In the Italian mafia, alliances are sealed with blood… or with marriage. Enzo Romano, 30, is the heir to one of the most feared families in Cosa Nostra. Cold, ruthless, and unattainable. He has never loved, never become attached. He lives between pleasure and control but doesn't allow anyone to touch him. Not physically, nor emotionally.

His mother, a gentle and sweet woman, gave him much love and affection. He is an only child and has Julia as a sister, who lost her parents very early and, as her family was close, they took her in as a daughter.

Known as The Untouchable, his name is synonymous with power… and solitude. But his father, Don Heitor Romano, is determined to unite families in the name of peace, power, and territory. And for that, he has chosen a bride for his son: Sofi Mancini, daughter of the feared and protective Don Leonardo Mancini. For Enzo, the decision is absurd. He sees her as a spoiled, childish girl, too fragile for his brutal world. But Sofi is not what she seems. Raised away from the mafia spotlight, trained by the best assassins and etiquette masters in Italy, she is the perfect lady and the perfect weapon. Lethal, silent, full of wounds that never healed. All her father wanted was to protect her from the world. Now, he hands her over to a monster... without knowing that she has also learned to bite. When Enzo and Sofi meet, the game turns into war. He wants to dominate her. She refuses to be tamed. Among weapons, alliances, and betrayals, the two will discover that there are touches that burn more than bullets. And that love... may be the only weakness capable of destroying a Romano.

...----------------...

The white marble walls reflected the glow of the crystal chandeliers. The best wines from Tuscany filled the gold goblets. Violins played in the background. Everything was meticulously perfect in the main hall of Villa Romano.

But Enzo was furious.

Sitting at the head of the long table, with his jacket thrown over the chair and his linen shirt unbuttoned at the collar, he drummed his fingers impatiently against the crystal of the goblet. His dark eyes scanned the hall in search of his father, but all he found were false smiles and enemies dressed in expensive suits.

"This is a joke, it has to be," he growled softly, almost to himself.

Beside him, Don Heitor Romano smiled as if holding the world in his hands.

"It's not a joke, Enzo. It's the most valuable alliance our family will have in the last thirty years. And all you need to do... is say yes."

"Mancini's daughter?" he laughed dryly. "You really want me to marry a little girl raised in the countryside? You must be kidding me, Dad. I don't marry anyone. And much less a child."

"She's twenty-two. And she's everything you've never had, son: education, strategy, discipline… and pure blood."

Enzo clenched his jaw. The name Mancini was a bitter taste in his mouth. Since he was a boy, he had heard stories of his father's friend.

"Don Leonardo Mancini, the silent king of Naples, famous for killing without getting his hands dirty and hiding secrets even from hell."

And now… were the two sealing more strength with marriage?

Ridiculous.

"I wasn't made for this. You know. Don't ask me to love. I am not touchable."

"And who said love has anything to do with it?" Heitor cut in sharply. "What's at stake here is the Romano empire. Not your wounded pride."

"The Smoke in the Night"

The cell phone vibrated on the small wooden table on the porch. Sofi was lying in the hammock, her eyes fixed on the stars, when she heard her father's deep, impatient voice.

"Sofia. You need to come back. Three days. That's what you have." The call dropped before she could even open her mouth.

She huffed loudly and jumped up, throwing the cell phone onto the hammock. "Grandma, I didn't want to go... how annoying!" she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Does he think he can order me around like that? He left me here in the countryside for ages and now he comes with urgency?"

Her grandmother appeared at the door with a chamomile tea in her hands.

"He is the Don, my daughter. And you… are his heiress. There's no point in running from the shadow when it already lives in you."

Her father always said that her beauty was too dangerous and that she would marry at thirty, he hid her as much as he could.

Sofi did not respond. She grabbed her backpack and went for a walk around the town square. The night wind was humid, the small town was almost asleep. She walked slowly, trying to enjoy every minute of freedom she had left.

But at 11:02 PM, everything changed.

At the end of the empty street, a sound of hurried footsteps and muffled screams. Sofi stopped, on alert. Three masked men were running towards her. One of them was down, bleeding on the corner of the sidewalk, trying to get up. The other was pointing a knife.

Instinct. Training. Coldness.

Sofi acted as if she were in the middle of a mission.

She ran towards the group. With two precise blows, she disarmed the first man. The second tried to grab her, but she twisted her body, rammed her elbow into his throat, and knocked him to the ground. The third fled.

"You are..." the wounded man tried to speak, but coughed up blood.

"Shut up. Get up. Quick." she helped him lean against the wall. "Can you walk?"

"Hm... very clever." he smiled sideways, his face covered in blood. "You'll get a gift for this."

Sofi frowned, but her gaze fell on a shiny object in the pocket of his torn suit.

A weapon. Not just any weapon.

It was a relic. An Italian model, studded, with the mafia crest engraved on the handle.

She recognized it. The weapon was coveted by every good mafioso.

Without thinking, while he was distracted calling for help on his wrist radio, Sofi discreetly pulled out the weapon and stuffed it into her own backpack.

"Your men are coming. I'm going to disappear before they see my face."

"Who are you, girl? Your name" he asked, still leaning against the wall.

But she had already disappeared.

Made of smoke. Silent as the night.

At home, Ana almost fell backward when she saw her granddaughter with her arm stained with blood.

"Girl! Blood?! What is this, Sofia?!"

"I helped a stranger. A mafioso, I think. He was being attacked. But grandma, I… I took something I shouldn't have. But it was a relic, I always wanted it grandma haha."

"For the love of God, Sofia. Do you want to become a target? What if they recognize you?"

"That's why we have to go now. Let's go to dad's house." she was already running to the room, throwing clothes into the suitcase.

"Now? In the middle of the night?"

"Now. Pack what you can, grandma." She looked out the window. "Before anyone finds out where I am."

On the same night, a black car crossed the dirt road with its headlights off.

Sofia Mancini was returning to the mafia.

But not as an obedient bride.

But as a time bomb about to explode.

The tip of Enzo Romano's cigar trembled between his fingers, but not from the cold of dawn, but from rage.

He spun the leather chair on the mansion's veranda, his gaze fixed on the emptiness, while his men scurried like rats after a shadow.

"Damn little thief..."

he murmured, his jaw clenched.

"Saved me? Yes. Helped me? Maybe.

But stole my weapon."

He stood up with a jump, kicking the chair back. He grabbed the glass of whiskey and threw it against the wall.

The shard hit the floor like his patience.

Giovane, who watched everything with serpent-like calm, gave a slight smile.

"So... you got interested in her, did you?"

Wow, that shot must have hurt...

"It was light... Interested?"

Enzo gave a cynical laugh. "I'm going to hunt that lady of the night.

Beautiful. Dangerous. Cunning.

She fled like smoke... but left her scent on me."

Giovane raised an eyebrow.

"You know what's more amusing, Enzo? You seem more offended that she disappeared... than about the weapon."

"Sweet illusion."

Enzo approached, his eyes blazing.

"She stole my 12 million weapon.

Unique weapon, auctioned by the mafia. Historical piece. And on top of that... with my name engraved."

"Cheap little thief..."

Giovane murmured, almost smiling.

One of the soldiers rushed into the room.

"Sir, we searched everything. The cameras, the surroundings, nothing. No clues. Left no traces, no fingerprints.

She's not just anyone."

"No..."

Enzo growled.

"She's a damn shadow.

But shadows only exist when there is light.

And I'm going to put spotlights on this whole country until she appears."

Two days later

Enzo returned to the scene of the ambush.

He retraced her steps, observed the alley, the dried blood on the ground.

He stood there for minutes, as if he could feel her presence in the air.

"You're clever, little thief,"

he murmured, his eyes narrowed.

"But no one defies me and gets away with it."

...****************...

Sofi

The sun had not yet broken the sky when the dark car crossed the gates of the Mancini mansion.

Sofi got out of the passenger seat and took a deep breath. The dawn weighed on her shoulders, but what bothered her most was the smell of dried blood still impregnated on her skin.

On the veranda, Leonardo, her father, appeared in a satin robe and half-closed eyes.

"Daughter? What are you doing here at this hour?"

She took the backpack off her back with a heavy sigh.

"I went for a walk in the square..."

she said, trying to stay calm

"and I saw some strange movement. Some guys tried to kill a guy. I got involved. I thought it was better to come right away. I couldn't stay there any longer."

Leonardo narrowed his eyes, but nodded.

"You did well, my girl. Go to sleep. Later we'll talk calmly."

Sofi walked to him, lowered her head and murmured:

"Blessing, Father."

"God bless you, my warrior."

Upon entering, Ana, her grandmother, was already cooking, preparing tea.

"Go take a bath..."

she murmured, but still welcomed her with a kiss on the forehead.

"Yes, Grandma, and I brought more than dirt... I brought trouble. But now it's late. I'm going now.

I need to sleep and so do you."

Hours later, the sound of dry punches echoed in the mansion's underground gym.

Sofi trained as if fighting invisible enemies. Each blow was strong, precise, loaded with something that no one could see but everyone felt.

Blood in the eyes. Fury in the fists.

Leonardo watched from afar, in silence. His eyes were teary, his chest proud.

"How strong you've become..."

he murmured.

"I'm full of pride, daughter. And... I miss you. A lot."

Sofi stopped the blow for a moment. She looked at her father. Sweaty, panting, serious.

"I missed you too, Dad. But missing you doesn't stop me from fighting.

And now... I think people are looking for me."

Leonardo frowned.

"Someone from the square?"

"Maybe the man I saved. Or who he was. But if they come after me, they won't find Ana's granddaughter.

They will find Leonardo Mancini's daughter."

In the office lined with dark wood and ancient books, Enzo paced back and forth, like a caged beast. His eyes burned. His patience was in ruins.

"Dad, I need to find that little thief!"

He growled.

"That woman… she challenged me. She helped me, yes, but then… she robbed me. The gun. The most expensive one. My favorite!"

Heitor raised his eyes from the newspaper calmly.

"That gun of all guns? The 12 million relic?" He sighed. "Shit…"

What a cunning woman.

"Beautiful, wonderful, cunning…"

Enzo threw the glass of whiskey against the wall.

"Little thief!"

I will find you. I swear I will find you.

Heitor watched him in silence for a few seconds. Then he let out a low laugh, laden with irony.

"Interesting... my son, calling a woman beautiful.

That's new. You're really affected, huh?"

Enzo clenched his jaw.

"Don't start."

"I'm just saying…"

Heitor stood up, adjusting his cuffs. "If you're going to venture out, let it be now. Because tomorrow…"

"What?"

"Tomorrow we have a dinner. At the Mancini's house. Your fiancee has arrived.

You will meet her officially. You will sit at the table with her. And you will be pleasant."

Silence.

Enzo blinked, expressionless.

"Terrible."

"It's what we have, Enzo. Go. Put on your best face of a mafia man in love.

Or pretend, at least."

Enzo left the room without answering, his heart pounding with fury and adrenaline.

What he didn't know…

is that destiny was laughing at him at that moment.

Because the woman he swore to find…

was the same woman he was about to get engaged to.

...---...

Enzo Romano

The music was loud, the atmosphere hot. Too many people. Too many voices.

Too many thoughts.

I entered that nightclub as always: without intending to stay, without intending to feel.

I just wanted the silence that chaos sometimes brings.

That's when I saw her.

Brunette. Sculptural body. Dress too tight to be elegant, but tight enough to make eyes bleed.

She saw me too. Instant attraction.

Or maybe just instinct.

I know instinct. Love, no.

We didn't exchange names. Just glances.

And a few minutes later, we were in the penthouse suite.

The jacket fell first. Then the shirt. Then the limits.

She tried to touch my face.

"No…"

My voice came out low, firm.

"Don't touch. Just feel."

I took my tie and tied her wrists to the top of the bed.

She moaned in surprise. I smiled.

There, in control, in absolute dominance… was where I found peace.

Brief, but enough.

There was no delicacy. There never is.

Pleasure, for me, has always been more about power than surrender.

She was beautiful, yes. Hot, intense. But she was no different from the others.

She aroused nothing but sweat and fatigue.

When it was all over, I got up.

I untied her hands without haste. I threw the tie aside. I went to the bathroom.

I threw the condom in the toilet. I flushed.

On the way out, I placed some bills on the table.

She looked at me. Was she expecting something? Maybe a word. A compliment. Any lie.

"Thank you for the escape,"

I said, grabbing my jacket.

"But now go back to the world."

I left without looking back.

And yet…

the damn little thief still wouldn't leave my head.