FOUR

IZZY

I saw red, the colour of fresh blood. I had never felt so angry. I couldn't believe what Heath had just said to me.

"The police will be here soon. You will most likely end up in jail," he'd said.

"For what? I did nothing wrong," I hissed, and he cracked a sick smile at me.

"Are you pretending to be dumb?" He sneered, and I clenched my jaw, barely resisting the urge to drive my fist into his face.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I said, and he laughed.

"With you out of the picture, I will recover everything that rightfully belongs to me," he responded, and I slapped him across the face, hard.

He spat on the floor, his face contorted with rage.

"You keep talking like Abuela and Viejo are dead. They are still alive, you hear me?! No matter what you do, it won't go the way you want it to," I snapped.

"They're here," he suddenly said, and I turned towards the men approaching us by the corridor.

One of them waved his ID card at me, a grim look on his face.

"This is the police. You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Leonard Montero, Camilla Montero, and Adriano Montero," he said, and my heart sank.

"Whatever you say can be used against you in the court of law," he continued as he placed a pair of handcuffs around my wrist.

It felt like some sort of nightmare. I was led to the police station and locked up. Apparently, they had a little evidence that I was involved with my family's poisoning.

The accusations echoed in my mind, each one more absurd than the last. How could they think I would harm my own family?

It was at this point that I realized that I needed an alibi. Therefore, I requested to make a call. My only sure bet was the stranger from the club. Oddly enough, I still didn't know his name.

After making a quick call with the promise of marrying him, all I had to do was wait.

And sure enough, he arrived at the station less than an hour later. He spoke to the officers for a while, and before I could process what was happening, I was freed.

Too exhausted to do anything but sleep, I walked out of the police station with the stranger right beside me.

"I haven't thanked you yet. Thank you, Mr..." I started to say.

"Just call me Luca," he replied.

"Oh... okay," I mumbled.

"Where are you going?" He asked, stepping in front of me to prevent me from moving any further.

"I'm going home," I replied, and his brows knitted into a frown of displeasure.

"No, you're coming with me," he stated, and I frowned.

"Why would I do that?" I retorted, and he blinked, a blank expression on his face.

"For your own safety, you should listen to me. We don't know what else those stepsiblings of yours are planning," he said, and I sighed, lowering my gaze.

"What about my grandparents and my..."

"You don't have to worry about them. I have guards watching over them right now," he replied, and I sighed.

Too tired to argue, I gestured at him.

"Let's get going then," I said, and he took my hand. Bewildered, I let him lead me to his car and open the car door for me.

Once I was seated, he joined me in the car and drove off.

"I know I agreed to marry you. But, in one condition. We must not engage in any form of intimacy," I blurted out, and he grunted.

A heavy silence ensured between us for a while. Driven by the urge to distract myself from the awkwardness, I picked up my phone and saw that there was a new message awaiting my attention.

It was a message from an unknown number.

It read:

'Do you remember our first date? You wore a pretty blue dress with your hair in a bun. I would like us to go on a date soon enough. From your husband'

I frowned, unsure of how to react to this message.

Did Luca send this to me?

I glanced at him, but he kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

Judging from the situation, he'd probably sent the message to taunt me.

Either that, or he was a part of my past.

The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt.

All of a sudden, a memory of me sitting in a cafe on a date flashed in my mind. In this memory, I was wearing a blue dress. When I tried to recall the face of my date, the pain in my head worsened and my stomach churned with nausea.

"We're here," Luca finally announced, and I sat quietly in the car as he parked the car and got out to open the door for me.

Slowly, I eased out of the car. The ache in my head spiked up, and my knees gave out. Luca grabbed me, and I leaned my head against his chest, my vision blurring. I could hear him speaking to me, but I could barely make out the words. My vision turned white, and I lost consciousness.

...

He buried his length deep into me, and I gasped, feeling myself clench hard as pleasure shot through my body. He kissed me deeply, and when he pulled away from my lips, I heard him speak. The sound of his deep voice sent pleasurable shivers down my spine.

I was close to the edge now.

"Look at me, Mi Cielo."

I opened my eyes, and my gaze clashed with his beautiful green eyes, darkened with lust and desire.

He moved faster, his hip thrusts sending me even closer to the edge. I parted my lips, my fingernails digging into his upper back.

When the storm hit me, I gasped, feeling my eyes roll into the back of my head as his name tumbled out of my lips in a high pitched cry....

I awoke with a gasp. Sitting up in bed, I buried my face in my hands and sucked in a sharp breath. Was I just sexually frustrated, or was it something else?

I'd met Luca only a few days ago, and now I couldn't get him out of my head.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Feeling thirsty, I eased out of bed and made my way out of the room.

When I got to the kitchen, I was greeted by the sight of Luca standing in front of the fridge, drinking water from a bottle. He was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants, and his upper body and feet were bare.

My throat went dry at the sight of the tattoos on his back and left arm. My gaze trailed upwards from his veiny arms to his thick biceps. I swallowed hard, heat creeping up my face. I'd never been so attracted to a man.

When my gaze roamed upwards to his Adam apple and eventually to his face, I realized that he'd been staring at me all along.

Slowly, he lowered the bottle from his plump lips, his gaze fixated on me.

"Are you done checking me out yet?" He asked, and I hurried past him to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

Right before I could move past him for the second time, he grabbed my arm and pulled me against himself. Then he eased his arm around my waist, trapping me against his body.

"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered, blinking hard.

"Are you feeling better? You passed out earlier," he whispered, and my stomach clenched hard.

Was his voice always this deep? I wondered.

"I'm fine," I managed to utter, clearing my throat.

"Are you sure you don't need to get checked?" He asked with concern in his voice, and I sighed, frustration welling up inside of me.

His warmth seeped into me, making it harder to focus. And while we stood there in that intimate position, my heart felt as though it was going to explode.

"I told you already. I'm fine," I insisted, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.

He spun me around to face him, and he arched a perfect dark brow. Inwardly, I cursed him for being so good-looking.

"You're breaking the contract rules," I murmured, and he smiled, unaffected.

"Oh really?"

My face heated up in embarrassment. We were yet to sign an actual contract. Yet, there I was, mentioning a contract rule that didn't exist.

"I'm sleepy, I need to go back to sleep," I said, avoiding Luca's gaze.

"If that's the case, you should go. But, if you ever feel bored, you can come to me. I'll entertain you," he said, his voice sultry.

The moment he said that, flashes of my hot dream appeared in my mind, and I pressed my thighs together.

I hated that I was such a mess.

This wasn't me.

I was usually calm and collected. I'd been known as the Ice Queen among my colleagues. But here I was, melting into a freaking puddle before him.

"I'm going to bed," I mumbled and pulled away from him. He didn't stop me this time.

When I got to my room, I locked the door and leaned against it, releasing an exhale.

My phone buzzed from it's position on my bed, and I sighed, making my way towards the bed.

Picking up the phone, I unlocked it to read the new message. It read:

'I'm coming for you, wifey.

From your loving husband.'

I frowned, confusion stirring inside of me.

At this point, it was clear that Luca wasn't the sender.

Who was it then?

Was it my ex-husband?