Nico Romano leaned back in his chair, looking out at the bright city lights of Milan through the huge windows of his penthouse. From up here, everything looked small like he had the whole world in his hands. He swirled the drink in his glass, his sharp eyes focused on the skyline. Beneath all the glamour, the city was built on blood, secrets, and betrayals. His world.

At thirty-three, Nico had already lived through enough to last a lifetime. He was the king of the empire his father built, and he had made it even bigger with his own smart moves. The Romano name wasn’t just a name it was power, fear and control. Nico knew long ago that being kind had no place in this world. To rule, he had to be ruthless and that’s exactly what he was.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. He didn’t turn around, just took a sip of his drink and muttered, “Enter.”

The door opened and Matteo, his most trusted friend and right-hand man, stepped inside. Matteo was built like a bull big shoulders, thick neck, someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. But it wasn’t just his size that made him dangerous it was the sharp intelligence in his eyes.

“We have a problem,” Matteo said, his voice low.

Nico didn’t react. Problems were a part of life. “What kind of problem?”

Matteo hesitated. That was rare. It made Nico put down his glass and finally look at him. “Spit it out.”

“Caterina Russo.”

Nico’s jaw tightened. The name wasn’t new to him. Caterina Russo was someone people in his world whispered about a woman who had built a reputation for standing against men like him. She had no fear and no problem making dangerous enemies.

“What about her?”

“She’s been digging into our business. Word is, she’s trying to expose us,” Matteo explained. “And it’s not just us she’s after. She’s got powerful people pissed off.”

Nico leaned back, thinking. Caterina wasn’t just bold she was reckless. And reckless people didn’t last long in this world. Still, something about her made him curious. He had seen her once, from a distance. A woman with dark hair, sharp eyes, and a fire inside her that most people didn’t have. She wasn’t like the women who usually came into his life the ones who wanted to please him or were too scared to cross him. No, Caterina fought back.

“What do you want me to do about it?” Nico asked, though he already had a guess.

“She’s in deep trouble,” Matteo said. “And her enemies are getting close. We either take her out or… find another way.”

“Another way?” Nico raised an eyebrow.

“Bring her in. Make her an ally. If she’s as smart as they say, she could be useful.”

Nico thought about it. Killing her would be the easiest option, but easy wasn’t always the best. If she was as clever as Matteo said, maybe she could be valuable. And if not? He had no problem getting rid of her later.

“Where is she now?”

“In a safe house outside the city. But it won’t stay safe for long.”

Nico smirked, the first sign of amusement he had shown all night. “Then we better get to her first.”

~~~

Caterina Russo paced around the small, rundown apartment, her heart racing. The safe house wasn’t much peeling wallpaper, creaky floors, dim lighting. But right now, it was better than being out in the open.

She checked her phone for the hundredth time. Nothing. No updates. No messages. The silence was driving her crazy.

She’d spent years taking down men like Nico Romano exposing their corruption and destroying their operations one piece at a time. But this time? She had messed up.

Her latest investigation had uncovered something huge something that could take down not just Nico, but several powerful families. She thought she could handle it. But she’d underestimated just how far these men would go to protect their power.

Now, she was a target. And the walls were closing in.

A noise outside made her freeze. Her breath caught as she crept to the window, peeking out from behind the curtain. Nothing. But that didn’t mean she was safe.

She had to leave. Now. But where could she go?

Because if they found her first, she knew exactly what would happen.

Before she could figure it out, the door suddenly burst open and two big men stormed in. They were armed, and they didn’t look friendly. Caterina heart sank.

“Miss Russo,” one of them said, his voice dripping with threat. “We’ve been looking for you.”

Caterina instincts kicked in. She reached for the knife she’d hidden under the mattress, but before she could grab it, one of the men grabbed her, pinning her arms behind her back. She struggled, but it was no use.

“Let me go!” she yelled, her voice shaking with anger and fear.

The man holding her chuckled. “Sorry, sweetheart. You’ve caused too much trouble. Time to pay the price.”

Just as Caterina braced herself for the worst, a cold, dangerous voice filled the room.

“Let her go.”

The men froze. They looked toward the doorway, where Nico Romano stood. His presence filled the room. He looked like he owned the place, dressed perfectly in a tailored suit, his dark hair slicked back, and his sharp eyes locked on Caterina.

The men exchanged nervous looks. “Boss, we didn’t know—”

“I said, let her go,” Nico repeated, his voice firm and final.

The man holding her released her instantly, and she stumbled forward, catching herself on the wall. She turned to face Nico, her eyes burning with defiance despite the fear that was crawling up her spine.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded.

Nico lips lifted into a small, cold smile. “Someone who can help you… or destroy you. The choice is yours.”

~~~

Caterina glared at Nico, her mind racing. She didn’t trust him not for a second. But she also knew she didn’t have many options. She could either take her chances with him or face the men who wanted her dead.

“What do you want from me?” she asked, trying to sound confident despite everything inside her screaming with uncertainty.

Nico stepped closer, never breaking eye contact. “I want to know what you know. About me. About my business. And about the people who are after you.”

Caterina hesitated. Giving him information felt like handing him a loaded gun, but not giving it to him could cost her life.

“I’m not telling you anything,” she said, her voice firm.

Nico smirked, clearly amused by her defiance. “You’re brave, I’ll give you that. But bravery only gets you so far in this world, Caterina.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know my name?”

“I know everything about you,” Nico said smoothly. “Just like I know you’re running out of time. The men who want you dead won’t stop until they find you. And when they do, they won’t be as… polite as I am.”

Caterina swallowed hard, the weight of his words hitting her. As much as she hated it, he was right. She was out of options.

“Fine,” she said, finally giving in. “I’ll tell you what I know. But only if you promise to help me.”

Nico smile grew, but it still didn’t reach his eyes. “You have my word.”

Something about his tone made her feel uneasy, but she didn’t have the luxury of second-guessing herself. For better or worse, she was now in Nico Romano’s hands.

And she had a feeling her life was about to change forever.