- Damien's POV

The laughter between them slowly faded, but the weight of history remained thick in the air. Damien studied Sebastian in the dim light of the estate, his once-friend, then-rival, and now something in between. It was strange-standing here after decades of animosity, looking at the man he once trusted with his life.

It had been years since he'd seen this side of Sebastian. Not the ruthless mafia king, not the cold-blooded killer, but the man beneath-the one who had trained beside him, fought beside him, and once believed in the same future as him. But time had turned them into something else.

Damien let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders as he glanced around. Ava was still running around excitedly, exploring every corner of the massive estate like it was her personal playground. It was amusing to watch. A little girl, the daughter of a mafia boss, treating the home of one of the most dangerous men alive like it was her playground.

Sebastian's sharp gaze followed his, watching Ava with a mixture of amusement and something else-something unreadable. "You're lucky," he murmured, crossing his arms.

Damien arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Sebastian exhaled, his expression unreadable. "You have something to protect, something worth holding onto." His voice was softer than usual, lacking its usual arrogance. "A daughter. A lover. A family."

Damien didn't respond immediately. He knew what Sebastian was saying-he had built something that Sebastian never had. The mafia had been Damien's life, but Luca had changed everything. His soft-hearted, stubborn lawyer had forced him to see beyond blood and violence. Then there was Ava, his little princess, who had wrapped him around her tiny fingers the moment she was born.

Sebastian had none of that. No family. No softness. Only the cold, empty halls of this estate and a lifetime of enemies.

"Nothing's stopping you from having the same," Damien finally said, his voice steady.

Sebastian scoffed, shaking his head. "Not everyone gets a happy ending, Volkov. Some of us are just meant to be alone."

Damien's lips curled into a smirk. "Is that so? Because from what I saw, my dear sister-in-law seems to be changing that."

Sebastian's jaw clenched. His grip on his arms tightened slightly, but his face remained carefully neutral. "Valarie is... stubborn," he said after a long pause. "She doesn't trust me."

Damien chuckled. "Of course, she doesn't. She's an Ivanov. But that doesn't mean she's blind." His gaze darkened with something knowing. "You're obsessed with her, aren't you?"

Sebastian remained silent, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Damien tilted his head. "You have no idea what to do with her, do you?"

Sebastian's hands flexed at his sides, his usual cold demeanor slipping for just a second. "She's... different," he admitted. "She doesn't fear me. Doesn't bow to me. She fights me, pushes me." A slow, humorless smirk curled at his lips. "It's infuriating."

Damien chuckled, shaking his head. "And yet, you don't want to let her go."

Sebastian exhaled, rubbing his temple. "You sound just like Elijah."

Damien's amusement faded slightly at the mention of Elijah. The man had died protecting Valarie, leaving behind a last wish that still lingered in the air. Take care of her.

Damien's gaze sharpened. "Then listen to him."

Sebastian's smirk twitched, but it didn't last. His eyes drifted back to where Valarie was, still inside, talking to Luca.

There was something unreadable in his face. Something Damien had never seen before.

"You care about her," Damien said, his voice quieter this time.

Sebastian didn't answer.

Instead, he turned his head toward Ava, watching as she ran back toward them, her tiny arms spread wide. "Uncle Sebastian!" she squealed, her curls bouncing. "Look! I found a butterfly!"

She held out her tiny hands, cupping a delicate blue butterfly in her palms.

Sebastian blinked down at her, utterly bewildered. It was almost comical, the way the cold-hearted mafia boss-the man who had killed more people than he could count-stood frozen as a tiny girl shoved a butterfly in his face.

Damien smirked, enjoying the rare sight of Sebastian looking completely lost.

"You gonna hold it, or are you too scared?" Damien taunted.

Sebastian shot him a glare before hesitantly reaching out. Ava carefully placed the butterfly onto his palm, her face lighting up with excitement. "See? You gotta be gentle."

Sebastian stared at the delicate creature in his hands, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he said nothing-just watched as the butterfly fluttered its wings against his scarred fingers.

Ava beamed. "Uncle Sebastian, do you have a princess?"

Sebastian blinked. "A... what?"

"A princess!" Ava said cheerfully. "Papa has Luca! Do you have a princess?"

Sebastian let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "No, little one. No princess for me."

Ava pouted. "Why not?"

Sebastian smirked, glancing back at where Valarie was. "Because my princess is a warrior," he murmured.

Damien raised an eyebrow, watching as Sebastian let the butterfly go, his gaze lingering on Valarie's silhouette.

Interesting.

Perhaps his old friend wasn't as doomed as he thought.

Perhaps, just perhaps... even cold-hearted mafia bosses deserved something more.

****** (They didn't knew they already madeup ;) ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Luca's POV

The night air was crisp as Luca leaned against the balcony railing, gazing out over Sebastian's vast estate. The view was breathtaking-sharp city lights in the distance, the cold glow of the moon casting shadows over the sprawling grounds. But he wasn't focused on that. His attention was on Valarie, standing beside him, arms crossed, deep in thought.

"So," he started, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "wanna know the plan?"

Valarie sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Reuniting two stubborn mafia bosses who act like they don't care about each other but secretly do?" She scoffed. "Easier said than done."

Luca chuckled. "Please. They've been dancing around each other for years. They just need a little... push."

Valarie shot him a skeptical look. "And we are supposed to be the ones to do it?"

Luca shrugged. "Why not? I mean, think about it. We're their weaknesses. Damien is completely soft for me, and Sebastian-" He smirked, eyeing her. "Well, let's just say he's very interested in you."

She rolled her eyes. "He's obsessed with me."

Luca gasped dramatically. "Oh no, how terrible! A rich, powerful, and dangerously handsome mafia boss is obsessed with you. Whatever will you do?"

Valarie elbowed him. "Shut up. I could say the same about you , brat."

Luca just grinned. "Admit it. You like the attention."

She hesitated for half a second, then scoffed. "I like annoying him."

Luca laughed. "Same thing."

They fell into a comfortable silence, the wind ruffling their hair.

After a while, Valarie spoke again. "It's funny, though."

Luca glanced at her. "What is?"

She sighed. "How we ended up here. You, the innocent, soft-hearted lawyer... me, the reckless cop... both of us tangled up in the lives of two of the most dangerous men in the world."

Luca smirked. "Sounds like a fairytale."

Valarie snorted. "More like a crime documentary."

He nudged her playfully. "Come on. You can't tell me you don't see it. Two cold, ruthless mafia leaders, best friends turned enemies, now slowly finding their way back to each other. And it just so happens to be because of the people they fell for. If this were a book, we'd be the best supporting characters."

Valarie huffed, shaking her head. "We're the main characters & They're still too stubborn."

"That's why we have to help them." Luca grinned. "Think about it. Damien hates talking about his emotions. Sebastian's even worse. But when they're together? They can't help but be competitive. What if we set them up?"

Valarie raised an eyebrow. "Set them up how?"

Luca wiggled his eyebrows. "Make them work together. A mission. A common goal. Force them to interact, and boom-old instincts kick in."

Valarie considered it, tapping her fingers against the railing. "Not a bad idea... but they won't agree easily."

Luca grinned. "Leave that part to me."

********** Valarie's POV

She sighed, shaking her head. Luca always had these ridiculous plans, but somehow, they worked. If anyone could manipulate Damien into doing something, it was him. And if she played her cards right, she could get Sebastian involved too.

Her mind wandered back to earlier-the way Sebastian had looked at her when he was tending to her wounds. There was something dark in his eyes, something possessive. It should have scared her, but instead, it made her pulse race.

She hated to admit it, but Luca was right. Sebastian was obsessed with her.

And maybe, just maybe... she didn't mind.

"Fine," she finally said. "We'll do it. But if this backfires-"

"It won't." Luca smirked. "Trust me."

Valarie exhaled sharply, looking out at the night sky.

What the hell are we getting ourselves into?

*******