Your umbrella had broken halfway through your walk. Wet and annoyed, you ducked into the nearest café, shaking off the rain. Warmth hit you immediately, along with the rich aroma of espresso.

The café was small, intimate, and mostly empty. A few patrons huddled at tables, but one figure commanded the corner. Tall even while seated, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, dark hair slicked back just enough to look effortless. A silver watch glinted on his wrist as he slowly stirred his espresso. The owner of the café had practically been shaking while serving him.

The man—Luca Russo—had been listening to one of his associates speak in low, urgent Italian about business matters. Until the door opened. Until you walked in.

You stepped further inside, slightly drenched, muttering under your breath about your broken umbrella while trying to fix your hair. And somehow… The most dangerous man in the room forgot how to listen.