Chapter 13

Isadora

"Wow, you look terrible," Laura said as I stepped into class, her tone shot back, sliding into the seat next to her.

"Don’t deflect," she said, leaning closer. "Something’s up with you. Spill."

I sighed, leaning on my elbows. "I went out on a date with Luca."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You what? How did it go?"

"It was fine, I guess," I said slowly. "Until I got this text." I pulled out my phone and showed her the string of anonymous messages I’d been getting, the ones about Luca and Alicia, his dead wife.

Laura frowned as she scrolled through them. "Okay, yeah, this is... weird. Do you think the rumors are true, though?"

"I don’t know what to believe, Laura," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "He’s so good to me. He’s thoughtful, kind... but he’s also a Don. He kills people. And Alicia..." I trailed off, biting my lip.

"And?" Laura pressed, her voice quieter now.

I hesitated, my throat tightening as the words hovered on the tip of my tongue. "And... I think I’ve started having feelings for him."

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she studied me, like she was trying to piece together the mess of emotions I was clearly failing to hide.

"Isadora," she said finally, her voice gentler than before, "you know this isn’t just some normal guy we’re talking about. Luca’s dangerous."

"I know that," I said quickly. "But he’s not... he’s not like that with me. He’s different. I don’t know how to explain it."

Laura gave me a long, skeptical look. "You sure you’re not just seeing what you want to see? I mean, I get it, he’s hot, he’s attentive, and he’s probably got that whole brooding thing going on. But this is Luca Morretti. You can’t just ignore who he is."

"I’m not ignoring it," I said defensively. "I’m just... I don’t know, Laura. I’m confused, okay? The texts, the rumors, my feelings, it’s all too much."

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Look, I get it. But just... be careful, okay? If even half the rumors are true, you need to be careful."

"I will," I promised, though the knot in my chest only tightened. Careful. Right. If only my heart got the memo.

Before Laura could press further, our professor walked in, and the class began. But I wasn’t paying attention. My mind was miles away, tangled in thoughts of Luca, the texts, and the growing weight of everything around me.

After class, Laura nudged me as we walked out. “So, what’s your plan? Are you going to confront him about the texts?”

I hesitated, chewing the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know. What am I even supposed to say? ‘Hey, Luca, someone’s texting me about your dead wife and calling you her murderer. Care to comment? And the last time I asked him about it he evaded me completely’”

Laura winced. “Okay, maybe not like that. But you can’t just sit on this. What if the texts are true? What if he did kill her?”

My stomach twisted at the thought. “I just... I don’t think he did, Laura. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t feel right. The way he’s been with me... I just can’t see it.”

“People wear masks all the time, Isadora. Especially someone like Luca. You need to protect yourself.”

I nodded, even though her words didn’t fully sink in. Protect myself. Right. But how do you protect yourself from someone you’re starting to care about?

As we reached the parking lot, Rafael was already waiting for me, leaning against the sleek black SUV like some kind of immovable shadow.

“Rafael,” Laura said with a grin. “Looking as cheerful as ever.”

He didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on me. “Ready to go?” he asked, ignoring Laura completely.

“Yeah,” I said, turning to her. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Please do,” she said, giving me a pointed look. “And don’t keep this to yourself. If things get weird, you know I’ve got your back.”

I smiled faintly. “I know.”

The ride back to the house was silent, but Rafael’s presence was enough to keep my thoughts from spiraling too far. When we pulled up, I hesitated before getting out.

“Rafael,” I said, breaking the silence.

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable.

“Do you... do you know anything about Luca’s first wife? Alicia?”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t answer right away. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” I lied, trying to sound casual. “I just... heard some things and was curious.”

He studied me for a long moment before finally speaking. “You should ask Luca if you’re curious. It’s not my place.”

“Right,” I said, swallowing hard. “Of course.”

As I stepped inside the house, my nerves were buzzing. I didn’t know if I was ready to confront Luca, but I couldn’t keep avoiding the truth.

When I found him in his office later that evening, he was hunched over some documents, his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up. He looked up as I entered, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Hey,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “How was class?”

“Fine,” I said, my voice steady despite the whirlwind in my head.

I hesitated for a moment before walking over to him, my heart pounding. “Luca, can we talk?”

His brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded. “Of course. What’s on your mind?”

I took a deep breath, the weight of my questions pressing down on me. “It’s about Alicia.”