Eclipsed Hearts

Emily, an ex-military officer who was an undercover agent for the FBI, pushed open the door to the dark bar with a frown on her face as she intended to retire to some peace at the end of a boring day. It was a quiet little place, the only sound in the room being the low chatter and clank of drinks. She walked toward the bar and occupied a chair while waiting for a drink ordered, her sights performed a customary check with the help of her two fleshy orbs. Decades of training had taught her some things, and those instinctual alerts never went off.



As she was lost in contemplation, a handsome stranger named Alex appeared by her side. He had a friendly disposition and a disarming smile that instantly made her comfortable. He was handsome, tall with dark hair and striking blue eyes that bored right into her soul. That’s how she met him, and this time, Emily was actually attracted to a man for his kindness, rather than his flashy looks or impressive career. They covered a vast range of information, from their reading choices to how they grew up, and Emily was so unaccustomed to such feelings, having been deprived of them for years.

The following weeks they kept running into each other at the bar deepening their affection for one another. They engaged in romantic encounters, acted like tourists in the city and exposed their aspirations to one another. Emily was developing feelings for Alex, and it frightened her. She’d been careful, had always had walls around herself but with Alex, it was different. She felt that for the first time, those things she kept locked away could finally be displayed.

What Emily did not know was that Alex was a man of two faces. The day was spent with the ideal man of her dreams, and the night was every woman’s worst nightmare, an empire of crime. This was something he had concealed from her because he did not want to risk everything that they had started building. He was born into crime and violence, and though he had wanted to get away from it for a while, the calling of the family business proved to be more powerful. He had been thrust into the position of being the mafia chieftain by circumstances, and not by his desire, and he had always wished that it was possible to escape such a position.

One evening, as Emily was immersed in a case, she came across evidence implicating Alex in the mob. She was disheartened to discover that the man she loved was involved in some illicit activities. As an FBI agent, Emily had a duty to apprehend him, and she would not be able to run away from that. No way she could fathom the fact that the compassionate and loving man she has ever known could have been that involved in the deep end of evil ways.

When she finally did, Alex looked shocked. He did not think that Emily would get under cover. The shocking news was the beginning of a series of events that ended up with an all-out war between the FBI and the Italian Mafia. Emily and Alex ended up in enemy camps, their love strained by the turmoil and the violence that followed. Raids against mafia’s operations were mounted by the FBI, and the mafia responded through outright violent aggression. There was panic and dread in the whole region.

Even so, the romance did not die. They sailed through the dangerous seas of their opposing worlds without letting go off each other. There were moments when Emily found it hard to separate her allegiance to the FBI from her relationship with Alex while Alex was busy trying to keep Emily safe from his destructive life. They rendezvoused, intertwined in fleeting affection and warmth, knowing all too well that tomorrow might not have a meeting.

Ultimately, love won, but not without costs and a fresh appreciation of the paradox in their love. A strategy on how to crush the mafia from within was conceived between Emily and Alex, using Alex’s identity as a weapon to collect the required materials for the destruction of the mafia. It was a dangerous decision, but they resolved to make a reality in which they would not have to live in fear from the objects of their affection.

The strategy bore fruit and the mafia was successfully broken. While testifying against the other members of the crime syndicate, Alex was offered protection and, so, he and Emily had the chance to start their chosen family. Away from the sorrows and blood shed by their past, they found a nice town and settled there. Emily proceeded to work for the FBI while Alex got a job where he would help the society to put his abilities into constructive use.

Their relationship had been tempered in war and weathered a whole lot of stressors but came out weaved in iron. Both Emily and Alex understood that their adventure was not over, but they looked to the new phase with optimism, as they knew that there was nothing they cannot defeat when they are together.