Chapter 33: Your friend is waiting

Santino set his clothes on the bed as a smile appeared on his lips.

"I don’t just like it, Sora," he murmured, walking slowly over to the dressing table. He rested his hands on the back of her chair, leaning down until his reflection appeared right beside hers in the mirror. "I love it."

Soraya shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling very conscious of how close he was. Her eyes flicked up to his reflection, taking in the droplets of water still clinging to his chest, making her heart race.

"So?" she asked, trying to sound unaffected. "Are you going to answer me or just stand there admiring yourself?"

Santino let out a chuckle. He pulled back slightly, turning his gaze away from her.

"I was sixteen, maybe seventeen," he began in a casual tone. "My father was ill, and the family was vulnerable. Out of nowhere, a massive alliance of rogue gangs hit the city. Most of them were mercenaries from France, with a few high-level hitmen from Japan. They were ruthless and brutal. The local police wouldn’t even step into the territory—they just locked their doors and let the streets burn."

Soraya’s hand tightened on the handle of her hair dryer. She turned her body completely toward him, her brow furrowing. "Sixteen? You were just a kid."

"I didn’t have the luxury of being a kid," Santino said smoothly, shrugging his broad shoulders. "They were masters at blade work. Guns make too much noise, but knives... knives were easy to carve a message. My father’s men were panicking, so I had to step up and take responsibility before we lost everything."

He looked back at her, an amused smile playing on his lips as if he were discussing an ordinary weekend football match. "The war lasted ten whole days. There was blood in the alleys every night, non-stop rain, and we barely had any sleep. But in the end... I won. We wiped them out completely."

Soraya stared at him, her lips slightly parted in shock.

What terrified her even more was the nonchalance with which he spoke about it.

"You’re ridiculous," Soraya blurted out. "How can you sit there chuckling about something so horrific? You could have died!"

"But I am alive," Santino replied simply, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement at her dramatic reaction.

Soraya rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She lowered the dryer after switching it off and finally stood up to turn to him.

"Fine, Mr. Action Hero," she said, her voice turning light and slightly mocking. "Tell me something else. Are you immune to poison? Like... Do you swallow small doses of some poison every morning to build up tolerance?"

Santino froze for a split second before bursting into a hearty laugh.

"What?" Soraya frowned in confusion. "Don’t laugh! I read it in mafia romance novels. The main characters always drink poison to make themselves immune."

"Soraya," Santino said, wiping the corner of his eye as his laughter died down into warm chuckles. "Real poison doesn’t work like a fantasy story. If someone puts cyanide in my drink, I die just like any other man. That’s why I have people testing my food."

"Oh," Soraya muttered, suddenly feeling very silly. "Well... it made sense when I read it."

Santino’s expression softened, and he walked to her. "You’re adorable when you try to figure out my world," he whispered softly. "Now, give me five minutes to put some clothes on before you burn a hole through me with your eyes."

Soraya gasped, pushing his hand away. "I was not looking at you!"

Santino just smirked and walked back to the bed while Soraya dashed out of the room.

~~~~~~

By five in the evening, Soraya was dressed in a classy high-necked cream sweater, dark trousers, and a long coat.

She was feeling nervous as she was finally meeting Claire after her so-called marriage.

She picked up her handbag and turned toward the bedroom door, only to find Santino waiting by the entrance. He was dressed impeccably in a dark charcoal suit, his dark hair neatly styled back.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Soraya asked, stopping in her tracks. "Won’t Marco give me a ride?"

"Why would he? I’m coming with you," Santino said calmly, adjusting his cufflinks.

Soraya frowned, folding her arms. "Santino, no! I told you, I’m meeting my friend to talk about personal things. I don’t want a mafia boss sitting at our table staring at us with a death glare!"

"I won’t sit at your table," Santino replied, stepping into the room. "I’ll stay in the car, or take a table at the far end of the cafe. You won’t even notice I’m there. But I’m not letting you go into the city alone while there are active threats floating around."

Soraya opened her mouth to argue, but she knew he would not even listen to her, thus wasting her time only. "Fine," she huffed, adjusting her coat collar. "But if you step anywhere near Claire..."

"Deal," Santino cut her off with a faint smile touching his lips.

Instead of moving toward the door, he stepped closer to her, pulling a small black velvet box from his inner blazer’s pocket. Soraya paused, watching him open it to reveal a breathtaking platinum necklace. Nestled at the center was a small, finely crafted star pendant made of shimmering blue sapphires.

Soraya’s breath caught. "Santino..."

"Turn around," he said softly.

Soraya hesitated for a moment before turning her back to him and lifting her hair. Santino stepped closer and placed the necklace around her neck. His fingers brushed her skin as he fastened the clasp, making her shiver.

He didn’t move away immediately. Instead, he rested his hands on her shoulders and kissed her earlobe, right where he had left a faint mark earlier.

"I wanted to give this to you during our trip to the mountains," he murmured near her ear. "But things got busy, and I couldn’t find the right moment."

Soraya turned around and touched the sapphire star resting against her skin. The necklace was beautiful and elegant, nothing flashy.

"Why a star?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"Because you shine like a star, Sora," he said, brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You are bound to soar high with free... And you are a guiding star to me."

Soraya’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at the necklace, then back at the man standing before her. He was a man who could kill without hesitation, yet he had given her something that represented freedom.

"Come on," Santino said, offering her his arm with a small smile. "Your friend is waiting."