Heer
The days after Carlos's promise to fight for us had felt like a fragile truce, but I couldn't shake the lingering tension in the air. Despite everything we had shared, despite the promises, I knew we weren't in the clear yet. The mafia world was a force that didn't simply disappear, and neither did the ghosts of Carlos's past.
We spent the next few days trying to rebuild the connection that had been strained for so long, but each step forward felt like we were walking on thin ice. The moment we thought we were making progress, something would remind us of the looming shadow that threatened to tear us apart.
One evening, after dinner, Carlos had been pacing the room, his jaw clenched tight as he spoke with one of his underlings over the phone. His tone was sharp, authoritative, and his gaze never left the phone in his hand. I watched him, a knot forming in my stomach. The same cold, distant version of Carlos was starting to surface again, the one I had seen when I first met him—the man who hid behind his power and his business dealings to shield himself from the world.
"Carlos…" I called softly, my voice hesitant. "We agreed you'd stop hiding behind this. I need you here. With me."
He didn't respond immediately, and for a moment, I wondered if he even heard me. But then, as he ended the call and put the phone down, his eyes met mine. His expression softened, but there was an unmistakable weariness in his gaze.
"I'm sorry, Heer," he said quietly, his voice rough. "But this is my world. I can't just walk away from it. I don't know how to balance it all, how to make it fit with you. With us."
I walked toward him, my heart heavy with understanding. I knew this life had shaped him, molded him into someone who couldn't easily escape it. But that didn't mean I was willing to lose him to it.
"Carlos, you don't have to give up everything, but you can't keep doing this either," I said, my voice filled with a sense of urgency. "You have to choose. You have to choose me, as much as you choose this world."
He looked away, his face tense as if he was struggling with a decision that tore him in two. I could feel the weight of his internal conflict, and it made my chest ache.
"I want you, Heer," he said, his voice low. "But the business is not something I can just leave behind. There's too much at stake."
I took a deep breath, stepping closer to him. "I'm not asking you to abandon everything. I'm asking you to let me in. To let me help you. We're in this together now. You don't have to do it alone anymore."
Carlos was silent for a long moment, his eyes searching mine as if trying to gauge my sincerity. Then, finally, he reached out and took my hand, his fingers warm against my skin.
"I don't know how to let you in, Heer," he admitted. "But I'll try. I'll try for you."
Carlos
The weight of Heer's words settled heavily in my chest. For so long, I had hidden behind my empire, behind the role I played as the heir to the mafia. I had believed that if I gave too much of myself away, I would lose control. I thought I could keep her at arm's length, protect her from the life I lived, but now I realized how wrong I had been.
I could see the pain in her eyes. She wasn't asking for much—just for me to be present, to let her be a part of my world. But for someone like me, someone who had spent years building walls around my heart, it wasn't that simple.
I had always feared that letting someone in would mean losing myself. But as I stood here with Heer, I realized that maybe choosing her wouldn't be losing anything at all. Maybe it was the only way forward.
"I'll try, Heer," I repeated, my voice thick with emotion. "I'll try to make this work. For us."
Heer
The next few days were filled with a sense of quiet tension, but there was also something else. A strange sense of anticipation. Carlos had kept his promise, at least in part. He had been more present, more open with me, sharing small glimpses of his world that he had kept hidden for so long. I knew he wasn't ready to fully let me in, but it felt like a beginning.
One afternoon, I was in the study, reading through some documents Carlos had asked me to review, when there was a knock at the door. I looked up, startled, and saw one of Carlos's men standing in the doorway.
"Ms. Heer," he said, his tone respectful. "There's something you need to see."
I followed him out of the study, my heart pounding with unease. When we reached the living room, I saw Carlos standing by the window, his back to me, his phone in hand. He was speaking in low tones, his face tense.
"I'll deal with it," he said firmly before hanging up the phone.
"Carlos?" I asked cautiously.
He turned toward me, his expression unreadable. "There's trouble," he said simply. "Someone's making moves against us."
My heart sank as I processed his words. I had known that the peace we had tried to build wouldn't last forever, but hearing him say it out loud made it feel too real. The mafia world had a way of intruding, no matter how much we tried to escape it.
"Who?" I asked, my voice shaky. "Who's behind it?"
Carlos's jaw tightened. "I don't know yet, but I'll find out. Stay here. I'll handle it."
I nodded, but inside, a storm was brewing. I could feel the old fear creeping back into my chest. It was like a familiar shadow that never quite went away, no matter how hard I tried to push it into the background. Carlos's life was dangerous. And no matter how much I wanted to shield him from it, the reality was that we were both tied to this world.
The world of violence, betrayal, and power. A world that wouldn't let us go, no matter how hard we fought.
Carlos
I could see the fear in Heer's eyes, and it twisted something inside me. I hated that I couldn't protect her from this life. I hated that my choices had dragged her into this world of blood and business. But I couldn't walk away. Not from the family. Not from her.
I had made a promise to her, and I intended to keep it. I would find out who was behind the threat against us, and I would end it. No one would take her from me.
"Stay inside, Heer," I said firmly. "I'll be back soon."
She didn't argue, but I could see the worry written all over her face. It tore me apart to leave her like this, but I knew this was something I had to do alone.