You're staying with me

You're staying with me

~ KAIA'S POV ~

My eyes meet his.

The world seems to still for a heartbeat, shrinking down to just that look, the dark glint of his gaze under sunlight. His eyes aren’t just looking; they’re burning, catching the morning light until it feels like they’re radiating it back at me.

He starts walking toward me, every step unhurried, deliberate, yet somehow predatory. My pulse ticks higher with each inch of distance he closes.

“Yes?” The word slips out of me before I can stop it, quiet but steady, a shield against the rising tension.

He doesn’t answer right away. He keeps walking, like silence itself is his weapon. Only when he’s close enough for me to feel the weight of him, his scent, his presence, the shadow he casts, does he finally speak.

“You stay here?” Vittorio asks.

Isn’t it obvious? My hotel keycard is literally in my hand.

“Yes.” I answer anyway, my voice even, though my fingers tighten on the card.

One of his eyebrows twitches, almost imperceptibly, but on his face it looks like a crack in stone.

“Is there a problem?” I ask, genuinely confused, though my tone tilts a little sharper than intended.

“Follow me.” He says.

Just like that. Two words. No explanation. No softening.

My breath catches. “Why? To where?”

He looks at me then, really looks. His eyes soften for a heartbeat, and it’s almost worse than the command.

“We still don’t know who was behind the shooting,” Vittorio says, his voice low but clear, cutting straight through my questions. “So you can’t stay here. There’s no tight security here.”

Oh.

The words land like small stones sinking into water. The ripples spread in my mind.

If I can’t stay here… then where will I stay?

“You’ll be with me for the time being. Until all this is sorted.”

I freeze.

Did he just….read my mind?

For a split second my composure falters, and joy flares up inside me so bright it feels like my ribcage can’t contain it.

I’ll be staying with him?

What a move. What a massive move.

I didn’t even have to lift a finger for this part of the plan.

Oh, universe, you really are tilting in my favor.

Just like that…. just like that, I'm directly in the game. A brutal game of kills and betrayal.

And the prey just willed himself into my hands.

I press my lips together, smothering the smile threatening to break out. I cannot afford to look like a girl who just got everything she wanted.

“Well,” I say, tilting my head, voice deliberately thoughtful. “I never thought of it as you just said.”

I have to act classy. Acting classy means not jumping at the bait. I’m desperate, yes, but outwardly I can’t display that desperation. Not to him. Not now.

His expression doesn’t change. “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. So come with me.”

Authority coils in his tone like steel under velvet.

Oh, Vittorio. You’ve just played yourself right into my hands.

I arch an eyebrow. “And am I supposed to listen to you?” The question flicks off my tongue like a spark, testing him.

His own eyebrow lifts in answer. His gaze sharpens, but his voice stays calm. “Yes. You’re supposed to. I want what’s best for you for the time being.”

For the time being. The phrase hums between us, heavy and promising.

“I see.” I say, drawing out the words, as though tasting them.

His hand gestures toward a car parked at the curb, a black G-Wagon, gleaming like a weapon under the sun. “Lady, get in,” he orders, voice flat, pointing without even glancing at it.

Such audacity. Such certainty.

I stare at him for a while, letting the silence stretch. Part of me wants to test how far he’ll go. Part of me already knows.

“And why,” I say finally, my voice cool, “should I trust you?”

He doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t look away. He just locks eyes with me, holding my gaze until it feels like the ground beneath me is tilting.

His eyes are dark oceans, and I feel them pulling at me, dragging me under, a current I’m not sure I can swim against.

“Because I saved your life,” he says simply.

No threat, no flourish. Just truth. Heavy. Unarguable.

A smirk curls at my lips before I can stop it. I step past him, my shoulder brushing lightly against him as I move toward the car. My heart is hammering so loud I can feel it in my fingertips, but on the surface I make sure to look like it’s nothing.

The G-Wagon looms in front of me, black paint reflecting the sunlight like a mirror. I catch a glimpse of myself in it, hair falling just so, face composed, eyes hiding a storm, and for a heartbeat, I almost don’t recognize the woman staring back.

A man steps out of the car, wearing all black. By all black I mean…..a black suit and a black inner.

He opens the door smoothly, with his eyes on me.

I slid into the back seat, the leather smells rich and dark, like everything else about him.

As I slide in, I allow myself one tiny breath of satisfaction.

“Good morning ma'am.” The chauffeur in front greets me.

This is it. The line between predator and prey has blurred, and for now, I’m the one stepping into his world on my own terms.

Behind me, I hear his footsteps approaching, slow and sure. The sound sen
ds a thrill down my spine, but I don’t let it show.

Not yet.

Not until the door closes, and the car begins to move.