The rain fell hard over the city. Everything looked gray and cold. A black car rolled through the gates of the Romano estate, quiet and heavy with tension.
Inside the car sat Arianna Moretti, daughter of the Moretti mafia family. She was twenty years old, beautiful and unreadable. Her long dark brown hair flowed softly over her shoulders, and her hazel eyes looked out the window with no emotion. Her lips didn't move. They never did.
Ari was mute. She hadn't spoken a word since she was eight.
She sat straight, dressed in a black coat, hands resting in her lap. Her bodyguard, Luca, sat beside her, watching everything through the tinted glass. He knew this meeting was dangerous. The Moretti and Romano families had been at war for years. But now, they were trying to avoid more bloodshed.
Ari's older brother, Matteo Moretti, had sent her instead of himself. A bold move. Some would call it a trick. Others, a test. Ari was not weak, even without a voice. She was smart. Calm. Cold when needed.
The car stopped in front of a large stone mansion. Romano guards opened the door. Luca stepped out first, then held an umbrella as Ari followed. Rain hit the ground like quiet gunfire.
Inside the mansion, golden lights glowed from crystal chandeliers. The smell of leather and power filled the halls. Guards watched silently from every corner.
Then he appeared.
Dominic Romano.
Tall. Strong. Twenty-two years old. He was the son of the Romano boss, known for being dangerous but quiet—like a snake waiting to strike. His black hair was messy, like he didn't care. His sharp green eyes landed on Ari the moment she stepped in.
They stared at each other. Neither blinked.
So this was the mute Moretti girl, he thought.
And this must be the feared Romano heir, she thought.
Dominic didn't greet her. He only said, "Follow me."
Ari nodded once, walking behind him. Her boots made no sound on the marble floor. Luca stayed behind with the guards.
Dominic led her into a private dining room. A long table stood in the middle, but only two plates were set.
Ari sat down. No hesitation. No fear.
Dominic poured himself wine and looked at her carefully. "Your brother sent you instead of coming himself?"
Ari slowly took out a small notebook from her coat. She wrote something, tore the page out, and slid it across the table.
> "He trusts me more than you think."
Dominic read the note, smirked slightly, and leaned back in his chair.
"Does he?" he said. "Or did he think I wouldn't kill a mute girl?"
Ari didn't flinch. She pulled out a pen and wrote again.
> "Try it."
Dominic raised an eyebrow. The silence between them grew thicker.
Dinner came. Steak and potatoes. Ari ate slowly, calmly. Her movements were smooth and elegant. Dominic watched her. She didn't look up much, but when she did, her hazel eyes said more than words ever could.
He noticed how quiet she was—but not in a weak way. It was sharp. Like she had trained herself to be made of stone.
After dinner, he asked, "Do you speak sign language?"
She nodded.
"I don't."
She signed slowly: [You should learn.]
He frowned. "Why?"
Ari wrote one last note before leaving the table.
> "Because I'm not going anywhere."
She stood and walked away.
Dominic sat back, heart strangely restless.
She hadn't said a word.
But somehow, she had told him everything.