A world I know nothing about

~ KAIA’S POV ~

Vittorio Caruso is a mafia don.

A mafia don for crying out loud. How am I supposed to seduce a man of status in that manner? A man whose very presence demands respect, whose power stretches across borders, whose name alone weighs heavier than gold.

That's the little I know of the mafia lords. Their names carry more weight than anything valuable.

And now, Rodriguez sees me up to the task of bringing down a mafia don.

How did I even end up in this mess?

My eyes didn’t cease to shed tears. No matter how much I tried to hold them back, they rolled down my cheeks in an endless stream, burning against my skin. I just want my son. That’s all I want. Nothing else matters. Not the danger, not the fear, not the risk of standing before a man like Vittorio Caruso.

I just want my baby back in my arms. His soft breath against my chest, his small fingers clutching mine as if I were his entire world. That is what I’m fighting for. That is what keeps my heart pounding, even when my knees threaten to give way under the weight of it all. But now, how do I even begin? Where do I start when the battlefield is one I’ve never walked before?

I have no idea about the mafia world. None. The closest I ever came to it was through whispers, fragments of names tossed about carelessly in the dimly lit rooms of men I once seduced. Men who thought their secrets were safe behind alcohol and silk sheets. That’s when I first heard of Rodriguez. Even then, the way they spoke his name was different. They said it with trembling lips, never daring to raise their voices. They never mentioned it out loud. They only whispered, like children speaking of monsters in the dark.

And from what I see here, Vittorio rules in Italy.

Italy. The word itself sends a shiver down my spine. A land foreign to me, completely unfamiliar. I’ve never been there. Not once. My entire life has been in Los Angeles and here in New York. where I know the streets, the alleys, the faces, the way the city breathes. But Italy? That’s another world entirely.

From the little I’ve heard of the country, there’s no law enforcement stronghold like here in New York. No cops trying to push back, no authorities forcing balance. In Italy, men like him—mafia dons, don’t just operate in the shadows. They own the shadows. They own the streets. They own everything.

I scrolled the cursor down, desperate, searching to see if there was any other information I could use. A clue, a location, a weakness….anything. But there’s none displayed. The page ends. No photos. No personal details. No vulnerabilities to exploit. Just a name, a reputation, and the suffocating silence that surrounds it.

Now how am I to find out more about him? How do you chase after a ghost?

I let out a bitter laugh, one that tastes of pain and despair. “Can’t my day get any better?” The words hang in the air like a curse.

Kai’s life hangs in-between. That thought alone tears me apart. The image of him alone, afraid, depending on me, claws through my chest. I can’t risk losing my son over some mafia lord. I won’t. Not while I still breathe.

I’m a mother. And a mother will do anything it takes for her child’s well-being. There is no line I wouldn’t cross, no danger I wouldn’t face, no risk I wouldn’t take. For him, I would burn the world down.

Sweeping my hands across my face, I cleaned my tears, forcing myself to breathe. I can’t let myself drown in this grief. Not when there’s work to be done. Not when time is slipping through my fingers. I rose to my feet, shaky but determined, the weight of decision settling into my bones.

Italy, here I come.

Without hesitation, I moved to the desk, opening my laptop again. I proceeded to purchase a business-class ticket to Italy, my hands trembling as I typed. The confirmation came through, glaring at me from the screen. It felt final. Irrevocable. My path was set, and there was no turning back.

Then I turned to my wardrobe, pulling out my suitcase. I proceeded to pack my bags, every article of clothing folded with urgency, my mind already racing ahead. What would I wear to blend in? What mask would I need to wear for Vittorio Caruso to even glance my way without suspicion? Each decision carried weight, yet I couldn’t afford to falter.

The flight is scheduled for tomorrow by noon. That leaves me with more work to do. More than I can possibly count.

I need to make a fake ID—something flawless enough to hold up under any scrutiny. I need to slip into this new identity seamlessly, as though I’ve worn it my entire life. And beyond that, I need to read. I need to learn. I need to understand the mafia world, its rules, its codes, its weaknesses. Anything that will stop me from stepping into their den unprepared.

I sit back, my heart pounding. The room feels colder now, the air heavier with what lies ahead. Hopefully, it’s not dreadful enough for this not to be… survivable.

Because I have no choice but to walk into the darkness.

If I'm to seduce him and bring him to ruin in 90 days, then I ought not to wear a plastic face.

I have to be me—look me but in a different identity.

First, I have to get to Italy.

From there I'll get all the information I need and plot my next m

ove accordingly.

Kai is counting on me.

And I can't fail him.