The morning sun cast a harsh light over the cracked pavement, but Mia barely noticed. Hunger gnawed at her belly, sharper than the chill in the air. Her small hands trembled as she shuffled through the crowded streets, eyes downcast, silently begging for scraps from passing strangers.
Most ignored her — a ghost in the city's chaos. But Mia clung to the hope that someone, anyone, might offer a crumb of kindness.
That's when the black car rolled slowly beside her, its engine a low purr beneath the hum of the morning crowd. Inside sat Luca, his sharp eyes fixed coldly on the frail figure at the curb.
He studied Mia like a hunter sizing up prey, lips curling into a cruel, devilish smirk.
Another lost girl, another useless life discarded by the world — exactly what he was looking for.
Luca's mind raced with possibilities: the fear in her eyes, the desperation that made her vulnerable. Perfect.
Without a hint of mercy, he reached for his phone and made a call.
"She's the one," he said, voice ice-colded.
Mia, unaware of the danger lurking mere feet away, continued to plead silently with strangers, unaware that her fate had just been sealed.
---
Luca leaned back in the leather seat, his gaze steady and cold as he watched Mia shuffle along the sidewalk. She moved cautiously, her eyes flicking up and down the street as if trying to disappear into the crowd.
She looked fragile—thin coat hanging loosely over her small frame, shoes worn through and dusty. There was a quiet resignation in her movements, like she'd already accepted the harshness of the world.
Luca's expression remained unreadable, the faintest curve of a smirk playing on his lips. He didn't rush. There was no need. Watching was its own kind of control.
Mia paused at a street corner, her hands clasped nervously, searching the faces passing by for a hint of mercy. To everyone else, she was just another forgotten girl lost in the city's chaos. To Luca, she was a calculation, a future asset in a game where power was everything.
The car's engine purred softly as Luca adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, eyes never leaving Mia.
She didn't notice him.
And for now, that was exactly how he wanted it.Here's the continuation with Luca stopping his driver to keep watching Mia calmly, like a predator observing his next target:
---
The driver glanced at Luca through the rearview mirror, fingers twitching on the gearshift. "Shall we head on, boss?" he asked, ready to move on from the quiet street.
Luca shook his head slowly, eyes still fixed on Mia as she paused to ask a passerby for a few coins. "No," he said softly, the cold edge in his voice making the word sharp. "Let me watch this innocent lamb a little longer."
The driver nodded silently, easing the car to a slow crawl.
Luca's gaze didn't waver. The way Mia hesitated, her cautious glances and trembling hands—it was all part of the fragile picture he had been waiting to find.
There was a dark satisfaction in knowing she had no idea how closely she was being studied, how soon her life would change forever.
The car remained like a silent shadow.
---
The driver's hands rested lightly on the steering wheel, but his eyes flicked repeatedly toward Luca's expression. The boss was always calm—too calm—but there was a darkness in that calmness that made the driver uneasy.
He had seen enough to know that when Luca said, "Let me watch," it wasn't just idle curiosity. It was the prelude to something much darker.
As the car inched forward, the driver kept a steady pace, blending into the morning rush of cars and pedestrians. His eyes tracked Mia's movements, noting how she shifted nervously, how her gaze darted around, searching but never finding comfort.
The driver wondered what this girl's story was. Lost? Forgotten? Maybe like so many others who disappeared into the underbelly of the city.
He swallowed the unease tightening in his chest and kept his focus on the road. There was no room for sentiment here. Only the cold efficiency Luca demanded.
But deep down, a small part of him couldn't shake the feeling that this particular hunt was different.
The group of boys sauntered closer, their footsteps echoing softly against the cracked pavement. The tallest among them, a lanky boy with sharp eyes and a crooked grin, stepped forward first.
"Hey there, little lady," he called out, voice rough but not unkind. "You look lost."
Mia flinched, her body tightening instinctively. She didn't answer, just hugged her coat tighter around her frail frame.
Another boy, shorter and stockier, chuckled and said, "What's a pretty thing like you doing out here all alone? Shouldn't you be somewhere safe?"
Mia's gaze dropped to the ground, unwilling or unable to meet their eyes.
The lanky boy knelt slightly to be closer to her level, his grin softening. "We don't bite. We're just... looking out for you."
She blinked, confusion flickering across her face. Was this kindness or something else? She didn't know.
Behind them, the distant rumble of an engine caught their attention for a brief moment, but they shrugged it off, eyes fixed on Mia.
The lanky boy's grin softened as he saw the fear in Mia's eyes. He lowered his voice, trying to sound reassuring. "Look, we don't want to hurt you. This city's tough, but sometimes you find a few people who'll watch your back."
The lanky boy's grin twisted into something sharper, less friendly. "You hungry, huh?" he said, stepping closer. "We can get you some food—all you gotta do is do a little favor for us."
Mia's stomach churned. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice. "I… I don't have anything."
The stocky boy laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "You don't have to pay with money, sweetheart. Sometimes... favors come in other forms."
The youngest boy leaned in, eyes gleaming with something cruel. "You scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours. Simple."
Mia backed away slowly, heart pounding. The street suddenly felt darker, colder. Her eyes darted around, searching for a way out.
But the boys closed in, smirks growing wider. "Don't look so scared. You don't have much choice."
The boys closed in, their shadows stretching long in the morning light. Mia's back hit the cold brick wall, and she pressed herself against it, heart pounding like a trapped bird desperate to escape.
"See, sweetheart," the lanky boy said, his voice low and dangerous, "we're not just being nice for nothing. You give us something in return—maybe a little company, maybe a favor—and we make sure you don't go hungry today."
Mia swallowed hard, the lump in her throat growing larger. She shook her head weakly, but the boys didn't seem to care.
"Come on," the stocky one sneered, grabbing her arm roughly. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."
A sudden flash of movement caught Luca's eye from inside the car. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his smirk fading into a hard line.
This girl, this fragile little thing, was surrounded by predators already—and he was about to claim what he wanted.
But for now, he watched, waiting for the perfect moment.
Mia struggled against the boys, her breath coming fast and shallow, but there was no one to save her.
Here's Mia's desperate attempt to escape from the street boys:
---
Mia's heart hammered in her chest as the boys closed in, their rough hands gripping her arms. Panic surged like wildfire. She couldn't let this happen—not here, not now.
Summoning every ounce of courage she had left, Mia wrenched her arm free with a sudden, fierce twist. The boys stumbled back, surprised by her unexpected strength.
"Let me go!" she cried, voice trembling but determined.
Without waiting, she darted forward, pushing through the narrow gap between two startled men. Her legs moved faster than they ever had before, pounding against the unforgiving pavement as she sprinted down the street.
Shouts and curses rang out behind her, but Mia didn't look back. Her breath burned in her lungs, every step fueled by raw desperation.
She weaved through the crowd, ducking into a busy marketplace, blending into the chaos of the morning rush. The noise swallowed her footsteps, masking her flight.
For a moment, she allowed herself to hope — maybe, just maybe, she had escaped.
As Mia disappeared into the crowd, the lanky boy's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the black car idling at the curb. His gaze locked onto the driver's side window, where Luca's cold, calculating eyes met his with a smirk that sent a chill down his spine.
A sudden silence fell over the group. The boy's grin twisted into a nervous sneer as he glanced back at his friends. "That's Luca," he muttered under his breath — the name alone enough to freeze their blood.
Without another word, the boys turned on their heels and bolted, vanishing into the maze of alleyways and backstreets. Their rough bravado dissolved into frantic desperation.
They didn't want to cross Luca. Not even for a moment.
Meanwhile, Luca's smirk deepened, his gaze never leaving where Mia had fled.
"She's mine," he said quietly, voice like steel. "And no one gets in my way."
****Mia*******
Mia's breath came in sharp gasps, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure the world could hear it. Every step felt like running away from a nightmare she couldn't wake from, yet she didn't dare stop.
Why did they want me? she wondered, panic twisting inside her. What did I do wrong?
Her mind raced, struggling to make sense of the cruel faces and harsh words. The city felt like a maze, endless and unforgiving, and she was a small, lost thing trying to find her way out.
But beneath the fear was something new — a stubborn spark of defiance. She was not just a victim. She had escaped once before. She could survive this.
Mia pressed on, weaving through the crowd, searching for a place to hide, to breathe, to be safe — even if only for a moment.
Unseen by her, a pair of cold eyes still followed from the shadows, patient and sure.
The hunt was far from over.