"Where are we going?" I giggled, glancing around at the lavish, mysterious space. The walls were painted white, decorated with haunting art and guitars hanging like silent witnesses. Every piece seemed to whisper secrets, and the air carried a faint scent of leather and cologne.
"Come, we're almost there," he said softly, his tone low and velvety as he guided me forward.
The room we entered was twice the size of his previous one—black and white walls, sleek furniture, a giant poster of a guitar above a wide bed. A spiral staircase wound upward to a balcony lined with bookshelves hidden in shadows. The whole place felt alive, as if it breathed with music and mystery.
"What is this place?" I asked in awe.
"My kingdom," he said with a small, knowing smile. "Well… my other kingdom."
There was something in his voice—half pride, half melancholy—that made my heart quicken.
"Okay," I murmured, unsure what to say, forcing a smile as my pulse thudded in my ears.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, curiosity tinged with a nervous laugh.
"Honestly, I don't know," he admitted, eyes flickering with something unreadable. "I just… felt like I needed you here."
There was an intensity in the way he said it—his gaze holding mine too long, his tone quiet but powerful.
I bit my lip unconsciously, and his expression shifted. His eyes darkened slightly, his voice dropping lower.
"You should stop doing that," he said, a teasing warning in his tone.
"Doing what?" I asked, pretending not to know.
"Biting your lip," he said with a faint smirk. "You don't even realize what it does."
I felt a blush creep up my neck. Something about the way he looked at me made the air feel heavier, harder to breathe. My thoughts tangled between caution and attraction.
"Oh, you mean this?" I said playfully, biting my lip again, trying to lighten the mood.
He stepped closer—too close—and I instinctively stepped back, my heart racing. But before I could move farther, his hands found my arms, gentle but firm.
"Slavvy—" I started, but his gaze silenced me. The tension snapped like a wire. I didn't think—I just leaned forward,
Then, suddenly—
The door opened.
"Boss," a young man's deep voice interrupted.
Slavvy didn't move. His jaw clenched. "Can't you see we're in the middle of something?" he said, his tone sharp but restrained.
The man cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry, sir, but Mr. Dominic would like to see you."
"I'm busy," Slavvy replied flatly.
"Sir, he said it's urgent—"
"I said I'm busy." His voice cut through the air like ice.
The man nodded quickly and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
I stepped back, uneasy. "You didn't have to be that harsh," I said quietly.
He exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "That's how I am. I can't help it."
"Well, maybe you could try being nice sometimes?" I suggested softly.
"Me? Nice?" He gave a humorless chuckle. "Being nice gets you walked over."
"You're nice to me," I said before I could stop myself. My voice came out almost like a whisper.
He looked at me for a long moment. "Yeah," he said finally. "And I don't even know why. I try not to be, but… I can't help it."
His eyes flickered with something darker then—something that made my stomach twist.
"Look, Testimony," he said quietly, "I'm not the simple guy you think I am."
"What do you mean?" I asked, stepping closer, trying to read his face.
He turned away, staring out the window. "I'm not a regular guy. I'm the kind of man people don't cross."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, a nervous laugh escaping me.
"I'm a mafia," he said simply.
For a second, I just stared—and then I laughed. "You? A mafia? Come on, that's movie stuff!"
But he didn't laugh. His face stayed still, serious.
The room felt suddenly colder.
"You're… you're serious," I whispered.
He clapped twice, and before I could blink, the walls around us began to shift—rising slowly to reveal metal shelves stacked with weapons. The air thickened with gun oil and silence.
My heart stopped.
I turned to look at him, my breath catching in my throat—and the next thing I knew, everything went black.
---
"Testimony… wake up."
His voice reached me first—familiar, distant. I opened my eyes to see Slavvy leaning over me, worry shadowing his face.
I gasped and pushed him away, scrambling backward until my back hit the wall.
"Stay away from me!" I shouted, shaking.
He didn't move. His eyes softened. "You're not dreaming, Testimony," he said quietly. "This is my world… and you're part of it now."
My chest tightened. "What do you want from me?"
He hesitated, then spoke softly but firmly. "I want you to trust me. I want your heart, your loyalty. I want you to stand beside me."
I swallowed hard. "You can't make me do anything I don't want to."
His expression changed—half-smile, half-warning. "I don't plan to. But once you've seen this world… you can't unsee it."
I stared at him, fear and disbelief tangled in my chest.
What had I gotten myself into?
He stepped closer, his voice a whisper. "You're safe here, Testimony. I'll make sure of it."
But even as he said it, I couldn't tell whether it was a promise… or a threat.
---