Laura burst out laughing, a sharp, disbelieving sound that filled the small hotel room. It wasn’t soft amusement, it was loud, mocking, almost insulting.The stranger’s expression shifted immediately. A faint frown appeared between his brows as he turned his head slightly toward her.“What’s so funny?” he asked, his tone quieter now. More serious.Laura wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye, though her face showed no real amusement— only disgust and irritation. Her eyes slowly dragged over him, like she was trying to process something ridiculous.“You… want to marry me?” she repeated, as if saying it out loud again would somehow make it less absurd.The stranger’s jaw tightened slightly. He clearly did not appreciate the tone she used.“And what, exactly, is wrong with me?” he asked flatly.That question alone made Laura scoff louder. The arrogance in his voice —so calm, so certain— only fueled her anger.She turned her head away from him briefly, exhaling sharply through

The First Master was old, just as Enzo had expected.But weak?Not even close.The elderly man sat upright in a large carved chair near the center of the room, his posture straighter than most men half his age. Fine wrinkles lined parts of his face and forearms, but they did little to soften the sharpness in his expression.There was still strength in him.The kind built over decades of authority, bloodshed, and absolute control.Even seated, he carried the presence of someone who could still put a grown man on the ground if necessary.The room itself was enormous, decorated in dark wood and expensive antique pieces that radiated old money and tradition. The air smelled faintly of cigar smoke and polished leather.For anyone else entering the First Master’s private chambers, strict rules applied.You bowed immediately.You kept your head lowered.You did not look directly at him unless granted permission.But of course, none of those rules applied to Enzo.His dark eyes swept lazily o

Delighted by the idea, she immediately went to invite Enzo.Or rather, bait him.Enzo noticed her unusually cheerful expression the moment she approached him.Which immediately told him she was planning something.Still, he agreed to follow them anyway.Why not?At worst, it would at least entertain him for a few hours.When they reached the car outside, Brenda immediately recoiled slightly as Enzo approached.“Wait,” she complained, “is he riding in the same car with us?”Laura looked equally displeased.“We don’t really have a choice,” Rosa sighed dramatically. “We can just send the car for deep cleaning afterward.”“Or,” Enzo suggested casually as he walked past both women, “you could simply throw the car away.”Then he got into the backseat before any of them could reply.The girls exchanged irritated looks before climbing in after him.Throughout the drive, the women spent nearly the entire time praising Luca while insulting Enzo indirectly.“Luca is twice the man you’ll ever be,

The entire club fell silent, no one could have expected things to turn out this way. For several seconds, nobody spoke.Nobody moved.Nobody even seemed to breathe.Sofia Hernandez had bowed, not to Luca, not even to Laura whose grandfather was the head of the territory. She didn't even bow to any of the wealthy businessmen present.But to the man everyone had spent the last hour mocking.Enzo.The man in sweatpants.The man they had called a nobody.A dozen emotions flashed across Laura's face. Confusion. Shock. Disbelief.Then finally, denial. "Miss Hernandez..." Luca finally managed, although his voice sounded far less confident than before. "There must be some misunderstanding."Sofia slowly straightened. Her expression remained professional as she turned to him. "What misunderstanding?"Luca forced a smile. "You obviously came to see me, and not him."The woman stared at him, the silence between them stretched for several uncomfortable seconds. Then she asked a single question.