The Mafia Boss Saw Me Bandaging a Stray Dog — Then He Quietly Followed Me Home Alone

Chapter 4

“That seems unlikely.”

“And yet here you are.”

“I am.”

The calm admission frustrated her more than a denial ever could. She watched the room shift around him the way it always did — heads turning, voices dropping, people standing a little straighter. He approached the donation table and spoke quietly with the shelter director. Paperwork appeared. Signatures followed. The director’s eyes went wide.

Minutes later, the director practically floated back to Maya. “Anonymous sponsorship. Enough to cover veterinary expenses for six months.”

“Six months?”

“Whoever he is, he just saved half our programs this winter.”

Across the room, Raphael was kneeling beside an elderly Labrador whose gray muzzle suggested many years of loyalty. The dog rested its head against his hand without hesitation. Maya found herself surprised. Powerful men usually wanted publicity, cameras, recognition. Raphael seemed to want none of it.

He stood and approached her again. “You look suspicious.”

“I’m suspicious because people don’t usually give away that kind of money and pretend it never happened.”

He glanced toward the dogs. “Perhaps some things matter more than being seen.”

The words landed heavier than they should have. Outside, the sunlight faded into gold. Families kept visiting the adoption booths. Somewhere near the entrance, a child laughed as a puppy chased a tennis ball across the floor. The warmth of the scene softened something inside her, just a little.

“Thank you,” she finally said. “For helping them.”

“They deserve a chance.”

Before she could ask why, a volunteer hurried over with a clipboard. “Maya, we have a problem. The foster family for the white stray backed out.”

The dog from the alley. The one she’d bandaged in the rain, the one who now spent his afternoons sleeping outside her apartment building. Maya looked toward the kennel, where the dog sat watching the crowd — alone, unwanted, again. A familiar sadness settled across her face.

Raphael noticed it instantly. He followed her gaze.

“Does he have a name?” he asked.

Maya blinked. “He doesn’t have one.”