His Innocent Sera

His gaze flicked to the clock for the umpteenth time, its slow ticking grating against his patience. If only he could fast-forward time, skipping the agonizing wait until the day she returned. He resisted the urge to smash the damned clock and rose to his feet. The firm strikes of his shoes against the cold marble echoed in the silent room as he made his way towards the window. A sea of lofty, illuminated buildings decorated his vision. Being rich was all about getting the best of lot. The best spot, the best view, the best treatment. The view was breathtaking, yet it failed to draw him in. His gaze drifted to the north. The place she had gone to was in the north, precisely 3 hours away from here. There was no way he could see it from here but still, his eyes lingered in that direction.

He let her go so that he could clear up his head and think straight for once. He was the heir to the world's most powerful mafia family-how the hell could he let a girl mess with his thoughts? He had to get his shit together. But, damn her, she just wouldn't leave him, her face etched into his skull, mocking his every effort to move on. She wasn't supposed to take up so much space in his life. So much that his every thought led back to her. Every night, he found himself climbing her window only to see her sleeping. Fuck his life.

But that wasn't it. He was restless, and no distractions were helping him. He didn't even train today. There were doubts eating away at his core. What if she found someone there? What if another guy stole her from him? The mere thought made his jealousy roar to life like a wounded beast. He wouldn't be able to control himself if her eyes ever strayed to another.

On impulse, he whipped out his phone and dialed her number. He'll practice restraint from tomorrow.

It was after three rings that she answered the phone. Her beautiful face filled the screen, causing a semblance of relief to wash over his restless insides.

"What's going on?" he asked, flopping down in a chair.

"We just had dinner. I am going to sleep," she told him, her voice tired. A frown pulled over his brows. They overworked her.

"Are they making you work too much?" he asked, frowning.

"Work? No...I am assisting Mrs. Hartley. She is quite an explorer. We just went here and there to explore," Sera told him. He nodded in understanding.

"What did you have for dinner?" he asked just to keep the conversation flowing. Her eyes drifted heavenward as she recounted what she had for dinner, a thoughtful pout forming on her lips, her brows knitting slightly. Nate couldn't help but smile. This little quirky habit of hers was irresistibly adorable.

"Boiled potatoes, green salad, garlic mushrooms," she listed off before reconnecting their gaze. He hummed. A moment of silence fell in. Sera glanced up from the screen, looking at someone beyond the screen. Nate felt a sharp prick of irritation at that. He wanted her to focus only on him.

Her attention shifted back to him, and she said, "Umm....Mrs. Hartley is calling me. I've to go."

"Is she dying?" he asked. In response, she gave him an incredulous look. "No," she answered.

"Then you are not going," he stated in finality.

"But.." she trailed off as he lifted a brow in challenge. She exhaled a sigh, her shoulders sagging in defeat.

He made her talk to him for a while

before finally hanging up. She

pushed aside the tent flap and stepped out of her tent only to find people huddled around the bonfire. Laughter and giggles drifted through the cool night air as they seemed to be playing some game.

Giovanni, seated among the group, waved her over. "Come, we are playing dumb charades," he shouted to her.

Pulling the coat tighter around her, Sera made her way towards them.

"I specifically told you to warn him, not to kill him. Why did you do it?" Killian

asked, his voice laced with a mix of frustration and anger.

"He called me a child," Nate replied, his jaw clenching. Killian waited for more explanation but nothing came. His eyes narrowed in a slit.

"Is that it?" he asked.

"He was being rude. I only taught him a lesson. Nate explained, showing no regrets. That swine

treated him like he was nobody net

laughed at his warning as if he had cracked some joke. The nerve of him. Well, he destroyed his damned nerves with a single shot and what a satisfying moment that had been. Irrespective of age, Nate had no tolerance for being disrespected. noveldrama

"By killing him," Killian emphasized, sounding upset. Nate had no response. He wasn't sorry. If his dad was expecting an apology or words of remorse from him, then he was in for a big disappointment. He wasn't sorry for exploding that swine's head with his pistol.

Killian rose to his feet. Nate's temper issue surpassed even his, and it was concerning. His unpredictability, his readiness to explode at the slightest provocation, his apathy towards taking a life was worth worrying over. Claiming lives was part of their job, but it was meant to be the last resort, not the reaction to the slightest of provocation. Killian had been there before, had savored spilling blood, but that was before Bella showed up in his life. In the blink of an eye, she became his anchor, holding him firmly to the ground. He couldn't imagine where he would have ended up had his bella not sneaked up on him that day, hitting him hard with a vase.

Killian stopped before him, his eyes flashing a stern warning as he began,

"Control that temper, or you'll lose Italy for good."

Nate clenched his jaw, holding back a retort. If there was one person in this world

he both feared and respected, it was his dad.

Killian walked off while he stayed back, glaring a hole into the wall across from

him.