ISADORA Flashes went off the moment we stepped out of the car, the bright lights blinding and relentless. Luca's hand found its place on my waist, firm and possessive, as he guided me into the grand hall."Don’t wander too far," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. I nodded, though the thought of wandering off was the furthest thing from my mind.Inside, Luca was immediately swept into a sea of people—some young, some older, but all with the same goal: to curry favor or ask for something only he could give. I watched as he handled them effortlessly, his charm on full display, while I stood to the side, feeling somewhat out of place in a room full of polished, dangerous faces.It wasn’t long before my parents arrived. My mother’s face lit up with a small, practiced smile as she pulled me into a hug."Isa, dear, you look beautiful," she said, her tone sweet but hollow."Thank you, Mother," I replied, my voice flat and distant."I miss you," she added, but her words barely regi
Luca I was seething. My fists clenched so tight my knuckles ached, the fire burning in my chest begging for release. I wanted to punch something or someone but I couldn’t. Not with Isadora beside me, her hands trembling ever so slightly, despite the steady front she was trying to put on.Rafael had caught the bastard who pulled the trigger, but the only reason I wasn’t ramming my fist into his face right now was her. She needed me calm. Steady. For her sake, I was forcing the rage down, burying it deep where it wouldn’t touch her.The ride home was steeped in silence. Tension weighed the air, thick and heavy. I glanced at her. She was staring out the window, lost somewhere far away. I could still see the flash of terror in her eyes, hear the faint gasp she made right after the shot, it had burned itself into my mind."You okay?" I asked, my voice rougher than I intended.She didn’t look at me, just gave a small nod. "I’m fine," she murmured, though I could hear the lie in every sylla
Isadora A slight movement beneath me startled me awake. I blinked, disoriented, and realized I'd fallen asleep on Luca's chest. His arm was still around me, holding me close, but his body jerked suddenly. "n-no, get away from her," he muttered, his voice hoarse, strained with something I couldn't place. His face twisted, brows furrowed as he shifted restlessly beneath me. "d-don't..." "Luca," I said softly, gently tapping his chest. "Luca, wake up. It's just a nightmare." But he didn't wake up. His expression darkened, his breathing uneven. Before I could react, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm in a vise-like grip. "Don't touch me," he hissed, his words slurred with sleep. "You're despicable. You killed her!" His hold tightened, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. "Luca!" I winced, trying to shake him awake. "Luca, wake up! You're hurting me!" His grip didn't loosen, and for a moment, panic surged through me. His nightmare had a hold on him, and I wasn't sure how to
Isadora A few weeks had passed since the attack, and life had taken on a strange new normal. Luca had enrolled me in self-defense classes, though I wasn’t sure if it was for my protection or just his peace of mind. My two former bodyguards had been replaced by new ones, both of whom looked like they could kill with just a glare. And then there was Rafael who was always there, always watching, like a shadow I couldn’t shake. He wasn’t exactly fun, but I’d caught him smiling more than once when he was around Laura. Maybe she was softening him up. With finals just a few weeks away, most of my time was spent studying. Luca, despite his... unconventional line of work, had been surprisingly helpful. Whenever he wasn’t busy running the Mafia, he’d sit with me and help me prepare. He’d even tutor me on the parts of business law that made my head spin, his sharp mind and patient demeanor catching me off guard. It was almost easy to forget who he really was when he’d show up with blankets a
Isadora The elevator ride felt suffocating, the silence pressing down like a heavy weight. Luca stood next to me, his presence commanding as always, but now it felt different, tense, expectant.“Isadora,” he finally said, his voice low but firm. “What aren’t you telling me?”I looked at him, my pulse quickening. His eyes were sharp, piercing into me like he could unravel my secrets if I even hesitated too long.“It’s nothing, really,” I said, trying to sound convincing. “Just—”The elevator dinged, cutting me off as we reached the lobby. Luca’s jaw tightened, but he let the moment pass, ushering me toward the car.The drive back to the house was quiet. Too quiet. Luca didn’t speak, and I didn’t dare break the silence. My phone burned in my bag, the latest text repeating in my mind like a broken record. “Ask him about Alicia. You deserve to know.”Alicia. His first wife.I couldn’t shake the curiosity, the doubt. I knew I should let it go, but the question lingered, clawing at me.Whe
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 start
Luca "What about Alicia?" The topic was a sore spot for me, and this wasn't the first time she'd brought it up. "Be truthful with me, Luca." "Did you love her?" I raised a brow at her. Where was this coming from? "No." I didn't even blink. She gulped. "Did you-did you kill her?" She wouldn't meet my eyes. "No," I said, my tone steady. Her head snapped up sharply. "You didn't?" she repeated, almost like she didn't believe me. "What? You sound like you want it to be me so badly. I might be a bad person, Isadora, and yeah, I might kill people. But I don't hurt women or children," I said, my voice dropping to something cold and sharp. "But the rumors-" "Do you believe the rumors?" I cut her off, holding her gaze, daring her to answer. Isadora’s lips parted, but no sound came out. The hesitation in her eyes told me more than words ever could. "I asked you a question," I said, my tone cutting through the silence like a blade. "Do you believe the rumors?" "I... I d
IsadoraI took a step back, my heart slamming against my ribs. His words, his confession, should’ve given me clarity. But they didn’t. If anything, they made everything worse.“How do I know you’re telling me the truth, Luca?” I asked, my voice sharp despite the way it trembled. “How do I know this isn’t just another way to keep me here, to keep me under your control?”His jaw ticked, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hurt in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by that unyielding intensity that always left me breathless.“I don’t need to lie to you,” he said, his voice low, measured. “If I wanted to control you, I’d do it. I wouldn’t waste my time trying to convince you of anything.”The calmness in his tone sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn’t a threat, it was a fact, plain and simple.I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Then why not just let me go? If you’ve been watching me all this time, if you really care the way you say you do, why no
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