บททั้งหมดของ THE PRICE FOR HIS NAME : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 17

Luca had already left for work when Maria began exploring.She wasn’t sure when he had slipped out, but by the time she finished having her bath, the house was quiet, the lingering scent of his cologne the only trace of his presence.It left her with nothing but time—and an entire estate to acquaint herself with.The Avancii estate wasn’t as large as she had expected. It was grand, yes, but not the overwhelming kind of wealth that screamed opulence. Instead, it was refined, designed for comfort rather than excess.The main house had seven bedrooms, meant to accommodate Mr. Collins—or Cole, as Luca called him—along with the two cooks, and now, Maria herself. The rest of the staff lived in the boy’s quarters, a separate building housing the gardeners, security, fish workers, house keepers, and drivers.A swimming pool gleamed on one side of the house, reflecting the early morning sun.And beside it, a small patch of land lay stubbornly bare, unlike the rest of the land.Maria paused, ti

Maria's breath stuttered, her body trembling as Luca's mouth moved over her, slow and deliberate, tongue lapping through her slick folds with practiced ease.He had been at this for minutes now-teasing, tasting, savoring.Maria was a wreck against the mahogany desk-legs spread wide, robe fallen away, the cool air making her nipples pebble, heavy breasts rising and falling with each desperate breath.Luca's grip on her thighs tightened, fingers flexing against soft skin as he pinned her open.He was loving her like this-bared, breathless, needy.He could feel the way she pulsed against his tongue, taste the way she was already soaking for him, her body offering itself up, willing, desperate.And he loved that she still had the nerve to act like she wasn't.Maria let out a ragged little moan, fingers tugging at his hair, trying to pull him deeper, closer.Luca let her.Let her take what she needed.

The morning was bright, the sun casting a warm golden glow over the estate as Maria knelt on the small patch of barren land, her fingers digging into the soil. Sweat trickled down her temple, and a light breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass from the other side of the garden. She had spent the past hour working, determined to bring life to this neglected patch of earth. The estate itself was beautiful, nestled in the quieter part of the city, surrounded by tall trees that shielded it from prying eyes. It was a world of its own—a place where silence was only broken by birds chirping, the distant hum of the fountain, and the occasional laughter of the staff moving about their tasks. Maria wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and leaned back, surveying her progress. The land still looked lifeless, but she wasn’t giving up. Just then, the crunch of approaching footsteps made her look up. Mr. Collins, or Cole as

The phone call ended with a sharp click, but Edwards Kale barely registered it. His fingers clenched around the device, the plastic creaking under his grip. His breath came in short, uneven bursts, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs.Luca Avancii.Even the name made his skin crawl.That man had walked into his life like a storm—violent, chaotic, and merciless. And he had taken everything.Maria should have been his.She had no parents, no siblings, no one else to run to. She should have depended on him.That was always the plan.He had never meant to divorce her. No, that would have been too easy. Too clean.He had wanted her to feel trapped.She would cry, she would beg, but she wouldn’t leave—because she would have needed him. Relied on him.And then, when she was too exhausted to fight anymore, he would have married Grace. Maria would have accepted it because she wouldn’t hav