009

Caterina.

Goodness!

I had to keep my steps measured, and a leisured pace as I walked the vast grounds that was Luca's perfect estate. It would do me no good to appear in a hurry, not when those guards patrolled these perimeters with watchful eyes, and the stupid cameras were positioned in such a wag that they documented my every movement.

It was all a performance though. One I played out carefully, studying my surroundings under the guise of idle curiosity.

At least he didn't lock me in that cursed room.

Luca had money... the kind one could only hope to make through generations of work. And all that showed in his estate. Horrible thing was a labyrinth of neatly trimmed hedges, grand fountains, and paths winding toward different corners of the property. A paradise, but an extravagant one nonetheless.

And a cage for me.

The thought was almost enough to make me turn around that instant, before I caught sight of someone standing by the marble fountain ahead. Blonde hair, expensive heels sinking slightly into the grass, a carefully neutral expression that showed nothing.

The woman from earlier.

What was she doing here?

I had no idea I had gotten tensed up until I had to exhale. I had expected this. A meet-up of some sorts with the woman who was wrapped around Luca, showing her possession.

Had she been waiting for me? Did she want to establish some sort of dominance now? Or issue some kind of warning?

I slowed but did not stop, making sure to mask every emotion that might be showing on my face. I would not give this woman the satisfaction of thinking she rattled me.

She studied me with the kind of detached scrutiny one might give an inconvenience rather than a threat. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, she lifted her chin and spoke.

"You're quite bold to be walking around so freely." Her voice was smooth, neither warm nor unkind, but laced with something I couldn't quite place.

Did she hate me?

I arched a brow. "Luca didn't say I couldn't."

She hummed, as though considering my words, before taking a step closer. "That's true. He does enjoy letting his new playthings stretch their legs a little before they realise there's nowhere to run to. Give them something forward to look to."

There it was.

The cleverly placed insult. The attempt to diminish me. I didn't bother to react. Instead, I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. "I thought you would be with him."

"Luca had to attend a meeting or two. He'll be back soon." Her lips curled at the edges, just barely.

Of course.

A man like Luca didn't just sit around in his mansion all day. He must have some sort of business, dealings that undoubtedly kept him occupied.

If he was home yesterday, had meetings to attend to today, then maybe...

Oh, the thought sent a shiver down my spine.

The blond woman must have misunderstood the direction of my thoughts because she let out a quiet laugh, an amused sound but not unkind. "You don't have to look so concerned. This is just how it goes."

I frowned. "How what goes?"

She gestured vaguely toward the estate. "You. The others before you. Luca brings his conquests home sometimes, plays with them a bit, and when he's had his fill, he sends them back to the world as if they were never here. It's just a pattern, nothing personal."

What was wrong with this woman?

A pattern? Nothing personal?

I felt like she said those words so I could feel anger, but all I felt myself feeling was something unexpected... pity.

She wasn't mocking me. Not really. She wasn't issuing threats or trying to claw her way into my mind. No. She was merely stating what she believed to be the truth, as if it was something inevitable, as if she had come to terms with it a long time ago.

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

Her eyes flickered, just for a moment, before she let out another light laugh.

"Why would it?" She glanced toward the house, her posture still casual, but there was something in her gaze, something softer, vulnerable. "None of them matter, you know. Not really. Luca always comes back to me. He always will."

It was almost sad, the certainty in her voice, the way she clung to it like a lifeline.

How could I believe that she was happy about this? How had she allowed herself to be deceived to this extent?

But rather than push the conversation into something that would definitely turn ugly later, I changed course. “How long have you known him?”

She hesitated as if debating whether to answer. But then she sighed, brushing a strand of perfect blonde hair behind her ear. “Long enough,” she said. “Long enough to understand him better than most. Long enough to know what he needs, even when he doesn’t realize it himself.”

Hmm.

I didn't respond right away. I merely studied the woman before me, trying to piece together what exactly Luca and her were to each other. Lovers? Friends? Something more complicated than either?

"Does he love you?" The question left my lips before I could stop it.

She turned her head slightly, a flicker of amusement crossing her face. Then, just as easily, it was gone. "Of course he does."

The words were confident, but something about them felt rehearsed, as if she had said them so many times before that she had long since convinced herself of their truth.

I leg it go. It wasn't my concern. It shouldn’t have been.

My attention shifted past her then, toward the far end of the grounds, where a secondary gate stood. Smaller than the main entrance, less fortified, but still guarded.

An opportunity.

Not immediate, not obvious, but an opportunity nonetheless.

Blondie... my new nickname for her... must have noticed the slight shift in my focus because she followed it briefly before looking back. "You're thinking about running away again, aren't you?"

I didn't deny it.

She exhaled, shaking her head slightly, but there was no real disappointment in her expression. If anything, there was something almost knowing about it.

“You won’t get far.”

My lips twitched. “I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

She didn't argue. Just offered a small, almost resigned smile. That smile soon turned into something bigger and easier, accompanied by a wave to the other end of the estate.

Luca.

He was standing near the terrace, half-shielded by the shadows, speaking with one of his men. His posture was relaxed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes flickered toward us briefly.

I didn't bother masking my irritation.

Luca didn't wave back at Blondie. He didn't need to. His eyes only lingered for a second longer before he returned to whatever conversation he was having, as if she truly didn't matter in that moment.

I couldn't help but turn back to her, watching as her expression didn't as much drop for a second, didn't betray a single emotion.

I didn't bother saying anything more as I turned on my heel, walking away with a plan forming in my mind. I didn't care what Luca’s patterns were or what Blondie believed.

All I cared about was getting out of here.

And I would do that soon.