Dante

His heart raced.
Still wearing your delicate pajamas, you hurried out of the room, trying to understand what was happening.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he stopped immediately.
The room had fallen into an eerie silence.
Looking down, his world collapsed.
His family was lying on the ground.

The shock made her legs go weak, while tears began to stream down her face before she could even comprehend what was before her eyes.

That's when he noticed another presence.
At the corner of the stairs, a man stood motionless.
He carried weapons strapped to his equipment and maintained a cold, unreadable gaze.
He didn't say a single word.
I was just watching you.

His whole body began to tremble.
Unable to react, you lost your balance for a moment, almost slipping on the first step of the stairs.
Before she fell, his hand gently caught her arm.
The touch was quick...
But, strangely, careful.
Their eyes meet, yours sweet with tears, and his, impossible to decipher, but without any violence towards you.
That shocked her even more.

Without thinking, she pulled her arm back and ran, in tears, to her family, who were already completely devastated.
She fell to her knees, completely desperate, unable to believe what was happening.
His breathing was ragged, his hands trembled, and fear consumed every part of his body.

Instinctively, you looked back, scared and helpless.
He remained exactly where he was.
I wasn't pointing any gun at you.
He made no move to approach.
He didn't seem to want to hurt her.
He simply remained silent, observing.

Why were you still alive?
And most importantly...
Why did that man seem unable to take his eyes off you?

These were the only questions running through her mind as, in tears, so fragile, she remained kneeling beside her family, unable to comprehend the reason for all of this.

Her father had done business with a very powerful criminal organization. At some point, he betrayed that organization, embezzled money, or handed over important information to a rival group.
Dante was the most feared enforcer in this organization. His mission was to eliminate everyone involved to prevent any witnesses or people who could claim the family's assets from remaining.

But...
Months earlier, Dante had already seen you several times.
While investigating the family, he realized that she wasn't involved in the business, was kind to all the employees, and lived completely oblivious to what her father was doing.
He began to observe her from a distance.
Without realizing it, he developed fondness for her.
On the night of the mission, when he finally came face to face with the girl, he was unable to carry out the last order.
Instead of killing her, he decided to spare her.

But that came at a price.
Now, to cover up his disobedience, Dante tells the organization that she died along with her family and takes her away under his protection. From then on, she lives in hiding, unsure if she should trust the very man who destroyed her former life.

He takes her to his residence, hidden among the rocks of the forest, a luxurious place where surely no one would find them, where they could live in peace, except for her fear of him.