Leo's POV:

For a man raised around violence, negotiations, and power...

Asking a woman to be my girlfriend shouldn't have made me nervous.

Yet somehow, sitting in traffic on the way to pick Sera up had my thoughts more scrambled than a meeting with rival families ever could.

Pathetic.

Ed certainly thought so.

"You've killed armed men without blinking," he said through the phone speaker. "But asking a girl to be your girlfriend is where you panic?"

"I'm not panicking."

"You've changed outfits three times today."

I looked down at my black button-up.

"That doesn't prove anything."

"It proves you're whipped."

"I'm hanging up now."

Ed laughed loudly before the call disconnected.

I rubbed a hand across my jaw and exhaled slowly.

The truth was...

This mattered to me.

More than it should.

Because Sera wasn't just another woman.

She had somehow become part of my life without me realizing it. She was there in my thoughts during meetings, during business, during late nights when I should've been focused on work instead of wondering whether she'd eaten dinner or gotten home safely.

And that was dangerous.

But for once...

I didn't care.

About twenty minutes later, I pulled up outside Sera's apartment building.

The second she walked outside, every thought in my head disappeared.

She wore jeans, heels, and one of my oversized hoodies over a fitted top. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders while her lips curved into a smile the moment she spotted me.

Beautiful.

Always beautiful.

I stepped out immediately and opened the passenger door for her.

"You know," she teased while climbing inside, "normal people usually just text when they arrive."

"I'm not normal people."

"That is becoming painfully obvious."

I laughed quietly before shutting the door behind her.

The drive started comfortably.

Music played softly through the speakers while Sera rested one hand against the center console near mine.

Eventually, she glanced over at me suspiciously.

"Okay."

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

"You're acting weird."

"I always act weird."

"No." She narrowed her eyes playfully. "You're acting nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"Leo." She smirked. "You almost ran a red light."

I sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

"Aha!" She pointed at me victoriously. "I knew it."

I shook my head while pulling into the valet area of a luxury rooftop restaurant overlooking the Miami skyline.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"Absolutely."

I stepped out and walked around to help her from the car.

The moment she looked up at the view from the rooftop entrance, her eyes widened.

The city lights stretched endlessly around us while the ocean reflected beneath the moonlight in the distance.

"Leo..."

"You like it?"

"It's beautiful."

I placed a hand against her lower back gently as we walked inside.

Dinner passed easier than usual.

Comfortable.

Natural.

At some point, Sera stopped looking nervous around me altogether, and honestly, that might've been my favorite part of the night.

She laughed more now.

Touched me casually.

Looked at me openly instead of cautiously.

And every little thing she did made me fall harder.

Which was exactly why I knew I needed to say something tonight.

By the time dessert arrived, my heart was beating harder than it should've been.

Ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Sera tilted her head while watching me carefully.

"You're thinking too hard again."

I stared at her for a moment before finally speaking.

"When I first met you," I admitted quietly, "I thought you'd be a distraction."

Her expression softened slightly.

"And now?"

"Now you're the only peaceful thing in my life."

The teasing smile disappeared from her face completely.

Everything around us suddenly felt quieter.

Smaller.

Like it was just the two of us sitting beneath the city lights.

"Sera..." I exhaled slowly. "I'm not good at this."

"At what?"

"This." I motioned vaguely between us. "Feelings. Relationships. Whatever this is."

A tiny smile appeared on her lips.

"You're doing okay so far."

I laughed softly under my breath before reaching across the table for her hand.

The moment our fingers intertwined, I knew there was no backing out now.

"I know we haven't known each other that long," I said honestly. "But I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the day we met."

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

"And that scares me more than it probably should."

"Leo—"

"No, let me finish before I lose my nerve."

That earned a quiet laugh from her.

I rubbed my thumb gently across her hand.

"I care about you, Sera. More than I've ever cared about anyone outside my family." My chest tightened slightly. "So... I wanted to ask if you'd officially be mine."

Her breath caught softly.

For a second, she just stared at me.

Then slowly...

A smile spread across her face.

"Aren't you supposed to ask me to be your girlfriend?"

I groaned and leaned back in my chair.

"Jesus Christ."

She burst into laughter immediately.

The sound hit me right in the chest.

I shook my head while smiling helplessly.

"Serafina DeLuca," I said dramatically, "would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

She pretended to think about it.

Which nearly killed me.

Then finally, she squeezed my hand.

"Yes."

Relief hit me embarrassingly fast.

"You sure?"

"Yes, Leo."

I stood from my chair immediately, walked around the table, and pulled her gently to her feet before kissing her.

Slowly.

Fully.

Like I'd wanted to do all night.

When we finally pulled apart, Sera rested her forehead against mine while smiling.

"You were really nervous about that?"

"You have no idea."

She laughed softly again before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Well..." she whispered, "for the record..."

"Yeah?"

"I've wanted to be your girlfriend for a while now too."

And somehow...

That was the exact moment I realized I was completely screwed.

***

Francesco's POV:

Later than Night...

The estate was quiet.

Too quiet.

Most nights, the house carried some kind of noise—Francesca arguing with her brothers, Vince stomping through the halls like an angry bull, Gio pretending not to listen while secretly listening to everything.

But tonight, everyone had gone home hours ago.

Everyone except Rosa and me.

I stood alone in my office overlooking the water while security patrolled the estate grounds below. Armed guards moved carefully around the perimeter beneath the glow of outdoor lights while black SUVs remained stationed near the gates.

Protection.

Necessary protection.

Especially for a family like ours.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Enter."

Marco Conti stepped inside the office and quietly shut the door behind him.

Marco had worked for me for nearly fifteen years. Loyal. Efficient. Smart enough to survive in this world without asking unnecessary questions.

"What is it?" I asked calmly.

Marco approached my desk.

"Leonardo just left the restaurant with the girl."

The girl.

Serafina.

I slowly lowered the whiskey glass in my hand.

"And?"

Marco hesitated briefly before answering.

"He made things official tonight."

Interesting.

Very interesting.

I leaned back in my chair silently while processing the information.

Leonardo had been with women before.

Beautiful women.

Connected women.

Women from respectable families.

But none of them lasted long enough for me to care.

This one was different.

I noticed it the moment she walked into my home.

The way my son watched her.

Protected her.

Listened to her.

For the first time in years, Leonardo looked distracted from business.

And in our world...

Love could become the most dangerous distraction of all.

"What do you think of her?" I asked finally.

Marco shrugged slightly.

"She seems genuine."

I stared at him for a long moment.

"So did Louis."

Marco immediately fell silent.

Exactly.

Trust meant very little in our line of work.

I stood from my chair and walked toward the massive windows overlooking the estate.

The ocean waves crashed softly against the rocks below while security guards continued their patrols outside.

Everything I built...

Every sacrifice...

Every drop of blood spilled...

It was all for my family.

And I would not allow anyone to threaten that.

Not even unintentionally.

"What do we know about her?" I asked.

"Not much," Marco admitted. "No criminal record. Lives alone. Works at the club Leo met her at."

"That's not enough."

Marco nodded once, already understanding my meaning.

I turned toward him fully.

"Run a complete background check."

"How deep?"

"Everything."

My voice remained calm, but firm.

"I want financial records, past relationships, former employers, school history, neighbors, friends. If there's anything suspicious in Serafina DeLuca's life, I want to know before my son falls any deeper into this."

"And if there's nothing?"

I glanced briefly at the framed family photo resting on my desk.

Leonardo stood beside me in the picture, younger and less hardened by responsibility.

My son had sacrificed enough of himself for this family already.

Maybe he deserved happiness.

Maybe.

"Then we leave her alone," I answered quietly.

Marco nodded once.

"I'll begin tonight."

The second he left the office, the door reopened again moments later.

Rosa stepped inside wearing a silk robe, clearly annoyed.

"There you are."

I sighed softly.

"My wife has found me."

"You disappeared after dinner," she accused while crossing her arms. "Again."

"I had work."

"You always have work."

Fair point.

Rosa walked farther into the office before studying my expression carefully.

After nearly thirty years of marriage, that woman could read me better than anyone alive.

"What happened?"

I stayed quiet for a moment before answering.

"Leonardo asked Serafina to be his girlfriend tonight."

Instantly, Rosa smiled.

A real smile.

"Oh, Francesco..."

"You're happy about this."

"Of course I'm happy." She looked at me like I was insane for asking. "Did you see the way he looks at her?"

Unfortunately...

Yes.

And that was exactly the problem.

"I'm having her investigated."

Rosa's smile disappeared immediately.

"Francesco."

"It's precaution."

"She's a sweet girl."

"And sweet girls can still become liabilities."

Rosa walked closer slowly.

"She makes him happy."

I looked away briefly toward the dark ocean outside.

Because that was exactly what worried me most.

Men like Leonardo did not live peaceful lives.

Our world destroyed innocence.

Destroyed softness.

Destroyed love.

And Serafina DeLuca looked far too soft for the darkness surrounding my son.

Still...

I couldn't deny what I saw in Leonardo's eyes whenever he looked at her.

Hope.

It had been a long time since I'd seen that in him.

Rosa gently touched my arm.

"Don't ruin this for him," she said quietly.

I covered her hand with mine.

"I'm trying to protect him."

Her expression softened sadly.

"Sometimes those are two different things."

And for the first time all night...

I found myself wondering if she was right.