{ Mia }
The car was too quiet.
No one spoke. No one even breathed too loud. The hum of the engine was the only sound between us, steady and low, like a warning.
Lili was curled against Enzo's side, asleep now, her small hand clutching his coat. He hadn't said a word since we left the building—not one. Just sat there, jaw locked, eyes dark, his fingers drumming slow, dangerous rhythms against his knee.
I leaned my head back, staring out the window, pretending not to notice him watching me in the reflection. Scarlett's voice buzzed softly in my ear.
"Heart rate elevated. I'd say he's seconds away from an outburst."
"Thanks for the update," I whispered dryly.
Outside, city lights blurred past like streaks of fire. Inside, the air felt like it could ignite at any second.
Lili stirred in her sleep. Enzo shifted, his hand brushing her hair back gently. For a moment, the hard lines in his face softened—then his gaze slid to me again, and the calm vanished.
By the time we reached the mansion, the tension was snapping in the air like a live wire. The car stopped. No one moved.
"Out," he said finally, voice low. Too low.
I didn't move.
He got out first, walking around to my side, and pulled the door open so hard the hinges groaned.
"Out," he repeated, this time sharper.
I looked up at him slowly, my lips twitching into a faint smirk.
"You're welcome," I said, voice soft but sharp enough to draw blood.
That did it.
He grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the car with a force that made Lili jolt awake. She blinked, startled, clutching the seat. Enzo's grip wasn't cruel—but it wasn't gentle either. It was the kind of touch that said I'm done pretending.
"You think this is a game?" His voice was low, a snarl under control. "You disappear from my sight, make me believe you're dead, walk into a death trap, and now you sit there like it's nothing?"
I tugged my arm free, eyes flashing. "If I hadn't gone, she'd be dead. You were busy sending men to bomb factories, remember?"
That hit him.
His jaw flexed, but he didn't answer.
For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke. The silence between us wasn't empty—it was full of everything we couldn't say.
Finally, I stepped back, brushing the dirt off my clothes. "You can yell later," I said. "Right now, she needs rest."
Enzo's glare didn't soften, but he didn't stop me either. He turned to his men.
"Take her to her room. Post two guards at her door."
As they carried Lili inside, Enzo's eyes found mine again—sharp, unreadable, still burning with that same mix of fury and something dangerously close to… relief.
I sighed, crossing my arms. "What? No 'thank you'? No 'good job, princess'?"
He stepped closer, until the air between us vanished. His voice dropped, rough and quiet.
"Don't push me, Mia."
I smirked up at him, meeting his glare without flinching.
"Too late."
{ Enzo }
I watched her walk past me like she hadn't just walked into hell and back. Blood on her sleeve, dirt on her face, and still—she smirked.
Like she owned the night.
Like she hadn't made me think I'd lost her.
"Mia," I said, voice low, the warning buried inside it. "Stop."
She froze halfway to the stairs, her hand on the railing. Turned slowly, one eyebrow raised.
"What now? Gonna lecture me?"
I moved closer. Each step deliberate. Heavy.
"You think you're untouchable," I said, eyes locked on hers. "You act like the rules don't apply to you. But what if I was one minute later? What if they'd found you first?"
Her expression didn't change, but her jaw tightened. "They didn't."
"That's not the point." My hand hit the railing beside her, caging her in. "You disobeyed me."
"Disobeyed?" she shot back, incredulous. "What am I, one of your soldiers?"
"Right now?" I leaned closer, my breath brushing her ear. "You're worse."
She didn't back down. Her chin tilted up, gold fire glinting in her eyes. "And yet I saved her. So maybe you should rethink who's worse here."
I almost laughed—but there was nothing funny in the sound. It came out low, dark. "You've got nerve, I'll give you that."
She smirked, that same dangerous spark that had made my pulse trip the first time I met her. "And you've got control issues."
I didn't realize how close we were until I could see the faint tremor of her pulse in her neck.
Every instinct I had screamed to step back. To end this before I did something I shouldn't.
But I didn't move.
"You don't get to disappear on me again," I said, voice quiet but final. "If you want to throw your life away, do it somewhere else. Not under my roof."
Her smile faded, replaced by something sharper, colder. "Noted," she said. "Next time I'll die somewhere prettier."
"Mia—"
"Relax, boss," she interrupted, brushing past me. "I'm still breathing. Isn't that what you wanted?"
I watched her disappear down the hall, boots echoing on the marble. My fingers twitched, half wanting to grab her back, half wanting to punch a wall.
She had no idea what she did to me—no clue how close she'd come to never walking out of that building.
I turned away, exhaling through my teeth, and caught sight of Lili at the end of the corridor. She was standing in the doorway, wrapped in a blanket, eyes tired but curious.
"She's really something, huh?" she said softly.
I blinked. "You should be resting."
She smiled faintly. "You care about her."
I didn't answer. Couldn't.
Instead, I turned toward the study. "Get some sleep, Lili."
She nodded, disappearing back into the room.
I poured myself a drink and stared at the amber liquid, letting it burn down my throat.
She'd risked her life. Saved Lili.
And still managed to make me furious.
Mia was chaos in human form.
And for the first time in years, I wasn't sure if I wanted to control it… or let it consume me.