Fearing The Mafia Don

Clara's POV

Heartbreak didn't come with a warning. One moment, everything was fine, the next, my world was shattered. I stood frozen, my mind replaying the scene I had just witnessed-Ben, the man I thought I would marry, tangled in the sheets with my childhood best friend, Lily. Both of them looked up at me in shock as if I wasn't the one who had just been blindsided.

Ben's words swirled in the air like poison, "Clara, please, let me explain." But I couldn't hear him. Not anymore.

It had been years since I had given my heart to him, years since I had trusted him with every part of me. And yet, here I was, standing at the threshold of the apartment we had shared, watching the two people I loved betray me. Lily had always been my closest friend. I thought nothing could come between us. I was wrong.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought them back. Crying wouldn't change anything. I turned away from them and fled the apartment, slamming the door behind me. The cold evening air hit my face like a slap, but it did nothing to numb the pain gnawing at my insides.

I didn't know where I was going. My legs carried me aimlessly down the street, past the crowded cafés and stores, the world moving around me as if everything was normal. But I wasn't normal anymore. The world as I had known it had crumbled in the span of seconds.

The stinging ache in my chest refused to go away. The betrayal had sunk deep into my bones. Ben's face flickered in my mind, his expression shifting from guilt to indifference. Lily's apologetic gaze had stung more than his, as if her betrayal was the most painful of them all.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I didn't need to look at it to know who it was. Ben had called three times already. I ignored it, stuffing the phone back into my bag. There was nothing he could say now.

My mind raced with a thousand questions. How long had this been going on? Had I been so blind to everything around me?

The bitter taste of anger burned my throat.

I didn't want to go back to the apartment, not with Ben there. Not with Lily there. It wasn't just the apartment that I couldn't bear. It was everything that had been built between us-those false promises of forever. Everything I had believed in was a lie.

---

#### **Damien's POV**

I had been watching her for the last thirty minutes. She didn't know it yet, but Clara Matthews was about to become a part of my world.

The woman was beautiful, despite the veil of sadness that clung to her. I had seen her pass by the café a few times over the last week. She was often lost in thought, her eyes distant and heavy. Something about her intrigued me-her vulnerability, perhaps, or the quiet strength beneath it.

I had learned to read people's emotions quickly, a skill that came with the territory of my work. Clara's pain was written all over her face today, as she walked with a dazed, broken expression that made her stand out from the crowd.

I didn't care about her pain. What I cared about was her potential.

The door to my black sedan opened, and one of my men, Marco, slid into the driver's seat. "Boss, it's time," he muttered. I nodded, signaling for him to pull out. My eyes never left Clara.

This wasn't supposed to be personal. It was a business arrangement. I had no intention of getting involved emotionally with anyone, let alone a woman like her. But fate had a way of throwing unexpected obstacles in my path.

I didn't want her. Not in the way men usually wanted women. I had seen too much to believe in love. My mother's betrayal had made sure of that. But I needed a woman, and Clara Matthews was the perfect candidate for my plans.

The click of my phone brought me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and saw the name of one of my associates. "I'll deal with it later," I muttered under my breath, pressing the button to decline the call.

Clara turned a corner and stepped into an alleyway. I didn't wait for another second.

"Marco, follow her," I commanded.