The morning sun streamed through Elena Romano's window, but its warmth did little to comfort her. She had barely slept. Alessandro's words from the night before still echoed in her mind—dark, possessive, inescapable.
You looked beautiful today. Even in fear, you shine.
She pressed a hand to her chest, willing her heart to steady. But how could she calm herself when she knew he was out there—watching?
Elena tried to push the thought aside as she dressed for class. She chose something simple: a plain blouse, jeans, and her favorite cardigan. She tied her hair back tightly, almost as if minimizing herself would keep eyes from following her.
It didn't work.
From the moment she stepped onto campus, she felt it. The stares.
Not just from strangers—but from people she knew.
Her classmates, girls she'd shared notes with, boys she'd laughed with in passing—all of them seemed to look at her differently now.
Whispers followed her down the hall. She couldn't hear every word, but she caught enough.
"…that man yesterday…"
"…who was he?"
"…looked like mafia…"
"…Elena Romano? With him?"
Her stomach churned. She tightened her grip on her books and kept walking, pretending not to hear.
But ignoring them only made it worse.
By the time she entered her lecture hall, the tension was unbearable. Heads turned. Eyes lingered. She could feel their curiosity, their judgment.
And then came the voice she dreaded most.
"Elena," a girl near the back called out, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Where's your bodyguard today?"
Laughter rippled through the room.
Heat rose to Elena's cheeks. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself into a seat without answering. But her silence only fueled the whispers.
It was beginning. The unwanted attention.
---
After class, she tried to slip away quietly. But someone was waiting for her outside.
"Romano."
The voice was sharp, male.
She turned to see Marco Santori—one of the more arrogant boys in her department. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"I didn't know you had… connections." His eyes gleamed with something between curiosity and jealousy. "Care to explain who that man was yesterday? The one who practically scared half the campus with a single look?"
Elena stiffened. "That's none of your business."
Marco chuckled darkly, stepping closer. "See, that's where you're wrong. When someone like him shows up, everyone wants to know why. And if you think you can keep secrets…" He leaned even closer, his tone dropping to a whisper. "…well, secrets have a way of spreading."
She pulled back, her chest tightening. His smirk widened as though he enjoyed her discomfort.
Before she could reply, another voice cut through the hallway.
"Back away."
The command was low, lethal, and unmistakable.
Elena's blood ran cold.
Alessandro De Luca.
He stood at the end of the hallway, his presence filling the space like a storm rolling in. His eyes locked on Marco with chilling intensity.
Marco, usually arrogant, faltered under the weight of that gaze. He muttered something under his breath and quickly disappeared down the hall.
Elena's breath came unevenly. She hadn't even realized she was pressed against the wall until Alessandro approached, his shadow falling over her.
"You shouldn't let people corner you like that," he said softly, his tone carrying more warning than advice.
Her frustration finally broke through the fear. "I didn't let him! You think I wanted that kind of attention? This is exactly why you can't just appear in my life like this!"
For a moment, Alessandro studied her in silence. His eyes were dangerous, but beneath them was something she couldn't read.
"You call it attention," he murmured. "I call it protection."
Her pulse raced. "Protection? From what?"
His jaw tightened, but he didn't answer. Instead, he leaned close, his words brushing against her ear like a secret.
"Be careful, Elena Romano. Not all eyes watching you belong to me."
And then he was gone, leaving her breathless and trembling in the hallway.
---
That night, Elena lay awake staring at the ceiling. His warning replayed over and over.
Not all eyes watching you belong to me.
If not his… then whose?
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A new message.
But this time, it wasn't from Alessandro.
You don't deserve him.
Elena's blood turned to ice. The sender was anonymous. No name. No number she recognized.
Her breath quickened as she stared at the screen. Who had sent this? Someone from campus? Someone jealous? Someone dangerous?
The walls seemed to close in on her.
For the first time, Elena realized—unwanted attention wasn't just whispers and stares. It was something far darker, and far more threatening.
---
The next morning, Elena walks into campus only to find the whispers louder, sharper. The anonymous text was just the beginning. Rumors spread like wildfire—rumors about her, about Alessandro, and about what she might have done to earn the attention of a man like him.