The morning air was brisk as Leona stepped into the dimly lit staff room. The faint hum of conversation from the bar's main floor barely reached her ears. Her shift had dragged on longer than usual, and exhaustion clung to her like a second skin.
Unbuttoning her uniform, Leona caught her reflection in the cracked mirror above the sink. Loose strands of wavy hair framed her face, her eyes tired yet still holding that familiar warmth. Despite everything — the city's chaos, the unsettling news about another Vesper attack — she refused to let her smile falter.
She reached for her sweater, a soft beige one that matched her gentle aura. The cold fabric hugged her frame as she swapped her heels for worn-out sneakers. In the quiet moments like this, she felt the weight of her new life in this unfamiliar city — trying to find her place, her people.
As she left the room, the scent of stale liquor clung to the air. The morning staff was trickling in, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes. She offered them her usual bright smile — warm, genuine — as if the chaos of the world couldn't touch her.
The city outside greeted her with a dull grey sky. The streets were still waking up, coffee shops flickering to life, and traffic beginning to stir. Pulling her sweater closer, Leona started down the sidewalk, her mind still circling the worried faces she'd seen earlier — Valerio's sharp frustration, Dante's grim silence, and the headlines about Vesper that seemed to haunt the city.
"I hope that woman wakes up soon… They deserve answers," she thought, her chest tightening.
With a quiet sigh, she adjusted her bag strap and kept walking — her sunshine smile still intact, masking the unease she couldn't quite shake.
From the shadow of Valerio's car, he leaned back against the driver's door, eyes fixed on Leona's retreating figure. She walked with her usual lightness, her steps almost delicate against the rough pavement. That sweater she wore — soft and pale — looked like it belonged somewhere far gentler than this city's cold streets.
He scoffed under his breath, annoyed at himself for even noticing.
"She's not your problem," he reminded himself. Yet the memory of her bright smile — too pure for a place like his bar — lingered stubbornly in his mind.
As she reached the corner, Valerio muttered a curse and grabbed his keys. Moments later, his sleek black car pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, and his rough voice broke the morning calm.
"Get in," he said, trying to sound casual — distant.
Leona blinked in surprise, then smiled politely. "Oh, no need. It's just a few blocks."
Valerio's fingers tapped impatiently against the steering wheel. "It's not safe."
"I'll be fine," she reassured him, adjusting her bag strap.
He huffed, leaning slightly closer. "Don't be stubborn. Just get in." His voice dipped lower, less demanding this time — almost… concerned.
That caught her off guard. Leona hesitated, her gaze flickering between him and the empty sidewalk ahead. Finally, she sighed and climbed in.
"Thanks," she said softly, her fingers curling nervously in her lap.
Valerio didn't respond — just started the engine and drove. He wouldn't admit it, not even to himself, but something about her unsettled him. That softness… it didn't belong in his world. Yet somehow, it made him want to keep it safe.
Dante lounged comfortably in the passenger seat, one arm lazily draped over the door as he watched the scene unfold. His smirk was impossible to miss — smug and teasing, like he knew something no one else did.
Leona shifted uncomfortably as she caught sight of it. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, but her voice was firm when she spoke.
"Don't get any ideas," she said, her gaze locking with Dante's through the rearview mirror. "It's just a ride — nothing more."
Dante chuckled, low and amused. "Sure," he drawled, dragging the word out just enough to be irritating.
"I mean it," Leona pressed. "I don't need anyone assuming things that aren't true."
Valerio's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but he kept his eyes on the road.
"Relax, sunshine," Dante grinned. "I'm just saying… if Val drives someone home, it usually means something."
"Yeah?" Leona shot back. "Then maybe this is your sign he's learning to be decent."
Dante snorted a laugh, but Valerio finally spoke, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Enough," he muttered.
The rest of the ride was quiet, but Dante's grin lingered — and so did the flicker of unease in Leona's chest.
Dante lounged comfortably in the passenger seat, one arm lazily draped over the door as he watched the scene unfold. His smirk was impossible to miss — smug and teasing, like he knew something no one else did.
Leona shifted uncomfortably as she caught sight of it. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, but her voice was firm when she spoke.
"Don't get any ideas," she said, her gaze locking with Dante's through the rearview mirror. "It's just a ride — nothing more."
Dante chuckled, low and amused. "Sure," he drawled, dragging the word out just enough to be irritating.
"I mean it," Leona pressed. "I don't need anyone assuming things that aren't true."
Valerio's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but he kept his eyes on the road.
"Relax, sunshine," Dante grinned. "I'm just saying… if Val drives someone home, it usually means something."
"Yeah?" Leona shot back. "Then maybe this is your sign he's learning to be decent."
Dante snorted a laugh, but Valerio finally spoke, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Enough," he muttered.
The rest of the ride was quiet, but Dante's grin lingered — and so did the flicker of unease in Leona's chest.
Leona shifted in her seat, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. The silence was beginning to itch at her nerves, and Dante's smug smile still lingered in her mind.
"How come," she began, her voice calm but laced with suspicion, "you haven't even asked where I live?"
Valerio's gaze remained fixed on the road, his expression unreadable.
"You're driving like you already know," Leona pressed.
For a moment, Valerio said nothing. The low hum of the engine filled the silence before he finally spoke.
"I remember," he said simply.
Leona's brows shot up. "You remember?"
"You mentioned it once," Valerio added with a shrug, as if that explained everything. "Didn't seem hard to forget."
Her lips parted, but no words came out. She didn't recall ever telling him that — and yet here he was, steering through the streets like he'd made the trip a hundred times before.
"Guess you're just that memorable," Dante quipped from the passenger seat, shooting her a wink.
Leona rolled her eyes, but a flicker of warmth crept into her chest. She quickly forced it down.
"Whatever," she muttered, turning her gaze out the window.
But as the city blurred past, her thoughts refused to settle.
Truth was, Valerio had seen her details before — her address neatly written on the employment form she'd filled out when she got the job. But he wasn't about to admit that.
Leona, being her usual naïve self, assumed she must have mentioned it in passing. The thought barely lingered in her mind, and she shrugged it off like it was nothing.
"Guess I must've told you," she muttered, her voice casual.
Valerio didn't correct her. Instead, he shifted his focus back to the road, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than before.
"She's too trusting," he thought grimly.
Dante, ever the observer, seemed to read his mind. With a low chuckle, he leaned back in his seat. "Don't worry, Val, I'm sure she can handle herself."
Leona turned sharply toward him. "I can, actually," she shot back with a smile too sweet to be innocent.
Valerio smirked to himself. If only she knew just how far from 'handling herself' she seemed — so soft, so oblivious.
But something about that made him uneasy.
Leona, still completely clueless about the world she'd unknowingly tangled herself in, sighed softly.
"You know…" she started, crossing her arms as she glanced between the two men. "I don't get it. Everything feels like one of those psycho serial killer movies — bodies turning up, people whispering about some underground hitman…" Her voice trailed off before she shook her head. "It's insane."
Dante let out a dry chuckle from the back seat. "You'd be surprised how close those movies get."
Leona turned her head sharply toward him. "Oh, come on," she said with a half-hearted laugh. "Mafia families? Secret assassins? That's just… movie stuff, right?"
Neither Valerio nor Dante answered. The silence stretched just long enough for her to shift awkwardly in her seat.
"…Right?" she asked again, this time her voice quieter.
"You shouldn't worry about things like that," Valerio muttered, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.
"Well, that's hard when things keep happening," she shot back. "First that guy at the bar, then Elias… I mean, I know I'm new to the city, but this place is starting to feel cursed."
Valerio's fingers tightened on the wheel.
"And your sister?" she added softly, her voice shifting from frustrated to concerned. "How… how is she?"
Valerio's expression faltered for a split second — a flicker of something raw — before he masked it again.
"She's stable," he said. "Still unconscious."
"I'm really sorry," Leona said sincerely.
For a moment, Valerio almost forgot how frustratingly oblivious she was. Almost.
Leona shifted in her seat, glancing out the window before turning back to Valerio.
"You know…" she started, her tone lighter but still unsure, "…you're driving me home, but aren't you worried? I mean, if this city's really as dangerous as it seems… shouldn't you be more careful?"
Valerio snorted softly, his grip on the wheel relaxing just a little. "I can handle myself."
"Yeah?" she quipped, arching a brow. "And what about me?"
"You?" Valerio's lips twitched in something close to a smirk. "You're hardly a target."
Leona let out an exaggerated gasp, pressing a hand to her chest. "Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Dante chuckled from the back. "He's not wrong," he said with a teasing grin. "You're about as threatening as a kitten."
"Yeah, yeah," Leona huffed, crossing her arms. "I'll have you know, I can be pretty scary if I try."
The car dipped into silence for a beat before she added more seriously, "But seriously… this whole thing — your sister, that guy at the bar — it's all pretty intense. Are you sure you're safe?"
Valerio's gaze flicked to her in the mirror — soft, almost thoughtful — before he looked back at the road.
"I'll be fine," he said, voice firm. "Just… stay out of trouble."