Her name, "Yara," the one she had carried her whole life, would forever be intertwined with shame. The Alpha's abandoned daughter. That's how they all saw her. The daughter of one of the most powerful mafia families in the country, and yet, she was the one who had been forsaken.
As she walked past cliques of laughing students and the bustling college crowd, her confidence remained unshaken. She didn't need their approval. They could whisper, laugh, and mock her all they wanted. Yara knew who she was beneath the rumors, and nothing could strip her of that.
Until a pair of eyes met hers.
Zane Kalani. The name alone was a force. The heir to the Kalani empire, a name that could stop people in their tracks and make them bow down in respect. Handsome, athletic, and smart, he was the golden boy of the school. Every girl wanted him, and every guy wanted to be him. But when their gazes locked across the quad, he was the one who seemed taken aback.
Yara didn't know why he was looking at her. Maybe it was the fact that despite the insults and gossip surrounding her, she refused to let it affect her. Or maybe, just maybe, there was something in her eyes that intrigued him. Either way, the second their eyes met, something shifted. She could feel the weight of his stare, the intensity of his curiosity. But Yara quickly averted her gaze. She was here for a purpose, and it had nothing to do with him.
That afternoon, after the last bell rang, Yara found herself walking alone through the campus. But the usual peace she felt was interrupted by a car that pulled up beside her. It was sleek and black, a familiar vehicle. Zane Kalani stepped out from the driver's side.
"Yara Ekwueme," he said, his voice smooth but with a trace of something deeper, something dangerous. "I need to talk to you."
Yara stiffened but didn't back away. "About what?"
"About your father," Zane replied, his eyes unreadable. "I know who you are, and I know what you're here for."
Yara's heart skipped. She had hoped to keep her father's empire and its dealings out of this place. But her name, her very existence, was too entwined with the mafia for her to escape.
"Leave me out of it," she replied coldly, but something inside her told her that she wouldn't be able to escape this one.
Zane took a step closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You have no choice but to get involved. There's something bigger happening here than you think, and you're a part of it, whether you like it or not."
Yara was caught between the undeniable pull of his words and the instinct to protect herself. She didn't need more enemies. She had enough. But there was something about Zane's presence, something commanding, that made her want to listen.
Before she could say another word, the sound of footsteps echoed, and a figure appeared. A man, tall and confident, with dark eyes that gleamed with purpose. It was Zane's older brother, Levi Kalani.
"Is there a problem here?" Levi asked, his tone sharp, his gaze calculating as he looked between Yara and Zane.
Yara took a step back, sensing the tension between the two brothers. There was a palpable rivalry, something unspoken but clearly there. Zane seemed unfazed, but Levi's eyes lingered on Yara.
"Nothing to worry about, Levi," Zane said, his voice cool, almost dismissive. "Just introducing myself."
Levi didn't seem convinced, but he nodded and turned to leave, his presence still heavy in the air.
Yara exhaled slowly, trying to steady her racing heart. The Kalani brothers weren't just heirs to a powerful empire. They were ruthless. And now, for reasons she didn't yet understand, they had chosen her.
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