CHAPTER ONE
(The Crash That Changed Everything)🌟
The clinking of glass, the hum of conversation, and the low thud of music filled the air like a familiar perfume at The Moonlight Bar—a small yet lively place nestled at the edge of a bustling city. A red neon sign blinked lazily above the door, casting a glowing hue over the sidewalk. Inside, the air was heavy with smoke, sweat, cheap cologne, and desperation.
Behind the counter stood Rose, a young woman whose name did not fully capture her fire. At twenty-three, she had the kind of beauty that didn't just turn heads—it silenced rooms. Her deep, almond-shaped eyes were the color of roasted coffee, always searching, always holding a mystery no one could unravel. Her skin was the shade of bronze kissed by the sun, smooth and unblemished. A cascade of dark curls framed her high cheekbones, her full lips, and the weariness she tried so hard to hide behind a charming smile.
She wasn't just beautiful—she was sharp. She memorized every customer's drink, remembered their birthdays, their tragedies, their favorite lies. She had learned the art of reading people. And in a bar like Moonlight, that was survival.
"Another round, Rose?" a drunken businessman asked, wobbling on his stool as he adjusted his wrinkled tie.
She flashed a rehearsed smile. "Of course. Neat or on the rocks?"
"Just like you—neat and dangerous."
Rose smirked and turned to pour the drink, ignoring his gaze crawling down her blouse. She had grown used to this—the stares, the crude remarks, the cheap attempts at flattery. They were all the same. They all looked, but none really saw her. Not the way she longed to be seen.
By midnight, the crowd had thinned. The air was quieter now, softer, and the bar hummed in low murmurs. Rose untied her apron, stretched her arms, and sighed. Her legs ached, and so did her spirit. She stepped out into the cool night air, the city lights flickering like distant stars as she crossed the nearly empty road.
That's when she saw it—headlights.
Too close.
Too fast.
The world spun.
A screech. A sickening thud.
Then darkness.
---
When Rose opened her eyes, it wasn't heaven or hell she saw. It was a soft white ceiling, a scent of antiseptic, and a dull ache behind her ribs. Her body felt foreign. Heavy.
She tried to sit up, but pain wrapped around her waist like chains. She groaned.
"Easy," came a low, velvety voice beside her.
Her gaze shifted.
And that was the moment everything changed.
Standing there in an immaculately tailored black suit, sleeves rolled to his elbows, was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His eyes—icy blue, piercing, dangerous—held her gaze with a magnetic pull that made her forget how to breathe. His jaw was sharp, covered in the lightest stubble. A scar sliced gently across his left brow, giving him an edge that whispered of danger and violence.
He wasn't just a man—he was a storm wrapped in silk.
"I didn't mean to hit you," he said, his tone smooth but unreadable. "You ran into the street without looking. But still… I brought you here. Paid for your surgery. You're fine now."
Rose stared at him, stunned.
"Who are you?" she croaked, her throat dry.
He tilted his head, as if debating how much of himself to reveal.
"Luca Moretti," he said. "And you are?"
"Rose."
He nodded. "Fitting."
There was a long silence. Her heart beat faster, and not from the accident.
She'd heard of the Moretti family—a name whispered in shadows. Mafia. Dangerous. Untouchable. They ran the city from the underbelly, wrapped in suits and silk and sin.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered, her voice shaky.
Luca leaned closer, his voice soft yet cold. "Nothing. You're just a bar girl who stepped into my path. This is… nothing."
But his eyes told a different story.
He couldn't stop looking at her.
And Rose—against every instinct she had, despite the pounding warnings in her mind—couldn't look away either.
She was lost in his eyes, drawn to a man who belonged to a world darker than she could imagine.
And somehow, that accident felt less like fate's cruelty and more like the start of something dangerous… and unstoppable.