The morning sun had already burned through the haze, spilling light over the cracked streets and peeling walls of the old neighborhood. Vendors shouted over one another, selling roasted corn, second-hand shoes, and cheap phone cases. The air smelled of smoke, sweat, and dust, but none of it mattered to Mia.
Her stomach hurt more than anything else. The hollow ache had been there for days, sharp enough now that every step felt heavy. She kept her eyes down, scanning the ground as though food might just appear. A half-eaten piece of bread, maybe, or coins someone had dropped.
But there was nothing. Just the shuffle of strangers' shoes passing her by.
She tugged her faded coat tighter across her chest, though it was too thin to keep the wind out. Her shoes were worn so badly that the sole flapped with every step. She hated how people's eyes slid over her, quick and dismissive, like she wasn't even there.
Invisible.
Mia swallowed hard. Maybe someone would help her if she asked. Maybe today would be different.
She lifted her head once, just once, and scanned the crowd with trembling hands. But no one met her eyes. No one ever did.
---
Not far away, a sleek black car crawled through the street. The tinted windows hid the man inside, but his gaze was fixed, steady, watching her.
Luca sat back, resting an elbow against the armrest. His expression gave nothing away, but his eyes never left the girl. He had seen her before — passing through these streets like a shadow. Thin. Hungry. Careful.
Exactly the kind of soul the world had already forgotten.
His lips curved slightly, not quite a smile, more like acknowledgment.
Another broken one.
He picked up his phone and spoke without looking away.
"She's the one."
The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror but didn't question it. With Luca, there was never a need for explanation.
Mia had no idea. She just kept moving, hugging herself against the stares of strangers.
---
She stopped at the corner, watching people hurry past. She could smell food from a stall nearby, fried plantains sizzling in hot oil. Her mouth watered so badly she thought she might cry.
Gathering courage, she stepped closer to a woman selling groundnuts and whispered, "Please… can you spare a little?"
The woman didn't even answer. She waved Mia away like a stray dog.
Mia's throat burned as she stepped back, cheeks hot with shame. She wanted to disappear.
---
The laughter came before the boys did. A small group, maybe four of them, walking without care, hands stuffed in their pockets. They couldn't have been more than a few years older than her, but there was a hardness in their eyes, the kind born from surviving the same streets.
The tallest one noticed her first. His grin spread wide.
"Hey there, little lady. You lost?"
Mia stiffened, her fingers curling into fists inside her coat sleeves.
Another boy with a jagged scar across his eyebrow leaned closer. "What's a pretty thing like you doing out here alone?"
She shook her head quickly, staring at the ground. "I'm fine."
"Fine?" The lanky one crouched, pretending to be gentle. "We're just trying to help. Aren't we?"
The others chuckled. The sound wasn't kind.
Mia's stomach twisted. Help was never free.
"You hungry?" the tall boy asked, voice dropping lower. "We can feed you. But you gotta feed us back."
The meaning sank in instantly.
"I… I don't have money," Mia whispered.
The stocky one laughed harshly. "Who said anything about money?"
Her pulse raced. She took a step back, but they closed in. The youngest leaned forward, his grin sharp.
"You help us, we help you. Fair trade."
"No…" Her voice cracked. "Please, I don't—"
"Shh," the tall boy interrupted, reaching for her arm. "Don't make a scene."
His fingers clamped around her wrist, rough and certain.
---
Inside the car, Luca's jaw tightened. The smirk faded, replaced by something colder. He leaned forward slightly, watching the boy's hand on her. His driver didn't move, didn't speak. They both knew Luca's silence was deliberate.
Predators were circling his prey.
But sometimes, it was better to let the wolves play, just long enough to know their teeth.
---
"Let me go!" Mia cried, panic sharpening her voice. She twisted hard, kicking at the boy's shin.
He cursed, grip loosening just enough for her to yank free. Her body reacted before her mind caught up — she shoved past them and ran.
Her feet slapped against the ground, lungs burning, but she didn't look back. The noise of the street blurred into one frantic roar. She darted between stalls, nearly toppling a basket of oranges, her breath ragged.
The boys shouted behind her, anger lacing their voices.
She didn't care. She just ran.
---
At the curb, the black car waited. The boys skidded to a stop when they saw it, when they saw him.
Through the tinted glass, Luca's eyes met theirs. Cold. Amused. Deadly.
"That's Luca," one of them whispered, voice trembling.
The name was enough. They froze, then scattered like rats, disappearing into the crowd.
---
Luca leaned back in his seat, his smirk returning slowly. His eyes tracked the direction Mia had fled, her small figure disappearing deeper into the market.
"She's mine," he murmured, barely above a whisper.
The driver didn't reply. He didn't need to.
---
Mia collapsed against a wall two streets away, gasping for breath. Her chest ached, her legs trembling so badly she thought they might give out. She pressed her forehead against the cool brick, trying to steady herself.
Her fear hadn't left. But under it, another feeling stirred — anger.
They thought she was weak. They thought she was nothing. But she had gotten away.
She closed her eyes and let the fire burn quietly inside her chest.
For now, she was still free.
But she had no idea that freedom had already been taken from her.
Somewhere, in the shadow of the city, Luca was waiting. Watching.
And he never let go of what he marked as his.
---