The first light of dawn filtered through the mansion's floor-to-ceiling windows, but Kai didn't notice. He sat rigidly on the edge of a velvet chair in Lucias's private study, hands cuffed in front of him. The room smelled faintly of polished wood, expensive cologne, and an underlying tang of gunpowder.
Kai had slept exactly zero minutes. Not that he hadn't tried—Lucias's words from last night replayed in his mind. "Step into my den again, and I won't let you crawl back out."
A soft click announced Lucias's arrival.
Kai's pulse spiked. He lifted his chin, staring at the man who commanded fear across half the city. Lucias didn't bother with formalities. He leaned against the edge of his desk, dark eyes fixed on Kai like a predator sizing up prey.
"You're awake," Lucias observed, voice calm but dangerous, as if stating the obvious were enough to intimidate a man into confession.
"I don't need your permission to wake up," Kai shot back, smirk on his lips despite the cuffs.
Lucias's eyes narrowed, and Kai felt the first real sting of his attention. Most people broke after one glare. Kai had survived multiple threats, but this one felt different. Sharp. Calculated. Deadly.
"Bold," Lucias said slowly. "I should have ended you last night. You have no idea what you've done."
"I have a pretty good idea," Kai replied, leaning forward. "I hacked into your empire. I know what's going on. And I'm not scared of some mafia king sitting in a chair all day."
Lucias's smirk flickered. A small, dangerous twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Somebody's got a mouth on them," Lucias said, stepping closer. Every footfall echoed across the room. "Do you even know what you've gotten yourself into? One wrong move…" His gloved hand hovered over Kai's shoulder. "And it's the last thing you'll ever do."
Kai didn't flinch. He wanted to. God, he wanted to bolt. But his pride wouldn't allow it. Not here. Not to him. "And what? You're going to kill me? What a tragedy it would be," he taunted, teeth clenched.
Lucias froze for a heartbeat. Then, as if amused, he leaned down until their faces were inches apart. "You amuse me, brat," he said, low and lethal. "Most people beg when they realize they're about to die. You… don't."
Kai's pulse surged. His chest ached, a strange heat blooming in his stomach. He had never faced someone like this. Dangerous, sharp, and impossibly magnetic. He tried to shove the thought away. Focus, Kai. It's survival, not attraction.
"You shouldn't find me amusing," Kai said, gritting his teeth.
"I think you'll find that's the least of your worries," Lucias murmured, straightening and turning sharply toward his desk. He motioned for a guard. "Take him to the safe room. Keep him under watch. And…" He paused, eyes glinting like dark steel. "…don't let him out of your sight."
Kai was yanked to his feet, hands still cuffed. The guard leading him looked nervous under Lucias's gaze. Every step Kai took through the mansion made him more aware of the vast, cold world he had just stumbled into. This wasn't just a mafia boss—it was Lucias's kingdom, and Kai had walked straight into it.
Once the guard left, Lucias's voice drifted after him. "And remember, brat—one more step into my world, and I'll enjoy watching you regret it."
Kai's smirk returned. "Noted."
---
Hours passed. The safe room was minimalist: concrete walls, a small cot, and nothing else. Kai sat cross-legged, laptop in hand, continuing his hacking attempts. Not because he wanted to escape—well, partly—but because he couldn't stop. It was in his blood to dig, to pry, to find the truth.
A shadow fell across the doorway. Kai looked up. Lucias stood there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"You never stop, do you?" Lucias asked, voice smooth, deadly, almost amused.
Kai shrugged. "Why would I? It's what I do. Besides, you didn't actually try to kill me last night. Weak."
Lucias stepped closer, gaze sharp. "Weak? You think calling me weak makes you strong?"
"I think," Kai said, tilting his head, "that it's hilarious seeing a thirty-year-old man with the entire city at his feet get riled by a twenty-two-year-old kid."
Lucias's jaw tightened. And then something shifted. A flash of… something. Annoyance? Intrigue? Maybe both.
"You're lucky," Lucias finally said, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Most people would have died for that remark."
Kai's stomach dropped. The words were a warning, yes, but there was something else buried in them—an unspoken fascination that made his pulse race. He tried not to notice. He failed.
Lucias turned and left the room silently, the faint scent of expensive cologne lingering in the doorway. Kai let out a shaky breath, leaning against the wall. He couldn't stop thinking about the man—his power, his presence, the dangerous glint in his eyes. Focus, Kai. Survive first. Obsess later.
---
Later that night, the mansion's halls were quiet again, but Kai knew better than to relax.
Footsteps echoed softly outside the safe room.
Lucias's head appeared in the doorway, black hair perfectly in place, eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable.
"I want to see if you really are as irritating as you seem," he said, voice low. "Sit."
Kai didn't move.
"Now," Lucias snapped, sharper this time.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Are we still enemies or have we jumped straight to torture?"
Lucias's lips twitched, almost a smirk. "Depends on how stubborn you plan to be."
The room grew heavy with tension. Neither man moved for several long seconds, their eyes locked in a dangerous, electric stare.
Kai could feel the shift in the air—their fight was far from over. But deep down, buried beneath adrenaline and defiance, a tiny spark had been lit.
Something dangerous. Something he couldn't ignore.
And Lucias? He was thinking the same thing.
Enemies for now. But fire, once lit… could devour anything.