Lila, a brilliant and lively student, one day meets Lucas, a mysterious young man with a captivating charm. Their meeting at university seems to be the beginning of an ideal love story, where passion and promises of the future intertwine. However, as their relationship progresses, disturbing details appear: unexplained absences, furtive conversations, and looks filled with secrets. Although she has doubts, Lila prefers to believe that their love is stronger than anything. But one evening, as they prepare to spend some quiet time together, Lila's world collapses. Kidnapped by armed men before Lucas' eyes, she is taken by the mafia, a group led by the fearsome Don Caruso. This captivity in an isolated villa becomes her hell, but she keeps the hope that Lucas will come to save her. Meanwhile, Lucas, devastated but determined, dives into a dangerous world to find the love of his life. He infiltrates criminal circles, risking everything to free her. Over time, their love transforms, forged in pain and resilience. When Lucas and Lila finally manage to escape, their bond is stronger than ever, but the scars of their past remain. Together, they must now confront Don Caruso and dismantle his empire. Will their love survive this war they wage against the darkness? Will they be able to rebuild their lives after so much suffering, or will their past catch up with them at every step?
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
Unexpected moments have the power to change the course of things, and sometimes, an encounter in a place as ordinary as a library can trigger a series of extraordinary events. It was a calm afternoon, the kind where the sun's rays gently touched the polished wooden tables, casting delicate shadows on the piles of books that stood like silent walls.
Lila was sitting in her usual spot, near the window, where the natural light helped her concentrate. A pile of college textbooks and scribbled papers lay before her. She adjusted her glasses with a sigh and dove into a complex chapter of molecular biology, trying to decipher the dry language of diagrams and theories. All around, silence reigned, punctuated by the rustle of turning pages and the distant clicking of a keyboard.
That's when she noticed him.
A movement in his field of vision. A male figure passed between the rows, stopping briefly to scan the shelves. Lila, without really knowing why, looked away from her book to observe this stranger. He was tall, thin, with messy brown hair that seemed to defy any attempt at order. He wore a slightly wrinkled black shirt, faded jeans, and a leather bag that hung casually from his shoulder. He had a detached, almost nonchalant air, but something in his appearance attracted attention, like a riddle that one would want to solve.
Lila hastily looked away when he turned his head in her direction, her heart speeding up slightly. *Ridiculous*, she thought. He was only a boy, after all, and she had an important test to study for. However, his thoughts kept returning to this mysterious figure who moved between the shelves with disconcerting ease.
A few minutes later, while she was immersed in her notes, a low and slightly hoarse voice interrupted her.
"Excuse me, is this seat free? »
Lila looked up, and her breath hitched for a moment. It was him. The boy from earlier. He stood there, one hand resting on the back of the chair in front of her, with an almost imperceptible smile that lifted the corner of his lips slightly.
"Um... yes, of course," she replied stammeringly, her cheeks turning pink.
He pulled out the chair and sat across from her, placing his bag on the floor. Without a word, he took out a black notebook and a pencil, and began to scribble, totally absorbed. Lila tried to regain her concentration, but she couldn't stop stealing glances at her mysterious neighbor. He seemed lost in thought, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his pencil dancing across the paper with fascinating precision.
Time stretched out in a strange bubble of shared silence, until the boy suddenly looked up at her. Caught in the act, Lila quickly looked away, pretending to read her notes.
"Sorry, maybe I'm distracting you," he said with a smile that betrayed a mixture of amusement and sincerity.
"No, not at all," she replied hurriedly. "Well... a little." But it's nothing. »
He laughed softly, a warm sound that resonated pleasantly in the cozy atmosphere of the library.
"My name is Lucas," he said, holding out a hand.
She hesitated for a moment, then squeezed it. "Lila. »
"Nice to meet you, Lila. »
They exchanged a few small talk about their studies, and she learned that he was in his third year of visual arts, which explained the sketchbook. He, for his part, seemed curious as to why she had chosen to spend her afternoon deciphering complicated equations and diagrams.
"Molecular biology? Seriously ? » he asked with a smirk.
"Yes, seriously," she replied, crossing her arms, feigning indignation. "Just because it's complicated doesn't mean it's not exciting. »
"Exciting, really? » He raised an eyebrow, visibly amused. "I prefer to draw people who are racking their brains over this kind of thing. »
They burst out laughing, breaking the ice that had formed between them. But as the conversation became lighter, a strange detail caught Lila's attention: a corner of Lucas' notebook protruded slightly, revealing a half-visible drawing. Contrary to the image she had formed of him, this was no ordinary sketch. The lines were dark, twisted, forming an indistinct but disturbing silhouette.
"What are you drawing, exactly? » she dared to ask, nodding towards the notebook.
Lucas quickly closed the notebook, his smile disappearing briefly. "Oh, nothing important. Just... ideas coming to me. »
Lila felt a wave of mystery surround her, as if this stranger she had just met had much more to hide than he wanted to let on.
Later, as she was preparing to leave, Lucas received a phone call. He responded in a low and urgent tone, moving away slightly so as not to disturb. Curious, Lila observed him out of the corner of her eye. His expression darkened, and he seemed almost... tense. When he returned, his smile had returned, but Lila couldn't help but wonder what was behind it.
As she gathered her things, her gaze fell on the black notebook that Lucas had left on the table, probably inadvertently. She hesitated for a split second before taking it.
"Lucas? » she called to him, but he was already gone, disappearing among the rows of books.
Lila clutched the notebook to her, her heart beating slightly faster. *What are you doing, Lila? Give it back to him tomorrow.* But despite her resolutions, she could not deny the burning desire to know more about this enigmatic boy who had already invaded her thoughts.
When she returned home that evening, the notebook seemed to weigh more than any of her textbooks. Lila sat on her bed, the object placed in front of her. His fingers hesitated on the blanket before giving in to temptation.
The pages were a mix of dark, almost distressing sketches and scribbled sentences that didn't make sense at first glance. Some scenes depicted nocturnal landscapes, deserted streets in the rain, but others showed barely outlined faces, frozen in expressions of pain or terror. One page, in particular, caught his attention: a male figure, standing in front of what looked like a massive door, surrounded by strange symbols.
Lila abruptly closed the notebook, a feeling of worry overwhelming her. Who was Lucas really? Why did he carry this darkness within him that she would never have suspected?
Her phone vibrated, pulling her from her thoughts. A message from an unknown number appeared on the screen.
You took something that doesn't belong to you. Be careful, Lila.
Breathless, she reread the message several times, searching for meaning. But deep down, she already knew that this meeting with Lucas would change her life irreversibly.
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