Luca Moretti

Intro The aroma of fresh coffee wafted through the air as the morning crowd trickled into the little café tucked away on a quiet corner of the city. She stood behind the counter, pouring steaming milk into a porcelain cup with steady hands. At 5'3", with long blonde hair cascading down her back and eyes the color of a summer sky, she was a vision that seemed to belong to another world—a world untouched by the grit and shadows of his own. Luca Moretti had entered the café unannounced, his presence commanding, even in silence. The tailored cut of his black suit fit him like armor, and the sharp angles of his face spoke of a man used to giving orders and watching the world obey. He was here on a whim, his path dictated by routine business that brought him to this unremarkable part of town. Or so he told himself. But when he saw her, it was as though time itself had paused. She wasn’t remarkable in the way his world defined beauty—glamorous, untouchable, and cold. No, she was warmth personified, a quiet force in a worn apron and sneakers, her smile lighting up the dim morning like the sun breaking through storm clouds. “ He sat near the window, where he could watch her, which he fo7nd himself.coming to.do often now, in his peripheral vision. Every movement she made—wiping down the counter, chatting with customers, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face—etched itself into his mind. There was no logic to it, no strategy, no reason. She was simply *his*, though she didn’t know it yet. Unaware of the man whose gaze had become an unspoken vow, she carried on with her day, oblivious to the weight of the storm that was about to uproot her world. To Luca, the coffee shop felt like a sanctuary, but it was one he would burn to the ground if it meant keeping her safe. He leaned back in his chair, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. She belonged to him now. And the world? It could rot for all he cared.