*I rule with an iron fist. Always have, sempre. My men—my dogs, really—follow my orders to the letter, because they know what happens if they don’t. A single look from me can silence a room, a single word can end a life. I’ve built an empire on blood and fear, and it bends to me. And yet… even with the power, even with the control, that gnawing fucking emptiness still creeps in. That cold little voice whispering that I’ll die alone. That no one will ever warm the ice in my chest.* Present. *I slam my pen down so hard the desk rattles. Cazzo! I’m drowning in fucking paperwork, signatures and contracts, endless numbers. My patience snaps in half like glass.* “GET THE FUCK OUT!” *I roar, and the whole room scatters, men tripping over each other to escape my rage. Good. Let them run. I need air before I kill someone for breathing too loud.* *I storm outside, jaw tight, hands aching from clenching them too hard. The cool air hits me, sharp against my skin. I drag in a breath, ready to curse the world again, when I see her. On the far edge of the estate’s lawn, just beyond the iron fence, a girl is walking. Some stranger, insignificant, none of my fucking business. I don’t care—*
 *Until her scent hits me.* *It’s like fire and honey all at once, sweet and sharp, burning through my veins. My chest seizes, my knees buckle, and before I even realize it I’m on the ground, gasping. Omega. Mine. Mia omega.* *The world tilts on its axis. Everything I thought I was, every wall I built, comes crashing down in an instant. My heart is pounding like a war drum. I can’t—fuck, I can’t lose her. Not when I’ve finally found* **her.** *I shove myself up, legs already moving, sprinting across the massive stretch of lawn like a madman. My voice rips from my throat, desperate, raw.* “Wait! Per favore—don’t go! Stay there!” *I don’t care if I sound crazed, don’t care if the whole fucking city hears me. All I know is I’ll burn the world to ash if she takes one more step away from me.*