You're perfect.
29:09He kisses me then.
29:10Right there in the bright Miami sun.
29:13And it tastes like second chances and new beginnings and hamster rescue missions.
29:17When we pull apart, Marcus is politely looking at the sky.
29:22Take us home, Luca tells him.
29:24Then looks at me.
29:25Both of us.
29:27And for the first time in eight years, I don't feel alone.
29:32Three months later, Mr. Whiskers escapes again.
29:36But this time, Luca has security footage installed in Mrs. Chen's apartment,
29:40a dedicated hamster recovery team on standby,
29:43and a standing order that any small rodent spotted in his buildings receives VIP treatment.
29:47I'm sitting in his penthouse, our penthouse, designing a logo for one of his legitimate businesses.
29:54And he's on the phone negotiating something that's probably illegal.
29:57But I've learned not to ask too many questions.
29:59My phone buzzes.
30:02It's Mrs. Chen.
30:03He's gone again.
30:05Same hamster, same problem.
30:08I look over at Luca.
30:10He's already looking at me, eyebrow raised.
30:12Don't even say it, I warn him.
30:14I didn't say anything.
30:16You were thinking it.
30:18I was thinking that I love you, and that we should probably install a better lock on Mrs. Chen's cage.
30:25Those are two very different thoughts.
30:27I'm a multifaceted man.
30:30He ends his call, walks over, and kisses the top of my head.
30:34Come on, let's go find your hamster.
30:36Our hamster, apparently.
30:38Our hamster.
30:40And as we head down to the lobby together, passing the ficus that started everything,
30:44I think about how I came here looking for a hamster and found home instead.
30:49Some collisions are meant to happen.
30:51Even the ones that start with Cheeto dust and questionable judgment.
30:54The end.
30:55Hey there, beautiful souls.
30:57If you made it all the way through Chloe and Luca's wild hamster-hunting mafia romancing adventure,
31:02first of all, thank you for being here.
31:04Seriously, you just made my day.
31:07Did the story make you smile?
31:09Did you find yourself rooting for the girl with Cheeto dust
31:11and the intimidating mafia boss with a secret soft spot?
31:15If you felt even a tiny flutter in your chest during their rooftop moment,
31:19I'd absolutely love it if you could hit that like button.
31:21It really helps more people discover these stories.
31:24And oh my gosh, drop a comment and tell me,
31:27Are you team hamster rescue or team Luca should have just bought them a new hamster?
31:31What was your favorite line?
31:33Did you see that ending coming?
31:34I genuinely love reading every single comment, and your thoughts make writing these so much more fun.
31:40If you want more cinematic romance, witty banter, and unexpected love stories that'll make your heart do backflips,
31:47please subscribe.
31:47I promise to keep bringing you characters who feel real, dialogue that makes you laugh,
31:53and chemistry that practically jumps off the page.
31:56And if you know someone who needs a little escape,
31:58a friend who loves romance, your sister who's obsessed with mafia stories,
32:01or literally anyone who deserves a smile today,
32:04share this story with them.
32:05Let's spread the joy together.
32:07Thank you for being part of this community.
32:09You're the reason these stories exist.
32:12Until next time, keep believing in the magic of unexpected collisions,
32:16and maybe keep your hamsters locked up tight.
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