The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Haven Pierce's POV

The following morning, I woke up early with a sole mission in mind even though I was still sleepy because we arrived late last night I managed to drag myself out of bed and helped Ricardo—the private chef of the crime boss to prepare breakfast. I even arranged the table near the pool beautifully where the Don preferred to eat his first meal of the day because I have a request to make.

I was about to call him in his room when he suddenly spoke behind me. Think of the devil and the devil shall appear. "What's the meaning of this?"

I was startled to hear his deep voice behind me. I turned around to greet him with a bright smile on my face. "Good morning, Santi. Breakfast is ready."

He slid his gaze on the beautifully arranged table behind me and then back to me with narrowed eyes. "You need something, do you? He instantly accused me. I wonder if I should commend his sharp brain or curse at it. He crossed his arms in the middle of his chest. "You will not exert effort for preparing breakfast for nothing."

I grimaced at his words. Is that what he thinks of me? That kinda stings, to be honest, but I don't have time to feel hurt because I need his permission. I beamed at him while hoping he would say yes. "Why don't we eat breakfast first, hmm?"

"Oh, wow!" Nico peered over Santi's shoulder. "You prepare all of this, Haven? Looks delicious. Even the table set-up is perfect."

I chuckled a bit, waving my hand dismissively. "Oh, not really. I just helped Ricardo prepare all of this. Please take a seat, Nico."

I eyed my legal guardian and he was still looking at me with slit eyes. Oh, boy, he was still wary about the whole thing. I think I will have a hard time convincing him of my plans for today. But I need to be optimistic.

"So what do you want from me?" Santi didn't waste his time asking once we were seated at the table. He placed the white linen napkin on his lap while refusing to break our eye contact.

I bit my bottom lip as I looked at him and his cousin. Even Nico was now interested in what I was about to say. "Uh...the thing is—"

"How's the party last night?" Nico butted in. I cursed silently and threw a dark glare in his direction because he interrupted my momentum.

"Boring," Santi answered dismissively to his cousin not even sparing him a glance. His dark eyes were still focused on me intensely and it felt like I had difficulty breathing when he looked at me like that. "What were you saying?"

I cleared my throat, fully aware of how my heart beat so fast at the moment. I could do this, I told myself silently. I allow myself to stare at his intense dark eyes. "I am hoping that you'll allow me to go to town because I need to buy something."

"What do you want to buy?"

I smiled at him—or at least tried to. "Today is Greta's birthday and I want to buy her a gift. She's been so kind to me ever since I came here I want to buy something for her special day."

"I will just ask someone to buy the gift for you."

I shook my head immediately. "I want to personally choose the present that I will give her. So if you will just allow me to go out I promise that I will be back as soon as possible."

"No."

I frowned at him sullenly. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I can't come with you because I have a meeting this morning but it would probably last for the whole day it depends on how stubborn those little fuckers were during our meeting. That's why I cannot possibly let out go out."

"What about Nico?" I asked hopefully.

We both looked at his cousin who was now busy eating his breakfast. "What?" He asked while his mouth was still full. He chewed the food as fast as he could before speaking again. "I can't go with you. I need to go to the customs today because we have a shipment that I need to pick up."

My mood was getting gloomier as the seconds went by. This was the problem he was so strict when it came to the idea of me traveling alone. For some reason, he was obsessed with my safety more than Dad when he was still alive.

How could I convince him to allow me to buy a gift for my dear friend?

I looked at Santi expectantly. "How about instructing one of your men to accompany me in town so you'll be at ease."

"I don't think—"

"Please...?" He was already starting to refuse the idea but I needed to be persistent here this was my last hope even if I didn't like the idea that someone was following me around like a dog. "I swear that I will not be in trouble while I am in town."

With that, his eyes became scalpel-sharp.

Uh-oh... it seems that I made a mistake promising him like that. I should just have kept my mouth shut and never promised him anything, sometimes I hate that my mouth runs away with me. Now he was looking at me as if he shouldn't trust me.

"Let her go," the unexpected help came from his cousin, Nico. "We can't accompany her on her trip but you can instruct Vito to look after her." Nico gave him a knowing look. "You know you can trust that guy."

I held back my victorious smile because I could see that the overprotective guardian was starting to soften up a bit to the idea. I threw a grateful smile in Nico's direction which he acknowledged with a short nod and a playful smile.

I could see that Santi was having an internal debate while I was looking at him full of hope that he would agree. "Pretty, please?" I said with a winsome smile.

He took a deep breath. "Very well. But you have to promise me that you will bring Vito wherever you go."

I couldn't help but squeak out my happiness. "Oh, thank you, Santi. Thank you very much. I promise that I will not break your trust. I will let this Vito guy follow me around while I am in town. Thank you!"

With a resigned sigh, Santi stood from his chair and gestured to the garage with his head. "Follow me." I silently followed him behind. I saw four men chatting in the roofed garage while drinking coffee. "Vito," he called the attention of my bodyguard for the day.

"What is it, boss?" Said the tall ruggedly-looking guy who was probably in his early to mid-thirties approached us.

"I want you to accompany Haven on her trip to town," Santi instructed with a firm tone. "Never let her leave your sight even for a moment or I'll have your head if that happens. Do we understand one another?"

The man named Vito glanced in my direction briefly without a hint of emotion in his eyes and then he looked once again at his boss. "Got it, Signore."

"Oh, can we leave now?" I asked eagerly the hard-looking bodyguard.

He raised an eyebrow with a hint of a smile in his eyes while Santi looked disapprovingly in my direction. "You're not going to eat your breakfast?"

"I'm good," I answered conversationally. "I already had coffee while helping Ricardo prepare the food a while ago that should be enough for me."

"But—" The Don seemed like to protest but then he paused and changed his mind. He was looking at me with hard eyes as if he wanted to change his mind about this trip of mine. "—just be careful and come back as soon as you can. Are we clear?"

"You have my word, Santi." I beamed at him. He was staring at me for a moment. I waited patiently maybe he wanted to say something more but then he abruptly turned around and walked away from the garage area. He was weird sometimes. I didn't have time to deal with my legal guardian's odd behavior as I faced my bodyguard. "Shall we?"

"Whenever you are ready, Signorina," he answered professionally while tucking his handgun on the side of his waist pants.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if it was really necessary to bring a gun on our innocent trip to town but I guess it was a protocol when working for the mafia boss. I slid into the passenger seat at the back of the heavily tinted SUV while Vito closed the door for me and went to the driver's side. Silence filled the car while traveling on the streets of Sicily.

If not for Ricardo I wouldn't know that today was Greta's birthday. I also found out that Greta and Ricardo are dating. I wonder what kind of gift I would give her. I was staring outside my car window when I saw a personalized gift shop. "Can you pull over?"

Vito parked the car on the side of the street and I got out of the car and went inside the shop. Once inside I was in awe at the variety of things that they sell. Vito was right behind me doing his job following me around like a tail.

"Hello. What can I do for you, bella signorina?" Asked the shop owner behind the counter.

"What can you suggest as a good gift for a friend's birthday?" I asked while looking at the display trying to find the perfect gift.

"We do personalized mugs, caricature photos with frames, collage photos, and we have a new product that we recently launched the magic pillow."

I looked at him with interest. "Magic pillow? What is that?"

He smiled at me, showing me the sample item. "At first glance, it looks like a simple sequined pillow but when you rub the sequins in the other direction it will reveal the photo that you like to put."

"Perfect!" I knew this would be the perfect gift for my friend and personal maid. "I want one."

He nodded at me with a smile. "Do you have the photo that you want to put in your magic pillow?"

"Photo?" I echoed warily. I fished out my phone in my pocket and hoped that Ricardo had social media and that I could steal some of his photos. A wicked smile fitted my lips when I found his social media. I download one of his photos with so many hearts. That one photo where Ricardo was shirtless showing off his sexy body and sexy grin. I knew Greta would love this. I airdrop the photo on his iPad.

"Oh, is this your boyfriend, yes?" The shop owner asked with a grin on his face.

I heard Vito coughed discreetly. I turned around to look at him with horror on my face before looking back at the shop owner. Vito might get the wrong idea and report it to Santi that would be embarrassing. "Oh, no! You are mistaken. He's not my boyfriend!"

"I see. Forgive me for the misconception." He apologized with a smile. "Don't worry, it will be ready in a few days."

"Few days?" the smile faded on my face. "But today is my friend's birthday. Can't you make it today?"

"But..."

"Please?"

He shook his head in resignation after a moment. "Very well, I will try to finish your order within the day but it will take a few hours. Are you willing to wait?"

"Yes," I answered and paid him the amount that magic pillow cost. Several minutes inside his shop I saw a small commotion outside women kept on videoing or picturing something using their smartphones. "What's going on?"

Vito went outside for a moment to check and then he went back inside after a moment. "Celebrity." He answered briefly. "There's an American celebrity in town. I heard he was here for vacation but then he was discovered by his fans."

"Who might that be?" I asked with curiosity but I was not interested.

My bodyguard shrugged disinterestedly. "Someone named Gray Everett or something."

"Shut the fuck up!" My eyes widened while staring at Vito in disbelief. "You mean, the famous singer? The Gray Cole Everett?"

Vito was perplexed by my reaction. He was probably wondering why I am so pumped up because of a mere celebrity but Gray Everett is different from the rest. He's my long-time celebrity crush. "Yeah, I guess so." He answered carefully.

My fangirling heart soared with happiness and before I knew what was happening I found myself running out of the shop and going in the direction where the crowd started to gather up for Gray Everett.

"Signorina Haven!" I heard Vito call after me who had also started running from the personalized shop. "Where are you going?"

I looked back at him but still running to see my celebrity crush even just a glimpse of him and maybe a stolen picture of him on my phone, I added silently with a sight giggle. "Don't worry, I will be back soon. I just want to see him in person."

"Per favore," I heard him saying with fear visible in his voice. "Come back here. The Don will kill me if something happens to you."

I didn't listen to him and just continued with my purpose to see my all-time celebrity crush. Who would have thought that I'd see him here in Sicily of all the places? I took out my phone ready to snap photos of him even from such a long distance. I made my way with his other adoring fans trying to get close to his place. This is my chance to see him in person and I will not let the opportunity escape.

I lost sight of Vito in this sea of crowd. Maybe he was waiting for me at a safe distance near the shop where I was buying a birthday gift for Greta. I was fighting my way to the crowd when I was about to reach the front line I could feel that I missed my step and now I was about to fall flat face on the cobbled street and probably in front of my crush. How embarrassing that might be?

Before I had to accept the worst fangirling moment for me, a strong male hand was already there to steady me and save me from embarrassment.

"Thank y—" I was about to say when I gazed upward to see my savior's face the gratitude I was about to offer was struck in my throat and I blurted something else. "I'm a fan."

His famous ocean-blue eyes sparked while his mouth twitched. "Really?"

"Yes!" I was aware of how my heart pounded so loud in my chest. I couldn't believe that I was having a conversation with Gray Everett. The most famous bad boy of Pop Rock today. "Can I have a selfie with you?"

I was about to raise the smartphone to our face level when the unexpected thing happened. He pulled me by the wrist and started to run away with me leaving his adoring fans to come after us.

What the hell is going on?

It seemed that he could feel my confusion he turned around to face me with a sexy grin on his face. "Sorry about this. I promised to give you a selfie after just allowing me to use you for a moment, okay?"

My mind went blank while staring at his ocean-blue eyes. I only managed to nod my head wordlessly while still running with him in the opposite direction of the shop where Vito was probably waiting for me. I don't know how long we've been running in the streets of Sicily but all I knew was that I was already out of breath. We probably lost his other fans after entering narrow alley after alley and avoiding the main streets. Could I go back to the personalized shop on my own without getting lost?

We finally stopped running and Gray was also panting from running. He wiped the sweat that formed on his forehead with the back of his hand. Even though he was covered with sweat he was still as handsome as hell.

He took my smartphone from my hand and drew me closer to him until our faces fit the screen and snapped a selfie of his grinning face and my startled one. "Thank you for helping me back there at the restaurant. And I'm sorry if I used you as a decoy so that my companion could exit the restaurant without a fuss." He returned my phone to me. "What's your name?"

"Haven Pierce," I answered almost absently, while my eyes were fixed on our selfie. I can't believe I have a selfie with my forever crush.

"American?"

"Yes..."

"Since you help me today I will give you free tickets to my next concert," Gray mentioned. "I'll slide to your DM in your Insta soon." With that, he took out his baseball cap and wore it, he even pulled it lower to cover his eyes and avoid getting recognized again by the public. He gave me one last smile. "Nice meeting you, Haven."

I only managed to smile and watched him walk away from me. Oh shit... Vito was probably wondering where I went. I need to find my way back to the shop. I opened the map on my smartphone and typed the name of the restaurant where Gray was seen having lunch and it didn't take long before I followed the direction on the map.

Halfway to the restaurant, I stopped walking in the middle of the street when I saw a familiar figure running in my direction. My heart sank when I saw a furious-looking Santi and a nervous-looking Nico and Vito behind him.

"What are you doing—?" the words died in my mouth when he suddenly pulled me in his arms. I could swear that my bones nearly broke from his hug as I was still startled by his embrace.

"Didn't I tell you not to leave without Vito on your side?" He asked, his voice filled with rage and worry at the same time.

"I'm sorry..." I offered both to him and Vito who was looking at us and who had a quiet scare about the whole thing of me running away to see my celebrity crush.

Santi even tightened his hold on me. I could feel that he was about to squeeze the air out of me. "Never disappear from my sight again. I don't want to relive the nightmares of the past. One experience was enough to last a lifetime."

Huh?