Chapter 10: The Feeling He Couldn't Ignore

“Ariella.”

The voice came from the hallway.

Luca froze.

For the first time that night, he didn't move.

Neither did Ariella.

Her eyes remained fixed on the doorway, searching for the person behind the voice.

Luca instinctively stepped in front of her.

“Stay behind me.”

Ariella grabbed the back of his jacket.

“Who is that?”

“I don't know.”

But Luca did know something.

The voice had been too calm.

Too familiar.

And whoever was outside had known Ariella's name.

That wasn't a coincidence.

A shadow moved across the hallway.

Luca raised his weapon.

“Come out.”

Nothing.

Then a man's voice answered.

“You still protect her.”

Luca's expression hardened.

“Show yourself.”

A quiet laugh.

“You haven't changed.”

Ariella looked at Luca.

“You know him.”

“No.”

But his answer wasn't convincing.

The man stepped into view.

Luca's entire body stiffened.

It lasted only a second.

Then his expression became cold again.

The stranger looked at Ariella.

“Your father would be proud.”

Ariella stepped forward.

“Where is he?”

The man smiled.

“Closer than you think.”

Luca immediately pulled Ariella behind him.

“Don't listen to him.”

“Why?” Ariella demanded. “Because he's lying?”

“Because he's trying to make you follow him.”

The stranger laughed.

“Still controlling everything, Luca.”

Luca's jaw tightened.

“Leave.”

“You know I can't do that.”

The man's hand moved toward his pocket.

Luca raised his weapon.

The stranger stopped.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then he slowly lifted his hands.

“Relax.”

Luca didn't lower his weapon.

“Get out.”

The stranger smiled.

“This isn't over.”

Then he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

Marco rushed past them moments later.

“Boss!”

“Find him.”

Marco nodded and ran.

Ariella turned toward Luca.

“You knew him.”

Luca lowered his weapon.

“I've seen him before.”

“Where?”

He didn't answer.

“Luca.”

He looked at her.

“You're not safe here.”

Ariella stared at him.

“You've been saying that since I arrived.”

“Because it's true.”

“Then why keep me here?”

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Because the real answer wasn't something he could say.

At first, keeping Ariella in the mansion had been simple.

Protection.

A responsibility.

A debt.

But somewhere along the way, something had changed.

He had started noticing things he shouldn't.

The way she refused to be intimidated.

The way she challenged him even when she was afraid.

The way she somehow made the mansion feel less empty.

He had spent years making sure emotions never interfered with his decisions.

Ariella was becoming an exception.

And Luca hated exceptions.

“Ariella,” he said quietly, “you need to understand something.”

She waited.

“Everything happening around you is dangerous.”

“I know.”

“No. You don't.”

He stepped closer.

“You think I'm keeping you here because I want control over you.”

“Isn't that what you've been doing?”

His expression softened for the briefest moment.

“Maybe at first.”

Ariella's eyes narrowed.

“At first?”

Luca looked away.

He shouldn't have said that.

She noticed.

“What changed?”

He didn't answer.

She stepped closer.

“What changed, Luca?”

His eyes returned to hers.

The answer was there.

He could feel it.

But saying it aloud would make it real.

And Luca wasn't ready for that.

“I don't know,” he said.

It was the closest thing to honesty he'd given her.

Ariella studied him.

For once, she didn't make a sarcastic comment.

She simply looked at him.

And somehow that was worse.

Because Luca could handle her anger.

He could handle her arguments.

He could handle her hatred.

What he couldn't handle was the uncertainty in her eyes.

He reached toward her without thinking.

Then stopped himself.

His hand remained suspended between them.

Ariella noticed.

Neither moved.

The moment stretched.

Luca slowly lowered his hand.

“You should sleep.”

She gave him a confused look.

“After everything that happened?”

“You need rest.”

“And you?”

“I don't sleep much.”

“That sounds healthy.”

A faint smile touched his mouth.

It disappeared almost immediately.

But Ariella saw it.

“You smiled.”

“No, I didn't.”

“You did.”

“You imagined it.”

She almost laughed.

Almost.

The sound caught him off guard.

For a moment, the danger outside disappeared.

There was only the two of them.

And Luca realized something that frightened him more than the men searching for Ariella.

He wanted to hear that laugh again.

He wanted to be the reason for it.

He had no business wanting either.

“Ariella.”

“Yes?”

“Don't trust me.”

Her expression changed.

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“Because I'm trying to protect you from me too.”

She stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

Luca stepped back.

“It means you should remember who I am.”

“The man who kidnapped me?”

“Yes.”

“The man who refuses to answer questions?”

“Yes.”

“The man who apparently knows everything about my family?”

His eyes darkened.

“Yes.”

Ariella crossed her arms.

“Then why do you look at me like that?”

Luca went completely still.

“Like what?”

“Like you're trying to figure out how to say something.”

He looked away.

Because she was right.

There was something he wanted to say.

Something he'd been trying to bury.

But Luca De Santis had survived by controlling everything around him.

His enemies.

His business.

His emotions.

Until Ariella.

She had walked into his life angry, frightened, stubborn and completely unaware of how deeply she was beginning to affect him.

He looked at her again.

“I don't know what you're doing to me.”

Ariella's breath caught.

Neither of them spoke.

Then Luca's phone rang.

He answered immediately.

“Talk.”

Marco's voice came through.

“We found the man.”

Luca's expression hardened.

“Where?”

“He's gone.”

A pause.

“What do you mean, gone?”

“He left something behind.”

Luca's eyes narrowed.

“What?”

Marco hesitated.

“A photograph.”

Luca looked at Ariella.

“Of who?”

“Your father.”

Ariella's face went pale.

Luca's grip tightened around the phone.

“And there's a message.”

“What message?”

Marco's voice dropped.

“He says, Luca knows where I am.”

Silence.

Ariella stared at Luca.

“Do you?”

Luca didn't answer.

Because for the first time, he realized the danger wasn't simply coming for Ariella.

It was coming through him.

And whatever feelings he had started developing for her had just become his greatest weakness.