Change

(Sofia)

Rain hit my skin like tiny needles as I ran down the crowded street, my soaked sneakers slamming against the pavement hard enough to hurt but I hardly noticed.

My hands trembled around my phone while my father's voicemail played for what had to be the tenth time.

"The number you are trying to reach is unavailable—"

"Damn it," I whispered to myself.

I stopped under the weak shelter of a flickering store sign, my chest heaving as I stared at the screen.

There were three missed calls from unknown numbers and two messages from our landlord threatening eviction.

And one final text from my father which he sent an hour ago.

I'm sorry Sofia.

That was it. No explanation, no location….nothing.

Fear enveloped me as nothing could have prepared me for this.

My father had gambling problems. I had known that for years. But this? Disappearing completely? Leaving me alone with debts I didn't understand?

Something felt very wrong and I could feel it up my spine.

A motorcycle sped past me, splashing dirty water onto my jeans. I cursed under my breath and shoved my phone into my bag before continuing down the street.

I needed to think but first, I needed somewhere warm and I needed one night where my life wasn't collapsing around me.

That was how I ended up standing outside Noir...the most expensive bar in the city.

The kind of place I normally walked past quickly because one drink probably cost half my paycheck from the hospital café.

Warm golden lights glowed through the tinted windows while luxury cars lined the entrance.

I should have left immediately but instead, my feet carried me inside somehow.

Heat wrapped around me immediately and I felt myself sweating.

Soft music floated through the crowded room. Men in expensive suits laughed over whiskey while women dressed like models leaned against red booths and there I was…..drenched, exhausted and out of place.

I ignored the looks and headed straight for the bar.

"One vodka," I muttered.

The bartender raised an eyebrow at my appearance but poured it anyway.

I drank half the glass in one swallow and immediately regretted it as the alcohol burned my throat.

"Rough night?" I heard someone behind me say.

The deep voice beside me sent a strange shiver down my spine.

I turned slightly and forgot how to breathe. He was… beautiful.

Beautiful wasn't the right word. He looked dangerous.

His dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead. He had very sharp cheekbones that looked like they were sharp enough to cut through glass. Cold eyes so intense they made my pulse stumble.

Everything about him screamed power.

The black suit stretched perfectly across his broad shoulders, and the silver watch on his wrist probably cost more than my apartment rent for a year.

Men like him didn't notice women like me but yet, he was staring at me like he already had.

I looked away first.

"You could say that." I replied, trying to sound careless.

His gaze dropped briefly to the shaking fingers wrapped around my glass.

"You're nervous." He said simply.

"I'm wet, homeless, and possibly about to lose everything," I said dryly. "So yes. I'm nervous."

For a second, I thought I saw amusement flicker in his expression, then it disappeared.

"Homeless?" He asked, I could hear amusement in his tone.

I immediately regretted saying that much.

"Forget I said anything." I replied, trying to play off as cool.

The bartender placed another drink in front of me.

"I didn't order this." I said because I knew I wasn't crazy enough to buy what I couldn't afford. All I had was $10 and $3 had already gone to the shot I drank.

"I did," the stranger said.

"I can't pay you back." I argued. I was already in enough debt as it is.

"I didn't ask you to." He replied cooly.

His voice was very calm but there was still something about it that made me uneasy.

I should have walked away from him but instead, I took another sip.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Sofia." I replied.

He repeated it slowly, like he was testing how it sounded on his tongue.

"Sofia."

The way he said my name should've been illegal.

I cleared my throat and asked. "And you?"

He paused for a while before replying.

"Luca."

Something about him felt familiar suddenly.

Not his face but his name. It was like I had heard it before somewhere.

Before I could think too hard about it, shouting erupted near the entrance.

The entire bar shifted as men stood abruptly. The bartender froze and even the security guards looked tense.

I turned instinctively and saw two armed men walking inside.

My blood turned cold. Nobody screamed or moved.

One of the men scanned the room before his eyes landed directly on Luca.

Oh God.

The atmosphere changed instantly. I could feel the fear. It was heavy and deadly but Luca didn't even look surprised.

He simply leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed, while the armed men approached.

Fear crawled up my spine.

Who the hell was this man?

One of the strangers stopped beside our table.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," he said carefully.

Luca's expression remained unreadable.

"And now you've found me." He replied lazily.

The man glanced at me nervously.

"She shouldn't be here."

Luca finally looked at me again.

Those cold eyes moved slowly over my face possessively.

A strange heat curled in my stomach despite the fear.

"No," he said quietly. "She should"

The armed man shifted uncomfortably beside the table.

"Boss, we need to leave. Now."

Boss. He was their boss.

The word echoed in my head like a warning bell.

Luca stood slowly, and the entire room seemed to tense with him. He was tall enough that I suddenly felt trapped beneath the weight of his presence.

Then his attention returned to me completely.

"You came here alone?" he asked.

I hated how nervous that question made me.

"Yes."

His jaw tightened slightly, like he disapproved.

Outside, thunder cracked across the sky.

Luca reached for my untouched coat draped over the stool and held it out for me himself.

"Come with me, Sofia."

Every instinct in my body told me to run but instead, I stood up.

Looking back now, I should have run the moment he said those words.

Maybe then my life wouldn't have fallen apart.