“Good news! You know the conversation we were having just last week?” Damian grinned, nudging Luca’s shoulder.“Yeah?” Luca averted his gaze from his phone, looking up at his friend.“There was someone I may or may not have forgotten about. Completely slipped my mind!”Luca’s brows furrowed together as he tried to think about who it could be, “Who? No need to keep me in suspense, let the cat out of the bag already.” He rolled his eyes.“Sam Bronx.”Luca’s head whipped so fast that he almost suffered whiplash. “Who?”“You heard me, huh? Sam. Bronx.” Damian enunciated each word, a small grin spreading on his face.“Wow, that’s a…catch.” Luca nodded, tightening his lips. Sam Bronx was the son of one of the most influential men in Texas. He and Kiara would make a great fit, which is exactly what Luca dreaded.Damian popped a cracker and cheese into his mouth, relaxing in the recliner. “I invited him over… and he’s on his way right now. I can’t wait to see Kiara’s reaction.” He said in bet
“What’s the matter with you?” Damian yelled, shooting up from his seat. His anger was rising each minute. Kiara grimaced slightly, looking away from Sam before she finally rested her gaze on her father.“Dad, I-”“No Kiara, is this how you treat a guest?” He fumed, clenching his fists by his side. Kiara looked at him, unwavering. She meant every word she said, but maybe she had crossed the line.“Sam, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you,” Kiara said firmly, redirecting her gaze at him. He stared into her emotionless eyes, “Right…” He said slowly, dragging out the word.“I mean, you don’t have to do all this if you don’t want to. Though, I personally would’ve loved to.” He explained, resting his elbow on his knee and leaning forward.Luca watched on from his chair as the scene unfolded right in front of his eyes. He was happy—thrilled that Kiara liked him enough to turn a suitor down. It said a lot, and it also meant that his plan was working just the way he had expected it to.Damian
Kiara felt a smooth metal go over her wrists. Her hands and mouth were now bound with black cloth, and she was pushed into the back of a van.She tried to scream, but it was aimless. Nobody would hear her anyway. She cried silently as she remained in complete darkness, oblivious to whatever was going on around her. All she knew was that she had been in the back of that van for damn too long, and it was starting to affect her. Her neatly straightened hair was now frizzy and rough, and her face was stained with black specks of mascara as a result of her crying.All of a sudden, she heard a click and could feel sunlight back on her skin again. She was pulled out of the van and left to stumble to her feet. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back, and she could barely walk after being curled in a fetal position for so long.She heard the jingle of keys, and the shifting in gears of the door lock. They were at a house.‘Are they going to lock me up here?’ Kiara thought to herself as she t
“You two?” Kiara whispered with a sense of urgency.“Who the hell knows that I’d be here?” She furrowed her brows. Luca pressed his finger to her lips, as he nudged her towards the room, “Go in. I’ll figure whatever is happening out.”“Alright.” She nodded, scurrying off to the room.Luca fixed up his appearance, before cracking the door open, using his body to cover up the little space that was open. He stuck his head out and observed the teenager standing in front of him. “How may I help you?” He grumbled.“Oh, yes. Good day sir. Sorry for disrupting your day, I have just launched a new company, You Two,” He extended the flyer out to Luca. “My name is Luke and my number is on the flyer.”“Alright.” He nodded, shoving the flyer in his pocket. “Thank you. Will do.” He said, before slamming the door shut.“You can come back out. False alarm, babe.” He chuckled, crumbling the flyer up and tossing it into the trash bin by the door. “Are you serious?” She ran back out into his arms, “That
Ring! The phone buzzed on the table beside Kiara.She stuck her hand out to reach for it."Luca, someone is calling you." She groaned, pushing her hand all over the scattered bedside where bottles and perfumes were.She knocked a bottle of perfume over and if not for the fact that the floors were carpeted, it would have broken. Through the window, she could make out the dim orange-coloured sky; the sun was just setting. She hadn't slept that long before."Careful, baby girl." He entered the room, shirtless. What a sight to see early in the morning."Well, you left your phone here. Why didn't you take it with you?" She rubbed her eyes groaning. "It kept ringing like for five minutes," She whined groggily, sitting up from the bed."I'm sorry, Princess. I was busy in the kitchen." He smiled, grabbing her hand."You go take a shower, you've been in bed for a while, and you still haven't cleaned up." He winked, spanking her soft ass."I will, I will." She brushed her untamed hair away from
"Where are we going?" Kiara screeched in Luca's ear as she bounced up and down on the bed."Okay, okay. Calm down!" He yelled tiredly, still wanting to sleep in."Hey! I am calm!" She hit him with a pillow playfully, straddling him."No, you're not. You're acting like a ferocious tiger early in the morning. So not classy of you," he joked, adjusting his position on the bed."Hardy, ha ha, very funny." Kiara hit him with a pillow again, this time a bit more harshly.He fell back onto the bed with a deep sigh as she climbed off him. “Okay, I’ll tell you now.” He slipped his legs out of bed, sitting upright and placing his feet on the floor.“I know how much you love the beach….so we’re going to make a visit to the beach house down the coast,” He smiled, turning to face her. Her eyes glimmered brightly as she looked back at him, “Wait, seriously?”“We have three days left to spend together. I figured we’d make the most out of it. So, I hired some people to clean it up, and after breakfast
"Wow! I love this place!" Kiara jumped up and down, clapping her hands happily as she stared at the tidal waves crashing onto the shore. It was a long drive from Luca’s home to the coast, but it was totally worth it.Even though the sun was already setting, she could still hear the squawk of the seagulls and the typical salty aroma of the beach water filled her nose. She dug her toes in the sand, spreading her arms out and letting the breeze flow through her.Luca chuckled behind her, seeing how excited she seemed to be. Nothing could get better than this, surely. He ran up behind her, lifting her into the air, which surprised her."Oh my God, Luca!" She squealed, hitting his shoulders, as she kicked her feet in the air, "You almost gave me a heart attack, jeez!" She giggled as he placed her back down on the sand.“No, I didn’t, you’re just a drama queen!” He laughed, holding her by the waist. Kiara looked around warily, there was no one on the beach at that moment, especially since t
Kiara grabbed the drinks and headed off the pier and began her walk back to the beach house. A part of her wished that Marissa would’ve stayed back, so they could talk more, but she left so quickly that even five minutes after, there was no trace of her, and she was nowhere to be seen.There was not much of a place to quickly scramble into on the pier, so it felt to Kiara like Marissa had just disappeared into thin air. She sipped her icy drink, as she pushed the door to the beach house open.“Hey Princess, where have you been?” Luca called out, standing up from an office desk in another room near the entrance and going to meet her.“Oh, I went to get us some drinks!” She grinned sheepishly, shaking the two drinks right in front of his eyes. “This is for you.” Kiara extended his beverage to him, wiping her wet hands on her shorts.“Thank you sweet cheeks.” He winked, taking the straw into his mouth and slurping up the contents.“You’re welcome. What have you been up to?” She inquired,
“What?” Luca exclaimed, terrified Harrison had more things to interrogate him about. Harrison closed in the distance again. It’s obvious it makes Luca very uncomfortable every time he does that. “At Eric’s house, we found a mask—a perfect match to the one used in the kidnapping of Kiara Lux, and a file that had the name Thompson Greco. Then there’s the CCTV footage.”Luca’s heart pounded in his chest. “CCTV footage?” he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief.Harrison nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket. He tapped the screen a few times and turned it toward Luca. “Take a look. Recognize that car? It was out there when Kiara entered that restaurant. Can you see it’s the same car Kiara and this mysterious man who was obviously hiding from the CCTV returned to? The same vehicle that took her? Funny thing, it’s registered under an alias we’ve traced back to one Thompson—Thompson Greco. Rings a bell?”“And guess what?” Harrison scoffed. “The car that chased Kiara’s the other day
Luca froze, stool in hand, as the loud bang on the door reverberated through the room. Open up. It’s the police.” The voice cut through everything that made sound in his house. His pulse quickened, anger and paranoia blending into a volatile mix. He knew that voice—Detective Harrison.The last person he wanted to see.Luca tossed the stool aside, its legs clattering against the broken glass on the floor. He stalked to the door and yanked it open, his face a mask of barely controlled rage.“What the hell do you want, Harrison?”Detective Harrison stood there, his imposing frame casting a shadow over Luca’s disheveled entrance. “Detective, sir! I love to be referred to as Detective Harrison.” Harrison corrected him subtly. His sharp eyes took in the state of the house—broken bottles, shards of glass, the remains of a demolished TV. His lips curled in disdain.“I address you however I deem fit, detective—I mean, Harrison.“Well, well,” he drawled, stepping inside without waiting for an
Luca slumped in the leather armchair in his living room, his hands gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The echoes of Annie’s words reverberated in his mind: “I’m going to fight for full custody, Luca. And this time, you won’t win.”His jaw clenched as he stared at the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the desk. The house, once his pride, now felt like a hollow monument to his failures. The silence was deafening—a stark reminder of what he’d lost.Luca wasn’t angry because he loved the children that much or even because he wanted them around. No, his rage stemmed from something deeper, something darker. He’d lost control. Katie and Sam had always been pawns in his game—a way to keep Annie tethered, a means to assert dominance. Winning custody had been a symbolic victory, proof that he still held power over her. But now, that power was slipping through his fingers.“Damn it!” he roared, sweeping the whiskey bottle off the desk. It shattered against the wall, a
Maria sat down beside Kiara on the bed. She’s trying to persuade her to give the therapist another chance. It's been days since the last time it resulted in chaos. They hadn’t even gone through any form of therapy before it happened. She recounted the incident from that day in her mind. “Tell me, baby, who’s the driver guy?” Kiara’s panic attack escalated quickly. Her breathing grew rapid and shallow, her body trembling uncontrollably as she clutched her chest. Damian carried her into the house, his movements frantic but careful. Maria followed closely, her hands shaking as she dialed the family doctor.Within minutes, Dr. Rourke, their trusted physician, arrived at the mansion. He examined Kiara, who was still hyperventilating and crying softly. After administering a mild sedative to calm her, he turned to Damian and Maria.“She’s having a severe panic attack,” Dr. Rourke explained gently. “This isn’t just fear—it’s deep psychological trauma. It’s crucial that we get her to open up
Katie pulled out her phone with trembling hands, her fingers fumbling over the screen as she dialed their mother’s number. The pounding on the door was relentless, the sound reverberating through their tiny room. Sam clung to Katie’s side, her stuffed animal crushed against her chest."Mom, pick up," Katie whispered, her voice shaking as she stared at the phone. The ringing felt endless, each second dragging out painfully. Finally, Annie's voice came through the line."Katie darling. How…” Katie’s shaky voice interrupted her usual questions about their well-being. What's wrong?" Annie's voice was filled with concern."Mom, it's Dad," Katie said quickly, her voice cracking. "He's out of control. He’s drunk—I think, and... and he's trying to break into our room!""What?!" Annie’s tone turned sharp with alarm. "Are you and Sam okay? Did he hurt you?""We’re okay for now," Katie replied, her voice breaking. "But the door... it's not going to hold much longer. You have to come home. Ple
Luca’s eyes darkened as the table crashed to the ground, spilling its contents in a noisy heap. His jaw clenched, and a vein throbbed at his temple. The air in the room seemed to thicken with tension as Sam stood frozen, her small hands trembling at her sides."You clumsy little brat!" Luca bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls. "Can't you do anything right?"Sam’s eyes filled with tears as she stumbled backward, her small frame trembling. "I-I’m sorry, Dad," she stammered, her voice barely audible. "I didn’t mean to... I promise I’ll fix it."But Luca wasn’t hearing her. His rage blinded him, fueled by his own frustrations and fears. He took a step forward, his injured hand throbbing but forgotten in the storm of his anger.“Sorry isn’t good enough!” he roared, raising his uninjured hand. Before Sam could react, the first blow landed—a harsh slap across her cheek that sent her sprawling to the floor. She whimpered, clutching her face, her tears streaming freely now.“Get up!” he
Meanwhile, back at Luca's, it's been turmoil. He had been on the run, unsure of what his fate would be. He has been hiding away, scared that the police are looking for him. When he realized that there had been no search or warrant for him, he decided to return to his house. "That betrayal must have gotten away with Kiara. If they are unable to find Kiara, they might never find out that I've been the one behind the kidnapping all along." He thought. However. That afternoon, word came from one of the boys he forced out to find Kiara, that Kiara had been found and, as in fact, been discharged from the hospital and now home with Damian. Luca stormed into his room, his injured hand hastily wrapped in a bloodied cloth. His face was a mask of fury and frustration as he paced back and forth. He couldn't even go to the hospital to have proper treatment. The faint smell of antiseptic from his poorly tended wound mingled with the scent of whiskey he had poured himself moments ago. He gulped
Well, that’s because he might be a culprit,” Harrison declared. “What?” “We’ve traced the missing funds from your accounts—millions of dollars—directly back to him.”Damian’s eyes widened, and he swung his legs over the side of the bed, fully awake now. “You’re saying Eric embezzled the money?”“Yes,” Harrison confirmed. “He used sophisticated software to launder the funds and make them untraceable. We were just about to bring him in for questioning when we found his body.”Maria sat up, her expression a mix of confusion and alarm. “What is it?” she whispered.Damian held up a hand to silence her, his focus still on the call. “Tell me you’re kidding.” “I’m afraid it’s the truth, Mr. Lux.” Harrison continued. “The missing papers have also been in his possession. But the mysterious thing is, not a dime is missing from the money. It was a new account he opened. He kept the documents also, under the same name. I don’t think he saved the money for himself.” “Do you think someone else w
Maria stood at the edge of the room, her face pale but resolute as she watched Damian absorb her words. His expression hardened, and his jaw set tight like a coiled spring.“What do you mean Luca called again?” Damian asked, his voice dangerously low.“He called to check on Kiara,” Maria replied cautiously. “That’s what he said. He added that he was relieved to hear she’s safe.”“Relieved?” Damian scoffed, his tone bitter. “That snake doesn’t deserve to say her name. He’s no friend of mine. My daughter was kidnapped, and he did nothing.”Maria sighed, stepping closer. “Darling, he called several times you were away, he called to check if we'd decided to hand over the company to them as they demanded. He said he couldn’t reach you. He even pleaded with me to convince you to do as they say so we can get Kiara back safely.” “Oh really? What a wonderful job he did. Giving a piece of advice from the comfort of his home when in reality he did nothing. If you don’t know, that amounts to not