Chapter 5

ISADORA

The next morning, Luca joined me for breakfast. The image of him drenched in blood yesterday was still fresh in my mind, a sharp reminder of who he truly was—the head of the most powerful mafia in the country. Those small moments we’d shared, the meals, the conversations, had lulled me into forgetting the danger. But now, I couldn’t. Not when I knew how easily he could end me.

I avoided looking at him, keeping my eyes glued to my plate, but he noticed. Of course, he noticed.

“Dora, look at me,” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I raised my head slowly, meeting his striking blue eyes. Damn him for being so devastatingly handsome, it almost made it worse.

“Good girl,” he murmured with a smug smirk that made my stomach twist. “Yesterday, in the garden, you had something to say?”

“Yes, I, uh—” I faltered, my gaze flicking back to my plate. “I wanted to talk about college. I’m in my final year, and my finals are coming up soon.” I finally forced myself to look up, my voice steady. “I want to go back.”

His expression softened, a small smile curving his lips.

“You know, Dora,” he said, gesturing between us, “this doesn’t have to be the prison sentence you’ve made it out to be.” He set his fork down with a quiet clink. “I’ve been wondering when you’d ask.”

“So…?” I asked hesitantly, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Of course, you can go back to college, Isadora. You’re not a prisoner.”

Hearing those words brought me huge relief. I almost smiled, but then he added, “But…”

Ah, there’s always a catch.

“You’ll be taking two of my guards with you. You’re not allowed to go anywhere without them.”

My face fell instantly. If this happened, there would be no way to hide the fact that I was engaged to Luca. People would notice.

“I don’t want—”

“That’s my only condition, Dora,” he said firmly, cutting me off. “I’m not willing to compromise your safety, and it isn’t up for discussion.”

“Isn’t two a bit excessive?” I tried, grasping at straws.

“No,” he said with finality, his tone unyielding. “And this is me compromising.”

“Thank you, Luca,” I said softly, genuinely grateful he was letting me go back to college. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he seemed. Maybe this marriage wasn’t the prison I thought it was. Could I give it a chance? But then again... the rumors.

“If you need anything for college that isn’t already here, you can go get it later today,” he said, standing up. “Take Rafael with you.”

I nodded, still processing his words, as he adjusted his cuffs.

“I’ll see you later,” he added casually before walking out, leaving me with more questions than answers.

LUCA

“The fuck do you mean Jace is dead? Huh? How the hell did that happen?” I demanded, my voice sharp as a blade.

Rafael shifted uneasily, his expression dark, as one of the men placed a wooden box on my desk. I narrowed my eyes, nodding for him to open it. When he did, my stomach twisted.

Inside was a bloodied cloth wrapped around something solid. He pulled the fabric back to reveal Jace’s face, pale and lifeless, his expression frozen in terror.

There was a piece of paper tucked beside him. I pulled it out, forcing myself to remain calm, and then gestured for the box to be closed.

The note read: “The Scorpions are coming.”

I crumpled the paper in my fist, my jaw clenched in barely contained rage, and flung it across the room.

“Find out who the hell did this!” I barked, my voice reverberating through the room.

Jace wasn’t just a supplier, he was family in all but blood. He’d been loyal to my father, and to me, since the moment I took over.

“Handle this,” I ordered, my tone ice-cold. “And make sure his family hears it from us not the streets.”

“Yes, Boss,” Carlos replied immediately.

“The rest of you leave,” I growled.

They scattered like mice, leaving only Rafael behind. “Rafael, stay. We need to talk.”

Once the door shut, I turned on him. “Who the hell are the Scorpions, and why am I only hearing about them now?”

Rafael ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mirroring my own. “It’s like they came out of nowhere, Luca. They tipped off the police about one of our warehouses last week.”

“Nobody just comes out of nowhere, Rafe,” I snapped, my teeth clenched. “Figure out who they are. Find out who’s running this operation and bring them to me.”

“I’ve got people on it already, Boss,” he assured me. He hesitated before adding, “Also, we’ve shut down the trafficking ring Gabriel Rossi tried to—”

I held up a hand, cutting him off as I heard the faint sound of something falling outside the door, followed by quick, retreating footsteps. My eyes narrowed.

“Stay here,” I said sharply before storming out of the office.

In the hallway, I caught a glimpse of dark hair darting around the corner. Isadora.

I quickened my steps, catching her by the arm just as she was about to head down the stairs. She froze, startled, her wide eyes meeting mine.

"Didn't your parents teach you it's not nice to eavesdrop, huh, Dora?" I asked, my voice dangerously low.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she squeaked, her voice trembling. "I swear, I-I was just looking for Rafe," she stammered. Her cautious tone told me she could sense my mood. Good.

"I didn't hear anything, I swear," she added quickly, but her lie was written all over her face.

Thank God I'd stopped Rafael before he said anything about her father.

I stared at her for a moment, my anger simmering beneath the surface. The thought of her being on nickname terms with Rafael irritated me more than it should have, but I let it go for now.

Without another word, I released her arm and turned away, leaving her standing there, shaken but unharmed. For now.