Elena's breath hitched as Vincenzo's words echoed in the room.
Be my girlfriend.
Her heart fluttered, but at the same time, a storm of fear swept through her. He had just paid off her family's debt — a debt that had crushed them for years. She couldn't tell if her feelings for him were gratitude, admiration… or something deeper.
Her lips parted shakily. "Vincenzo… I can't. Not now."
A flicker of irritation crossed his sharp features, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He leaned in closer, his voice a velvet command.
"Why not?"
"Because…" Elena whispered, forcing herself to meet his gaze, "I don't want you to think I'm saying yes because I owe you. You've done so much for me already. My family… me… I don't want my feelings to be confused with gratitude."
Vincenzo's jaw tightened, but instead of anger, his eyes softened. He crouched slightly so that his face was level with hers. His voice dropped, low and raw.
"Elena, I don't want your gratitude. I want your heart."
Her breath caught. His words pierced her walls. For a moment, she saw not just the powerful CEO but a man stripped bare of pretense, desperate for something real.
He reached for her hand, enveloping it in his warm grip.
"You're already in my thoughts every day. When I leave the office, I see your smile. When I close my eyes, I hear your laugh. Elena, I'm not asking you as your boss. I'm asking you as a man who's falling for you."
Her chest tightened, torn between fear and longing. "Vincenzo… if anyone finds out—"
"They won't," he interrupted firmly, his eyes blazing with certainty. "We'll keep it between us. A secret. No one has to know until you're ready. But don't push me away, Elena. Don't deny what's already here between us."
She hesitated, trembling under the weight of his gaze. Every instinct screamed to run, to keep her walls up. But her heart… her heart whispered otherwise.
Finally, she whispered the words that sealed everything.
"Yes."
His grip tightened slightly, relief flooding his expression. For the first time in his life, Vincenzo Marino, the untouchable, unshakable Don hidden behind a CEO's mask, smiled like a man who had just won the greatest prize of all.
"Yes," she repeated softly, "but only as a secret. No one must know."
He leaned forward, brushing his lips lightly against her forehead in a rare, tender gesture.
"As you wish, mia bella," he murmured. "Our secret."
At that moment, Elena knew her life had changed forever.
And though she didn't know it yet, secrets—especially in the world of the Mafia—always had a way of coming to light.
--