REINA

Morning crept into the apartment in thin, pale stripes, slipping through the half-closed blinds and stretching across the living room floor.

Calestino had fallen asleep on the couch sometime before dawn, but he was already awake when I came downstairs.

He looked exactly the way he had the night before—black T-shirt, jeans, boots still on, like he had never really intended to sleep. A gun rested on the coffee table beside him, placed there with the casual ease of someone who had carried weapons his entire life.

His gaze lifted from his phone the second he heard me.

It was the same look he always gave me. Quick. Professional. Assessing.

Checking to see if I was okay. Like I was his priority.

"You sleep?" he asked.

I shook my head, yawning. "Barely."

My voice sounded rough, like I had been swallowing sand all night. The truth was I hadn’t slept longer than an hour at a time. Every creak in the building had dragged me awake. Every car passing on the street had sent my heart racing.

Calestino watched me for a moment longer before glancing down at his phone again.

"He’s calling now."

My stomach tightened immediately. Thinking he might have told Domenico about what happened.

"Who?"

Calestino lifted an eyebrow at me, the look saying I was smarter than that. Then he tapped the screen and set the phone on the coffee table between us.

"Paolo," he said, hitting speaker.

The call connected with a faint crackle of static.

Then Paolo’s voice filled the room.

"Calestino."

"I’m here, boss." Calestino replied evenly, looking up quickly to stare at me. "She’s with me now."

On the other end of the line came a sharp exhale, like Paolo had been holding his breath for hours.

"Reina?"

My throat tightened.

I stepped closer to the table. Rubbing my clammy palms against my dress.

"Hi, Gianpaolo. I’m here."

For a moment there was nothing but silence.

Not empty silence.

Heavy silence. Making my heart beating faster than it should.

"You’re safe, right?" Paolo asked.

His voice sounded strained. Rougher than usual.

Like he hadn’t slept either. God, had he been worried about me all night?

"Yes," I said softly. Swallowing my emotions. "I’m okay."

Calestino leaned back into the couch cushions, though his eyes stayed fixed on me.

"I should have been there," Paolo said. "I hate that I wasn’t. I hate that I’m not there to protect you right now. I fucking hate it."

"You couldn’t have known."

My fingers twisted nervously in the hem of my sweater.

"I spoke to Calestino at four this morning," Paolo continued. "He told me what happened. Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?"

I shook my head, foolish me. I smiled when I realised he couldn’t see me. "I’m not hurt, Gian... I’m fine."

His tone hardened slightly. "Thank fuck you’re safe. Calestino will escorts you to school, I told him not to leave your side throughout today."

"I won’t, boss. I’ll make sure to keep her safe." Calestino said calmly.

"He won’t." I chipped in, when it seemed like he wasn’t satisfied with what Calestino had said.

Paolo let out another slow breath.

"I’m finishing things here, it’s just that little brat is hard to trace," he said, mumbling out the last part. Even though he didn’t have to do that because I wouldn’t know who he was talking about. "I’ll be home soon. Until then, I want you protected. I want you safe. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

A pause followed.

Then, quieter...

"I’d hate for you to get hurt."

The words hung in the room like something fragile.

Calestino’s gaze flicked toward me for a split second before sliding away.

"Say something, please. Talk to me, baby." Paolo said softly.

My pulse thudded in my ears.

"I’m here," I said. "And I’m waiting for you to come home. You... you should come back home, Paolo. I miss you."

Another breath through the phone.

Slower this time.

"I’m trying to come back, baby. But my tasks just keep getting bigger the more I worked." He said with a nervous laugh. "Fuck! it’s just as if he doesn’t want me to come back."

My heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. " What are you talking about..."

Paolo quickly cut me off. "No one. Stay inside unless you have to leave for classes. Call me if anything feels wrong. Anything at all. I’ll also have Calestino report back to me so I can track everything from here."

"I will."

A beat passed.

"And Reina?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

The words hit harder than they should have.

I closed my eyes briefly.

"I know. I know you do."

It wasn’t the answer he wanted.

But it was the only one I could give.

The call ended with a quiet click.

For a moment the apartment felt too silent.

Calestino picked up the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

"He’s on edge," he said. "Has been for days."

"I can tell."

He studied me for a moment.

"You should tell Domenico about this. While Paolo isn’t here, it’ll be safe to let the boss know. He’d be pissed if I don’t report to him..."

"No. You can’t do that."

The word came out too fast.

Too sharp.

A brief silence stretched between us.

"Something going on between you two?" he asked casually.

I turned toward the kitchen before he could read my face.

"No."

The coffee maker gurgled loudly as I filled it with water.

Calestino followed, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Whoever showed up at your door last night," he said, "might be trying to use you to get to him."

I froze slightly. Could that be true?

"You should stop seeing the boss," he continued, "maybe whoever is out there to get you will lose interest in you if you distance yourself from Domenico. Maybe you’ll be safe after then."

I turned slowly.

"How can you be so sure?"

He shrugged.

"I’m not. But if I were hunting someone like Domenico Gravano... I’d start with the people he can’t afford to lose."

My hands stilled on the counter. Am I really someone important to Domenico?

The coffee finished brewing with a soft hiss.

I poured two mugs.

My hand trembled slightly when I handed one to him without a word.

"Thanks," he said.

Then he straightened.

"We should get moving. You’ve got class."

I nodded and headed upstairs.

The shower was quick and cold.

No lingering.

I scrubbed my skin harder than necessary, as if I could somehow wash away the memory of last night.

When I finished, I dressed simply—jeans, a soft sweater, sneakers.

Nothing flashy.

Nothing noticeable.

I tied my hair into a low ponytail and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The girl looking back had shadows under her eyes and a mouth that looked like it had forgotten how to smile.

When I came downstairs again, Calestino was waiting near the door with the keys in his hand.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

The drive to campus was quiet.

I stared out the window the entire time.

The city felt different today.

Sharper.

Colder.

Every black car made my chest tighten. Every stranger lingering too long on a corner made my stomach twist.

Calestino pulled into the student lot and shut off the engine.

Before I could step out, he opened the glove compartment and pulled out a sleek black watch.

"Wear this," he said.

I took it carefully.

"What is it?"

"Tracker," he said. "And a panic button."

He pointed to the small silver button on the side.

"If you see anything unusual, anything that feels wrong, press it. I’ll be close."

The watch felt heavier than it looked.

"I’ll come running."

I fastened it around my wrist. The cool leather settled against my skin.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

He gave a small nod.

"You won’t see me," he said. "But I’ll be around."

I stepped out of the car.

The morning air was crisp, carrying the smell of damp grass and fresh coffee from the student center.

Students filled the quad.

Laughing.

Talking.

Backpacks slung over their shoulders.

Normal.

The watch rested against my pulse like a second heartbeat as I crossed the campus.

Halfway across the quad, I collided with someone.

My bag slipped off my shoulder and hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Sorry," I started, bending to grab it.

A familiar voice laughed softly.

"What are the odds?"

I froze.

Philip Lorenzo crouched at the same time I did.

"We keep bumping into each other. How embarrassing." he said with a grin.

He picked up my bag and handed it to me. Our fingers brushed briefly.

"You okay?" he asked. "You look tired."

"Just a long night."

His eyes lingered on my face a little longer than necessary.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He straightened, slipping easily into that effortless charm he wore like a second skin.

"Good," he said. "I would hate to think you are like this because of some homework."

A small laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"Maybe I just have bad spatial awareness."

"Or maybe," he said lightly, "we’re destined to keep crashing into each other."

He smiled. Shaking his head. "Makes it feel like we might be soulmates."

The word felt strange after everything that had happened.

"Bumping into people occasionally is normal." I muttered.

Philip glanced toward the lecture hall.

"Heading to class?"

"Yeah. I’m having business Statistics."

His grin widened slightly.

"That’s what I’m teaching this morning."

I blinked.

"You’re teaching my class?"

"They pulled me in last minute," he said casually. "Professor Collins is out."

He gestured toward the building.

"Lucky me to have you in my class."

Lucky.

I stared at him for a moment.

Then toward the lecture hall.

Then back at him again.

And for the first time since bumping into him, a strange thought slipped quietly into my mind.

Was this actually a coincidence?