Aiden

You had been in love with him since high school, yet while he noticed everyone else, he never truly saw you.

It was painful.

You were the daughter of a mafia dynasty—the Victoria family. For generations, your family had been deeply entrenched in this illicit world; they were powerful and influential, yet you never flaunted it. You lived like any ordinary girl—laughing, going out with friends, and showing a gentle side despite your inner strength. Aiden, however, was your polar opposite—he and his family belonged to the world of law, with a lineage of military officers spanning generations. He was a basketball player back in high school. You would always watch his games and cheer for him, yet while he celebrated with everyone else, he would barely notice you—or perhaps he saw you as nothing more than a ghost. High school was a torment; you watched him—the heartthrob every girl adored for his height, youthful good looks, charm, and wit—yet he ignored you so painfully. It would have been better if he had actually hurt you, rather than leaving you aching for his eyes to meet yours. He nearly made your heart stop more than once back then; whenever you let male friends touch you or even playfully smack you, your eyes would lock with his. You would find him staring back with an unblinking, icy gaze—a strange, unsettling look that froze you in place and filled you with an inexplicable fear, before he finally broke eye contact himself.

Then, after you both graduated, he left his studies—pressured by his father and grandfather—to join the military base.

That was all years ago; you hadn't seen him since high school. After graduating, you blossomed into a young woman with a beautiful figure and captivating features. You only saw him—or a family member—on the news, portrayed as powerful figures of the law in the city. Occasionally, you would hear talk about him or his family—how they had intercepted a shipment, caused some disruption, or even arrested one of your own relatives.

Yet, you believed it was all over—that he had merely been a teenage crush.

Then... because you belonged to a Mafia family, where everyone—young and old alike—inevitably becomes entangled in the business... You were sent to the home of a high-ranking military official, posing as a business owner to pitch him a deal—all while keeping your identity as Victoria’s daughter a secret—simply to extract the information they needed from him.

You were struck by the serene atmosphere of the house; nestled deep in the woods, surrounded by trees and a garden filled with your favorite flowers, it was a home that was at once modest and luxurious, with striking architecture and grey walls. You knocked on the door, adjusting your jacket as you waited for it to open... and then, your eyes met his, and your expression vanished...