Page 2 of Masked Mafia's Runaway Bride

“No,” he said, his voice dropping to a soft, almost serious tone. “Just the one I can’t seem to look away from.”

For a second, I was speechless and lost in the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room. It was unsettling and exhilarating all at once. His hand reached out, a silent invitation, and despite every logical part of my mind screaming not to trust him, I found my hand slipping into his.

He led me to a quieter part of the room, where the music faded to a hum. The world outside seemed to disappear. His hand was warm against mine, grounding me in a way I hadn’t felt in ages. His hands lingered on mine, his palms protective of mine in a way that I could almost swear screamed, “You are mine.”

“Tell me,” he murmured, his voice a gentle tease to my ears, sending a sensation through every nerve and neuron in my body, “Is it customary for brides-to-be to spend their engagements lurking in the shadows?”

“Depends on the bride, I suppose,” I responded, finding my voice and feeling the urge to pull away, but my body betrayed me as it settled in perfectly, right in his touch. “Besides, what do you know about engagements anyway?”

“Enough to know when someone’s heart isn’t in it,” he replied, watching me closely. “Or is there another reason why you’re standing here with me instead of celebrating with your fiancé?”

My breath hitched at the question. The word “fiancé” felt like a foreign label, distant and cold.

“I could ask the same about you,” I shot back. “Why isn’t someone like you dancing with some mysterious masked woman?”

“Maybe because I was waiting for you,” he said with a glint in his eyes, that same gaze that seemed to see far too much. “It’s a shame, though. Such beauty deserves more than melancholy.”

“Oh?” I tilted my head, a smirk tugging at my lips. “And you think you’re just the remedy, do you?”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug, his voice playful but earnest. “But let’s test the theory. What would it take to make you smile, truly smile?”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. I hadn’t thought about that in…well, I didn’t remember. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. This man—this stranger—was getting far too close to the truth, and it terrified me. But at the same time, I couldn’t look away.

“Is that why you’re here?” I asked, trying to deflect with a bit of sarcasm. “To rescue sad brides-to-be?”

“If she is worth rescuing,” he answered so sincerely it caught me off guard.

His gaze softened, and I felt his thumb brush gently over the back of my hand. The touch was so small, so delicate, but it sent shivers down my spine. Suddenly, I was hyper-aware of the closeness between us, the warmth of his hand, the depth in his intense brown eyes looking down on me as his muscular frame towered over me.

“Listen,” I began, my voice barely a whisper. “Do you even know who I am?”

For a moment, his expression flickered, almost hesitant. Then he leaned in, his lips hovering near my ear.

“I don’t care,” he murmured, voice low and intimate. “I’m here for you, not for anyone else.”

The words melted over me, filling a void I hadn’t even known was there. I swallowed, realizing my hand was still in his, realizing I hadn’t even wanted to pull away.

“Do you always do this?” I asked, trying to shake off the intensity. “Charm women out of their own lives?”

“The ones who look like they’re desperate for an escape,” he quipped, the playfulness back in his eyes. “Besides, I am not trying to charm you. Our hearts are already intertwined with one another. Can’t you see it? This was meant to be.”

I laughed despite myself. The sound was surprising, even to me. “Well, you’re certainly…persistent.”

“Is that a problem?” he asked, his eyebrow quirking up.

“No,” I said, feeling a thrill run through me. “Just…unexpected.”

“Well, tell me. If you had one wish, what would that be?” he winced, eyes dropping to my lips for a fleeting second before returning to my gaze.

I closed my eyes, allowing my heart to take the lead for the first time in weeks, and the words that came out of my mouth defied every sense of logic I had known, “I would wish to disappear,”

“Say the word, and I will make it happen,”

I took in a deep breath, “Take me away.”

And in that moment, the weight of everything else—my father, the arrangement, the fact that this was my engagement party—faded. All that mattered was the way his hand felt in mine, the warmth of his gaze, and the reckless feeling building in my chest as he led me away.

I paused at the entrance as he pulled open the door of what seemed to be an apartment, and he gave me a nudging smile.

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