Page 45 of Masked Mafia's Runaway Bride

For the first time, her poise faltered—just for a split second. It was so unpretentious that most people wouldn’t have noticed. But I did.

“Why?” she asked, her voice still altered but carrying an edge of curiosity.

“Because I want to know who The Raven really is.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MIRELLA

“Because I want to know who The Raven really is,”

Raven. I wasn’t the girl who ran away, who left behind heartbreak and questions she didn’t know how to answer.

The question is who really is The Raven?

Sergio stared at me across the room, his eyes searching for something he’d never find unless I wanted him to.

“You asked to see who I really am,” I began, my voice calm but deliberate. “I can't show you my face. I can’t risk that. But I can show you pieces of me.”

His brow furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded. “I’ll take what you’ll give.”

That was Sergio—unrelenting but patient in a way that disarmed me every time.

I led him out of the restaurant and onto the quiet streets of Montclair. The town wasn’t busy. It was quiet, too quiet. I almost changed my mind, but I navigated the shadows, guiding him away from prying eyes. He didn’t ask where we were going, but I could feel his curiosity building.

We stopped at a secluded overlook, the kind of spot that felt like a secret even though it wasn’t. The lights stretched out before us, glittering like stars trapped in a web of steel and concrete.

“This was one of the first places I came to when I left my hometown,” I said, keeping my words measured.

Sergio stepped closer, his gaze flickering between me and the view. “Why here?”

“It reminded me of something I lost,” I answered. “And something I wanted to find again.”

I didn’t elaborate, and he didn’t press me. Instead, he leaned on the railing, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the glow of the skyline. He didn’t realize how much he stood out—how his very presence demanded attention even when he tried to blend into the background.

“I come here to remember who I was,” I added. “And to remind myself of who I need to be.”

He looked at me then, his eyes softening in a way that made my stomach flip. “That’s a hell of a thing to say.”

I shrugged, turning away before his gaze unraveled me completely. “It’s the truth.”

We didn’t linger long. The night had more to show him—or rather, I had more to show him.

The bar was tucked away in an alley, the kind of place only locals knew about. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, filled with the sound of low chatter and soft jazz. I chose a corner booth, and Sergio slid in across from me.

“You don’t seem like the type to drink,” he winced, his voice almost teasing and complimenting me at the same time. He was eyeing me curiously as I ordered a sparkling water.

“You’d be right,” I responded casually, watching the waiter place his whiskey on the table. “But I don’t judge those who do.”

He took a sip, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re full of surprises.”

The corner of my lips tugged upward. “You have said that already tonight, but I must confess, so are you.” I didn’t know why, but I felt more comfortable talking to Sergio as The Raven than as plain old Mirella. Maybe because talking to him as The Raven revealed a part of me he didn’t know, yet he accepted.

He chuckled, the sound deep and genuine. “How’s that?”

“You’re not what I expected,” I admitted. I didn’t expect him to be this comfortable around The Raven. Considering she is supposed to be an enemy who stole his shipment.

“And what did you expect?”

---