It was heavy rain in New York City and the time was exactly 12 midnight. Elena was walking very fast on the road. She was shivering badly in the cold and pulled her wet coat tightly. Her heart was beating very fast because she was completely terrified. Every two minutes, she looked back to see if anyone was following her. She was running away from her bad past and her old mistakes. She thought that after changing the city she would be safe, but she was completely wrong. In this big city, danger was waiting for her in the dark.
Elena was feeling breathless, so she took a turn into a small, dark street to find a shortcut to the subway station. But as soon as she went inside, the street was completely silent and empty. Suddenly, a very bright light from a car hit her eyes and she stopped. A beautiful, big black luxury car was parked at the corner. Two tall men in black suits were standing there with umbrellas. They did not look like ordinary local rowdies. Their look and style showed that they were very powerful and dangerous people.
"Are you lost, girl?" a very deep and heavy voice came from behind her. Elena jumped in fear and turned around quickly. Her back hit the wall and her eyes became big with terror. A man came out of the dark. He was very tall, looked handsome but extremely dangerous. His eyes were cold like ice. His name was Alexander Vance, the biggest and most powerful mafia don of the city. He had a cigarette lighter in his hand, and in that small light, Elena saw his cruel smile. The way he was standing showed that he controlled the whole area.
Elena’s hands were shaking terribly and she could not speak properly. "I am just going to the subway station. Please, I don't want any trouble," she said in a low voice. Alexander walked toward her slowly. His expensive shoes made a clicking sound on the wet road. Every step he took brought death closer to her. He stopped just an inch away from her. He was so big that Elena was completely trapped against the wall. He looked at her pale face very closely. "But trouble always follows people who run away, Elena," he whispered in her ear. Elena froze completely. She could not believe her ears. He knew her name.
"How do you know my name?" she asked, her voice cracking in fear. Alexander smiled darkly and gently moved a wet hair strand away from her face with his cold glove. "I know every single thing happening in my area. Especially when a beautiful girl enters with a big secret," he said with a low laugh. He took out a small silver key from his pocket and showed it to her. It was the same secret key that Elena had stolen from her old bosses to save her life. "You have stolen something from my enemies, and that means it belongs to me now."
Elena started crying, and tears mixed with the rain on her face. "Please leave me, I don't know anything. I just want to live," she begged. Alexander’s smile disappeared and his face became very serious and commanding. He leaned down and said, "Nothing is free in my world, girl. You have only two options tonight. Either you walk out of this street and let your enemies catch you, or you sit in my car, follow my rules, and accept my protection." Elena looked at the dark car and then into Alexander’s sharp eyes. She knew that sitting in his car meant entering a very dangerous world, but she had no other choice to survive. The real game started now.
