ONE

The rain was coming down in sheets, blurring the windshield no matter how fast the wipers moved. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles white, as the city lights smeared into streaks of gold and red. I shouldn’t have been out this late. Marco won't be pleased.

But I didn’t care. Not tonight.

The headlights behind me flared, and I glanced in the rearview mirror. A black SUV was tailing me too close, its high beams cutting through the rain. My stomach dropped. I pressed the gas, but the SUV sped up, matching my pace.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

The SUV swerved into the lane beside me, and another pulled up behind. They boxed me in, forcing me to the side of the road. My heart hammered as I slammed the brakes, the tires skidding on the wet asphalt.

I reached for my phone, but the door was yanked open before I could dial. A man in a dark suit stood there, rain dripping from the brim of his hat.

“Out of the car,” he said, his voice low and flat.

I didn’t move. “Do you know who I am?” My voice shook, but I forced it steady. “Do you know who my husband is?”

The man didn’t flinch. “Out. Now.”

I stepped out, the rain soaking through my coat in seconds. Another man grabbed my arm, but I jerked away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Let her go.”

The voice came from behind me, smooth and deep, like water over steel. I turned around to the direction ofbthe voice and there he was.

Wesley Morano.

I’d seen him before. Not this up close but in passing. Wesley Morano was the head of the Morano Mafia. And the biggest threat to my husband, Marco. I thought he'd be more scary looking and a bit deadlier for some reason.

But in person, he was different. He was taller than I imagined. His hair was slicked back from the rain, his suit perfectly tailored, and his deep green eyes pierced into mine.

“Catrina,” he said, my name rolling off his tongue like it belonged there. “You’re a long way from home.”

I crossed my arms, shivering. “What do you want, Morano?”

He stepped closer, and I held my ground, even though every nerve in my body screamed to back away. “Just making sure you’re safe,” he said, his voice dripping with the rain. “These streets can be dangerous at night.”

“I don’t need your protection,” I snapped.

He smirked, and it made my blood boil. Or maybe it was something else. “Maybe not. But your husband should know better than to let you wander alone.”

“My husband is none of your business." I said, my voice icy,

Wesley’s gaze lingered on me, and for a moment, the rain, the cold, all of it, grew thicker. There was something in his eyes, something dark and dangerous and magnetic.

I hated it.

I hated him.

“Drive safe, Catrina,” he said finally, stepping back. “I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”

I didn’t respond. I got back in the car, my hands trembling as I turned the key. The engine roared to life, and I sped away, my heart still racing.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. The house was dark except for the faint glow of the bedroom window. Marco was home.

Good. I couldn't wait to tell him what happened today.

I stepped inside, kicking off my heels and dropping my bag by the door. The house was silent, but something felt… off. I climbed the stairs, my wet clothes clinging to me, and pushed open the bedroom door.

The sight stopped me dead in my tracks.

Marco. And her.

Davina Morano.

Her dark hair spilled across the pillows, her lips curled into a smirk as she looked at me. Marco sat up, his face unreadable, his shirt unbuttoned.

“Catrina,” he said, his voice calm, like this was nothing.

Like I was nothing.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened, and the room spun.

“You—” I started, feeling the words freeze in my mouth. "Her? Really?"

Davina laughed, a low, cruel sound. “Oh, sweetheart. Did you really think you were enough for him?”

Marco didn’t defend me. He didn’t even look sorry. “Catrina, don’t make this into something it’s not.”

“Don’t make it into something—” I froze again on the words, my vision blurring with tears. “You’re sleeping with his sister. Wesley’s sister. Are you out of your mind?”

Marco stood, his expression hardening. “Watch your tone.”

He took a step toward me, but I was already backing away.

“You’re nothing without me,” he said, his voice cold. “Remember that.”

I was unable to move. My feet remained bolted to the floor as I watched them both.