Ellie pulled the wool scarf high around her chin, letting it shadow most of her face. The tinted glasses concealed her eyes.
She moved cautiously, each step measured, her gaze darting to reflections in shop windows, scanning for anyone lingering too long.
For weeks now, she had been quietly watching Leo, knowing full well that Mafioso's men were always watching her. They followed at a distance, pretending not to, but Ellie had learned to recognize them by their gait, their way of blending in too well.
That afternoon, rain drifted softly across the street, turning the pavement silver. Ellie saw Leo step out of a black sedan in front of a restaurant.
He was wearing a grey suit, meticulously buttoned all the way to the top, making him appear even more aloof. He looked incredulously handsome and utterly unapproachable.
She hesitated across the street, her heart caught between fear and resolve. "This is my chance," she thought
Inside the restaurant, she took a table near the window, far enough that Leo wouldn't notice her but close enough to see him clearly. He was seated with two men, they must be his business partners, she guessed.
Ellie took out a small notepad from her purse and wrote quickly, her hand trembling at first but steadying as the words found their form.
"Leo, it's Ellie. Please forgive me. I never intended to leave you. Mafioso threatened me. I didn't have a choice."
She stared at the words for a moment, then folded the note neatly into quarters. "But how could she get it to him without being seen?" Mafioso's men could walk in at any moment.
As if summoned by her dread, the door opened. Two figures in dark coats stepped in, their eyes scanning the room in short, efficient motions. She recognized them instantly.
"Mafioso's men." She had seen these two the day she and Stark were kidnapped. Her pulse quickened. They weren't here for a meal, they were here for Leo. Probably to disrupt the meeting or twist the deal.
"I can't let this happen," she thought.
Ellie raised her hand and called the waiter. A young man with a kind, innocent face.
"I'll take a bottle of Bordeaux," she said softly, pressing a few extra bills into his palm. Then, with quiet urgency, she added, "There's a man over there, the one in the grey suit, dark hair. Please deliver this bottle to his table, and quietly give him this note. N one else should know."
The waiter hesitated, curiosity flickering across his face, but her tone allowed no questions. "Of course, ma'am," he said. and walked away.
Ellie's heart thudded painfully as she watched. The men from Mafioso's circle were pretending to browse the wine list, but their eyes kept glancing towards Leo's table.
When the waiter finally reached Leo, he bowed politely and placed the bottle of wine on the table. Leo was about to reject it, saying he hadn't ordered any, when the note was slipped discreetly into his hands beneath the napkin.
Leo frowned, surprised, unfolding the paper under the table. She saw his expression shift, from confusion to recognition. His eyes darted up, scanning the room. Ellie turned away quickly, pretending to search her bag, her breath shallow. She couldn't risk being seen.
"Mafioso," the word burned in his mind like fire. "So it had being him all along. That explained Ellie's reaction that day."
Five years ago, Mafioso had tried to kill him, but Leo let it slide because his grandfather had asked him to. But this time, he wouldn't forgive so easily.
Leo's pulse surged with anger but he managed to remain calm. Across the table, one of his clients was speaking, gesturing to figures on a document. Leo nodded as if listening, masking the storm raging behind his eyes.
He folded the notes carefully, slipping it into his pocket.
Ellie saw the moment he read it, the faint tremor in his hand before he hid it. Relief washed over her. "Now he knows the truth," she thought "He won't hate me anymore."
She waited just long enough to see him tuck the note away safely, then stood, pulled her scarf higher, and left the restaurant before Mafioso's men could notice her.