Unexpected Encounter.

Luna's POV

Dominick and I arrived at the party, stepping into a hall already packed with guests. These weren't just ordinary people; they were powerful figures belonging to the Mafia.

"Remember, always stay behind me," Dominick said, gently taking my hands in his, before leading us through the crowd towards a group of people engaged in conversation.

"Don Phoenix!" a middle-aged man called out excitedly, pulling Dominick into a warm hug. "You're looking very good."

"Thank you, Don Ronaldo," Dominick replied, stepping back from the embrace. "And you're not looking bad yourself."

Turning his attention to me, Don Ronaldo's brown eyes locked onto mine. "This must be your wife, Sol?"

"Yes, indeed. This is Sol," Dominick confirmed, nudging me forward slightly. "Say hi to Don Ronaldo, hun."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Don Ronaldo," I managed to say after a moment, my voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

"The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Phoenix," Don Ronaldo responded with a grin. "The rumors are true; you are indeed beautiful."

"Thank you," I replied, feeling a flush of warmth at the compliment, though my eyes instinctively sought out Dominick's. His expression remained impassive, much like it had when he saw me coming down the stairs in my gown earlier.

I had chosen a blue fitted lace gown for the occasion, thinking it would impress Dominick, but he had barely acknowledged my effort, practically ignoring me as I descended the stairs.

"Alright, why don't you go to Alen? He's over there," Dominick said, pointing towards Alen, who was engaged in conversation with another lady in a corner. "I'll be with you shortly."

Part of me wanted to remind him that he had instructed me to stay by his side, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "Alright," I replied instead, forcing a smile before striding towards Alen.

"Alen," I called out, giving him an apologetic smile while purposefully ignoring Selene. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Alen returned my smile warmly, shaking his head. "Not at all, Sol. I'm glad you're here."

Selene, however, scoffed at me. "Are you fucking ignoring me right now?" She chuckled, her eyes running over me in amusement.

"I'm bored and needed some company," I explained to Alen, deliberately disregarding Selene once more.

Alen chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm glad you came. I was getting bored too."

"Are you saying I'm fucking boring?" Selene whined, glaring at Alen.

"I didn't say that..." Alen began, but Selene cut him off.

"You know what, I'm going to leave you two losers to continue yapping about crap," she growled angrily before stomping away.

"Thank goodness she's gone," I breathed out in relief, feeling the tension ease from my shoulders. Alen laughed, causing me to smile in response.

"I'm loving that you're coming out of your shell," Alen remarked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I am?" I asked, feeling a faint heat creep up onto my cheeks. "I'm happy to hear that."

"Where's Dominick?" Alen asked, breaking the silence that had settled between us.

"He's with Don Ronaldo and the others," I replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Alen finally spoke up again. "Would you like to go to a special place?"

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Despite my reservations, I found myself nodding in agreement. "Yes, I would," I replied softly.

"Follow me," Alen said, leading the way as we made our way outside towards the pool area, in a secluded spot.

We settled onto a bench, far removed from the bustling crowd of guests. The night sky stretched out above us, dotted with twinkling stars, and the pool area was bathed in a soft, ethereal light. Alen and I began discussing the stars, their constellations, and the beauty of the scenery around us.

Once more, an awkward silence fell between us, but this time it was broken by Alen. "You look fantastic tonight," he said all of a sudden.

"Thank you." A smile spread across my face at his compliment. It was nice to hear such words from him.

"I miss my parents and sister so much," I let out a sigh, my gaze drifting up to the sky.

"I know it's hard, Luna. But Dominick is doing everything he can to find Sol," he reassured me with a smile.

"I hope so," I breathed. "I'm tired of staying here, feeling so lost."

Alen reached out and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Whenever you're feeling down, just find me. I'll do my best to make you feel better."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his offer. "Thank you, Alen. I appreciate that."

"I wish I had a family to miss, too," he said out of the blue.

I looked at him; his eyes were distant, lost in thought. "Did... did something happen to your family?"

He scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't mind what I said. I'm just feeling a little emotional today."

I nodded. "If you need a shoulder to lean on, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Luna. That's so sweet."

Suddenly, a butterfly fluttered by, landing on my hair. Startled, I jumped up, causing Alen to chuckle.

"Take it off, take it off!" I exclaimed, my fear of butterflies taking over.

Alen laughed, gently removing the butterfly from my hair and letting it fly away. "How can you be scared of butterflies?" he joked, shaking his head in amusement.

"I don't know, I just fear them," I replied, feeling a little embarrassed by my reaction.

"Wait a minute," Alen said, his expression changing as he gently pushed strands of hair away from my face.

"Thank you," I replied, feeling a bit awkward at the way he was looking at me. Suddenly, his face drew nearer, and nearer, until I could feel his soft lips on mine.

"What the fuck!"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice, and I was horrified to see Dominick standing in front of us, his expression one of pure anger..