Chapter 5 - The Night Before the Storm
The temperature inside the room seemed to rise instantly.
Lena looked down at her hands, feeling a warm blush spread across her cheeks. She was used to men viewing her as just a curvy baker—sweet, approachable, but ultimately ordinary. She was not used to a billionaire mafia boss looking at her as if she were the only woman in the room.
"Adrien," Lena whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "We live in two completely different worlds."
"Then let me bring your world into mine," Adrien replied smoothly, standing up from his chair.
He walked around the table, stopping in front of her. He extended a hand down to her.
Lena looked at his hand—broad, calloused, yet holding an undeniable gentleness. Slowly, she placed her hand in his.
Adrien pulled her up effortlessly. Because of her height and soft curves, she fit perfectly against his broad, solid frame. She could smell the scent of rich cedar, rain, and expensive espresso lingering on his skin.
He reached up, his thumb gently tracing the line of her jawline, resting against the soft skin of her cheek.
"My grandmother's note said to give the recipe to someone who bakes with peace," Adrien whispered, his face inches from hers. "You brought peace into my life the second I walked into your shop, Lena."
Lena lowered her head slightly, her heart hammering against her ribs. "I'm scared, Adrien. Not just of your uncle... of this. Of you."
"I will never hurt you, Lena," Adrien swore softly, his thumb caressing her lips. "I would burn this entire city before I let anything happen to you."
Before Lena could answer, a loud, jarring chime echoed through the estate’s intercom system—the low, rhythmic pulse of a perimeter breach alarm.
The lights in the suite flickered and dimmed to emergency red.
Adrien’s demeanor transformed instantly. The gentle lover vanished, replaced in a microsecond by the ruthless don. He reached into his waistband, drawing a sleek black sidearm, stepping in front of Lena to shield her body with his own.
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The suite door burst open, and Marcus rushed in, his tactical vest strapped over his suit.
"Don Moretti!" Marcus barked. "Dominic didn't wait twenty-four hours! He’s at the main gate with three armored trucks! They just blew the transformer line!"
