Chapter 3 – Protected in the Shadows

Neon lights reflected off the rain puddles scattered across the asphalt, creating a colorful dance on the city floor. Isabella Monteiro walked briskly, her heels echoing rhythmically on the nearly deserted sidewalk. The night wind blew hard, ruffling her loose hair, but even that couldn't distract her thoughts.

"If you're as talented as you are beautiful… I'll have to keep an eye on you."

Alexander Carter's voice came back in waves, as if it had been engraved in her mind. Isabella didn't know whether to blush with embarrassment or smile secretly. Maybe it was both at once.

She bit her lip, remembering the way he looked at her, that enigmatic smile that seemed to hide so much more than just professionalism. Isabella had never received so much attention from someone like him: powerful, elegant, unapproachable. And yet, in just one day, Alexander had already knocked her off her feet.

But the reality of the cold street soon pulled her back. The avenue was nearly empty, only a few bars and eateries still open, their signs blinking like artificial hearts amidst the concrete. Isabella clutched her bag to her chest, quickening her pace.

Then she heard it.

Muffled laughter, coming from behind her.

"Hey, cutie! Alone at night? Need some company!" a male voice called mockingly.

Isabella's heart leaped in her chest. She couldn't believe it was happening, but when she cast a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw three men. Two of them were laughing among themselves, and the third was walking faster, his eyes fixed on her.

Her entire body tensed.

"No... not now. I just need to get home. That's all..."

She quickened her pace, but within seconds they closed the distance. One of them whistled, the unpleasant sound cutting through the silence of the street.

"Hey, doll, we just want to talk!" the taller man said with a mischievous smile.

Isabella ignored him, forcing her legs to walk faster. Fear was starting to spread like fire in her chest. She felt her stomach tighten, and her breath became shallow.

Suddenly, a hand touched her arm.

"Easy, don't bite, okay?" the man laughed, lightly squeezing her coat.

Isabella froze. The bag almost slipped from her fingers. Instinct screamed for her to run, but her legs felt stiff.

"I don't want any trouble…" she said, her voice breaking.

It was at that moment that another man appeared. Not one of the three, but a fourth stranger, coming from the opposite side of the street. He approached with a wrinkled smile, his clothes wrinkled, his hair messy as if he'd just left a bar.

He touched her shoulder gently, but the gesture was even more invasive.

"Hi... are you lost?" he asked, his voice slurred, almost drunken.

Isabella turned abruptly, facing this new intruder.

"H-hi? I'm... not interested." She tried to back away, but he took a step forward.

His smile widened, half comical, half frightening.

"You're too beautiful to walk alone... How about coffee with me? Or maybe... teach me a few tricks?" he said, approaching, completely ignoring her discomfort.

Isabella blinked, confused, feeling panic rising. It was as if the entire street had turned against her. Her heart hammered in her ears, and her mind screamed only one thing: run away.

But before she could react, it happened.

The air shifted.

Suddenly, the noise of the street seemed to disappear, swallowed by a heavy silence. Even the men's laughter ceased. A chill ran down Isabella's spine, so intense it made her shiver.

And then the voice came.

"Get out of here. Now."

It wasn't a request. It wasn't advice. It was an order. A sentence laden with menace, firm and sharp as a blade in the dark.

Isabella turned, her eyes wide.

Leaning against the shadow of a parked black car was a man. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark tattoos snaking down his exposed arms. His slightly disheveled hair gave him an air of neglect, but his eyes… his eyes were steel. Fixed, intense, predatory.

Dante Navarro.

Isabella didn't know who he was, but in that instant she was certain he was no ordinary man. His mere presence filled the space, dwarfing the group of troublemakers.

The stranger approaching her swallowed, taking a step back.

"What are you…" he tried to say, but Dante cut him off with an icy glare.

"You're not going to mess with her again, understand?" the deep voice echoed through the street, no need for shouting.

The three men behind him also flinched. It was impossible to meet his gaze. That kind of man didn't need to raise his hand to instill fear; the threat was already there.

"Okay… okay, I'm gone…" the first man muttered, raising his hands as if facing a weapon.

They dispersed quickly, disappearing down the narrow street without a backward glance. Even the strange man with the awkward smile turned and vanished, muttering something incomprehensible.

The street returned to silence, only the distant sound of cars in the distance breaking the emptiness.

Isabella breathed deeply, her chest rising and falling frantically. Her fingers trembled, and she hugged her bag as if it were a shield.

She turned slowly to look at Dante. He was still there, standing in the shadows, his eyes fixed on her. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just watched.

Isabella opened her mouth, but her voice was slow to emerge.

"T-thank you…" she murmured, almost soundlessly, unable to look at him for more than two seconds at a time.

Dante took a step forward. The sound of his boots against the asphalt echoed like thunder in the silence. He moved closer until the dim light from a streetlight partially illuminated his face. His jaw was set, his eyes dark and piercing. He didn't look relieved to have helped her. On the contrary, there was something hard in his expression, as if he were irritated.

"Next time…" he said, his voice low but charged with strength. "Don't expect someone to come and save you."

Isabella blinked, swallowing hard. The sentence wasn't said gently; it was a warning, almost a scolding. But there was something in the way he spoke, in the weight of his words, that made her entire body shiver.

She wanted to respond, but couldn't. She was paralyzed between fear and... something else she didn't dare name.

Dante stared at her for a few more seconds, as if imprinting her image in his mind, and then he looked away to the empty street. Without another word, he began walking, disappearing again into the shadows as if he were part of them.

Isabella stood there, motionless, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Her heart was still beating too fast, her legs were shaking. But one thing was clear: that night would not be forgotten.

Dante Navarro had just entered her life.

And from that moment on, nothing would be safe, simple, or predictable.