ISADORA The silence stretched between us, not awkward, not heavy—just there. A quiet understanding.Luca’s fingers trailed lazily along my arm, his touch gentler than I’d ever felt from him before. Like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to hold me but couldn’t quite stop himself."You said she was never really there," he murmured after a while. "What did you mean?"I exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling. "She was… distracted. Distant. Always chasing something that wasn’t us. My father, mostly."His hand stilled. "She loved him?"I let out a small, hollow laugh. "She thought she did. But I think she loved the idea of him more than the reality. She built him up in her head, made him into something he wasn’t. And when he didn’t live up to it, she just… checked out. From him. From me."Luca was quiet for a long time, his gaze unreadable. "And yet, you still miss her."I turned my head to look at him, something sharp curling in my chest. "You ever think about your mom?"His expression fl
ISADORAThe silence stretched between us again, but this time, it was different. I could feel the weight of everything Luca wasn’t saying pressing against the air between us. His hand still traced slow, absentminded patterns along my spine, but his mind was somewhere else. Somewhere darker.And maybe I should’ve let it go. Maybe I should’ve let him stay in that quiet, let him believe that I didn’t need to know more.But I did.I tipped my head back, studying his face in the dim light. “Did you ever love her?”His fingers paused. Just for a second.His jaw tightened, his expression unreadable as he exhaled slowly. “Alicia?”I nodded.Something flickered in his gaze, something I couldn’t quite place. He was quiet for a moment, like he was trying to decide how much he was willing to give me.Then, finally, he spoke.“I met her at a gala,” he said, his voice distant, like he was pulling the memory from a place he hadn’t touched in a long time. “It was just after I took over from my father
LUCAIsadora’s breath was still shaky when I pulled away, my thumb brushing over the curve of her jaw. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her eyes dark with something I could finally name.Love.She might not have said it yet, but I saw it in the way she clung to me, in the way she didn’t hesitate when she asked me to marry her.And fuck if that didn’t make me want to lock her away where no one could ever touch her.My phone vibrated against the nightstand, and I exhaled sharply, pressing one last kiss to her lips before reaching for it.Rafael.I already knew what this was about before I even answered.“Talk,” I ordered.His voice was sharp, all business. “We’ve got him. Valentino Costa. He’s holed up in a warehouse near the docks. Not alone, but we can handle it.”The name sent a slow, dark heat curling through my veins.Alicia had been many things—a traitor, a liar—but when she’d gasped out Costa’s name as the one behind the attacks on Isadora, There's no doubt he's not the boss but he ha
ISADORAI didn't even know there was a fucking clinic ward in this house.Rafael barreled through the halls, shouting orders, his grip on Luca unrelenting as he and another man hauled him toward a hidden wing of the estate. Blood trailed behind them, soaking into the expensive floors, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.Luca's weight sagged between them, his head lolling to the side, his breaths shallow. Too shallow.Panic choked me."Move!" Rafael barked, shoving through a set of double doors.The clinic was pristine, cold, too white. It smelled of antiseptic and something metallic—Luca’s blood. My stomach twisted as they laid him onto a surgical bed, hands working fast to strip away his blood-soaked shirt.I hovered, frozen, my heartbeat a frantic, unbearable rhythm in my ears.Luca was too pale. His eyes fluttered, unfocused, lips parted as though he was fighting to stay conscious.A doctor—where the hell did he even come from?—rushed in, a bag slung over his shoulder. "Get out of
ISADORA The clinic ward was eerily silent now, save for the steady beeping of monitors and the occasional murmur of the doctor’s assistant. But the stillness did nothing to calm me.Luca was too pale. His breathing, though steady, was still too shallow. I gripped his hand tightly, my fingers trembling against his skin. He was warm—too warm, fever still clinging to him. My stomach twisted.I hadn’t moved from his side.Not when the doctor finished tending to him. Not when Rafael tried to speak to me. Not even when my body screamed in protest, exhaustion weighing me down like lead.I wasn’t leaving.Rafael sighed from where he stood near the doorway, arms crossed. His sharp eyes, always unreadable, softened just slightly as he watched me.“Isadora,” he murmured, stepping closer. “You need to rest.”I shook my head, my grip on Luca tightening. “I’m not leaving him.”Rafael exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You’re pregnant.”The words hit like a quiet reminder, one I had
ISADORA “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.”I hesitated, my gaze flickering back to Luca. He was still, but not in the way that had terrified me earlier. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythms, his pulse strong beneath my fingertips.Bianca reached for my arm. “Rafael’s staying here. He’ll call you the second anything changes.”The logic was there. But logic didn’t matter.What mattered was that Luca had almost died tonight. And I wasn’t sure I’d survive seeing it happen again.But I wasn’t given much of a choice. Bianca tugged gently, pulling me up from the chair. My legs protested the sudden movement, pins and needles prickling up my calves from standing for so long without rest.The walk to the grand staircase felt longer than it should have. The house was eerily quiet, the usual hum of distant voices absent. The only sound was the muffled press of our footsteps against the marble floor.Halfway up the stairs, a wave of dizziness hit me.I swayed, the edges of my vision tilting
ISADORA The room was quiet except for the steady beep of Luca’s heart monitor and the low hum of Rafael’s breathing.I lay there for a while, watching Luca, tracing the shape of his fingers with my eyes, memorizing the slight movement of his chest. Every breath he took felt like borrowed time, a reminder that he was still here. That I hadn’t lost him.But sleep didn’t come easily.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—bleeding, gasping, slipping away. The metallic scent of blood clung to my memory, sharp and suffocating. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the images away, but they always lurked just beneath the surface.A rustling sound broke the silence.I turned my head slightly, expecting to see Rafael adjusting in his chair, but he was still, his arms crossed, eyes closed.The noise came again—this time from the bed.My breath caught.I pushed up onto my elbows, heart pounding as I focused on Luca. His fingers twitched slightly against the blanket, a small but unmistakable movemen
ISADORA "You must think I’m a joke if you believe I’ll sit back and let you run my life like it doesn’t belong to me." "Don’t be silly, Isadora. Luca Morretti is a good match for you," my dad replied, not even sparing me a glance. It was as if I wasn’t worth the energy. Well, I’ll be damned if I let him trade me off for more money and power. "Good match? He’s in the Mafia, Dad! He’s a Don! Don’t sit here and act like you haven’t heard the rumors," I seethed, turning to look at my mom, who sat there ever obediently. It pissed me off that she never went against him. "Like you said, sweet Isadora, rumors," he replied half-heartedly. I clenched my teeth to keep myself from saying something I couldn’t take back. "Alright then. I’ll marry Luca." That brought a smile to his face. "But I’ll be damned if you get any of that money or power you’re after." His smile dropped instantly, replaced by a murderous expression. Good. My turn to smile. "Do not test me, little girl. You will mar
ISADORA The room was quiet except for the steady beep of Luca’s heart monitor and the low hum of Rafael’s breathing.I lay there for a while, watching Luca, tracing the shape of his fingers with my eyes, memorizing the slight movement of his chest. Every breath he took felt like borrowed time, a reminder that he was still here. That I hadn’t lost him.But sleep didn’t come easily.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—bleeding, gasping, slipping away. The metallic scent of blood clung to my memory, sharp and suffocating. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the images away, but they always lurked just beneath the surface.A rustling sound broke the silence.I turned my head slightly, expecting to see Rafael adjusting in his chair, but he was still, his arms crossed, eyes closed.The noise came again—this time from the bed.My breath caught.I pushed up onto my elbows, heart pounding as I focused on Luca. His fingers twitched slightly against the blanket, a small but unmistakable movemen
ISADORA “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.”I hesitated, my gaze flickering back to Luca. He was still, but not in the way that had terrified me earlier. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythms, his pulse strong beneath my fingertips.Bianca reached for my arm. “Rafael’s staying here. He’ll call you the second anything changes.”The logic was there. But logic didn’t matter.What mattered was that Luca had almost died tonight. And I wasn’t sure I’d survive seeing it happen again.But I wasn’t given much of a choice. Bianca tugged gently, pulling me up from the chair. My legs protested the sudden movement, pins and needles prickling up my calves from standing for so long without rest.The walk to the grand staircase felt longer than it should have. The house was eerily quiet, the usual hum of distant voices absent. The only sound was the muffled press of our footsteps against the marble floor.Halfway up the stairs, a wave of dizziness hit me.I swayed, the edges of my vision tilting
ISADORA The clinic ward was eerily silent now, save for the steady beeping of monitors and the occasional murmur of the doctor’s assistant. But the stillness did nothing to calm me.Luca was too pale. His breathing, though steady, was still too shallow. I gripped his hand tightly, my fingers trembling against his skin. He was warm—too warm, fever still clinging to him. My stomach twisted.I hadn’t moved from his side.Not when the doctor finished tending to him. Not when Rafael tried to speak to me. Not even when my body screamed in protest, exhaustion weighing me down like lead.I wasn’t leaving.Rafael sighed from where he stood near the doorway, arms crossed. His sharp eyes, always unreadable, softened just slightly as he watched me.“Isadora,” he murmured, stepping closer. “You need to rest.”I shook my head, my grip on Luca tightening. “I’m not leaving him.”Rafael exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You’re pregnant.”The words hit like a quiet reminder, one I had
ISADORAI didn't even know there was a fucking clinic ward in this house.Rafael barreled through the halls, shouting orders, his grip on Luca unrelenting as he and another man hauled him toward a hidden wing of the estate. Blood trailed behind them, soaking into the expensive floors, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.Luca's weight sagged between them, his head lolling to the side, his breaths shallow. Too shallow.Panic choked me."Move!" Rafael barked, shoving through a set of double doors.The clinic was pristine, cold, too white. It smelled of antiseptic and something metallic—Luca’s blood. My stomach twisted as they laid him onto a surgical bed, hands working fast to strip away his blood-soaked shirt.I hovered, frozen, my heartbeat a frantic, unbearable rhythm in my ears.Luca was too pale. His eyes fluttered, unfocused, lips parted as though he was fighting to stay conscious.A doctor—where the hell did he even come from?—rushed in, a bag slung over his shoulder. "Get out of
LUCAIsadora’s breath was still shaky when I pulled away, my thumb brushing over the curve of her jaw. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her eyes dark with something I could finally name.Love.She might not have said it yet, but I saw it in the way she clung to me, in the way she didn’t hesitate when she asked me to marry her.And fuck if that didn’t make me want to lock her away where no one could ever touch her.My phone vibrated against the nightstand, and I exhaled sharply, pressing one last kiss to her lips before reaching for it.Rafael.I already knew what this was about before I even answered.“Talk,” I ordered.His voice was sharp, all business. “We’ve got him. Valentino Costa. He’s holed up in a warehouse near the docks. Not alone, but we can handle it.”The name sent a slow, dark heat curling through my veins.Alicia had been many things—a traitor, a liar—but when she’d gasped out Costa’s name as the one behind the attacks on Isadora, There's no doubt he's not the boss but he ha
ISADORAThe silence stretched between us again, but this time, it was different. I could feel the weight of everything Luca wasn’t saying pressing against the air between us. His hand still traced slow, absentminded patterns along my spine, but his mind was somewhere else. Somewhere darker.And maybe I should’ve let it go. Maybe I should’ve let him stay in that quiet, let him believe that I didn’t need to know more.But I did.I tipped my head back, studying his face in the dim light. “Did you ever love her?”His fingers paused. Just for a second.His jaw tightened, his expression unreadable as he exhaled slowly. “Alicia?”I nodded.Something flickered in his gaze, something I couldn’t quite place. He was quiet for a moment, like he was trying to decide how much he was willing to give me.Then, finally, he spoke.“I met her at a gala,” he said, his voice distant, like he was pulling the memory from a place he hadn’t touched in a long time. “It was just after I took over from my father
ISADORA The silence stretched between us, not awkward, not heavy—just there. A quiet understanding.Luca’s fingers trailed lazily along my arm, his touch gentler than I’d ever felt from him before. Like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to hold me but couldn’t quite stop himself."You said she was never really there," he murmured after a while. "What did you mean?"I exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling. "She was… distracted. Distant. Always chasing something that wasn’t us. My father, mostly."His hand stilled. "She loved him?"I let out a small, hollow laugh. "She thought she did. But I think she loved the idea of him more than the reality. She built him up in her head, made him into something he wasn’t. And when he didn’t live up to it, she just… checked out. From him. From me."Luca was quiet for a long time, his gaze unreadable. "And yet, you still miss her."I turned my head to look at him, something sharp curling in my chest. "You ever think about your mom?"His expression fl
ISADORALuca’s fingers lingered against my skin, rough and warm, but I didn’t lean into his touch. Not yet.Because I wanted to believe him.I needed to believe him.But belief alone wasn’t enough.I stepped back, his hand falling away, and wrapped my arms around myself. The exhaustion wasn’t just physical—it ran deeper, settling in my bones."You say you’ll do better," I said quietly. "But what does that mean, Luca? Because I can’t keep waking up alone, wondering if today is the day someone takes you from me."His jaw clenched. "No one’s taking me from you."I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "You can’t promise that."He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. "I can promise I’ll fight like hell to make sure it never happens.""And what about me?" I took a step closer, my voice steadier now. "You act like keeping me in the dark is protecting me, but it’s not. It’s isolating me."His gaze darkened. "Isadora—""No." I cut him off. "I’m not some fragile thing you can tu
LUCAThe night air was sharp, carrying the scent of damp pavement and cigarette smoke as I leaned against the hood of my car, phone pressed to my ear."Nothing yet," Rafael muttered on the other end. "The bastard’s slippery, but he’ll show his face soon enough."I clenched my jaw, fingers tightening around the device. "Soon enough isn’t good enough."Rafael exhaled heavily. "I know."I ended the call without another word, shoving the phone into my pocket. My patience was wearing thin, and patience wasn’t something I had in abundance to begin with. Every second wasted out here was another second I wasn’t home.Home.The word twisted something in my chest.Isadora.I could still hear her voice from the last time we spoke—anger laced with frustration, a quiet plea beneath it all. She wanted in. Wanted me to talk to her.And I wanted to.God, I wanted to.But I didn’t know how.She thought I was keeping her in the dark because I didn’t trust her. She couldn’t be more wrong. I trusted her