Chapter 7: Someone Is Inside

I stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door.

Do not open this door.

Luca's voice kept replaying in my head.

The mansion had gone completely silent again.

Too silent.

I took a few steps backward until my legs hit the edge of the bed.

I sat down.

My hands were shaking.

I hated that.

I hated feeling afraid.

Especially here.

Especially when I didn't even know what I was afraid of.

A sound came from the hallway.

Footsteps.

Slow.

I immediately stood.

They stopped outside my door.

I held my breath.

Nothing.

Then three soft knocks.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I stared at the door.

"Luca?"

No answer.

I took one step toward it.

Then stopped.

He had specifically told me not to open it.

I wasn't stupid.

At least, I hoped I wasn't.

Another knock.

This time harder.

"Open the door."

It wasn't Luca.

My heart dropped.

I stepped backward.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

Then—

"Christiana."

I froze.

Nobody in this house called my name like that.

I moved closer to the door without touching it.

"How do you know my name?"

Nothing.

Then the voice came again.

"You need to leave."

My pulse quickened.

"Who are you?"

"Before he comes back."

I frowned.

"Who?"

A pause.

"Luca."

The way the person said his name made my stomach twist.

Not with fear.

With certainty.

They knew him.

And they were afraid of him.

I looked toward the window.

Could I escape that way?

Probably not.

I looked back at the door.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't."

The answer caught me off guard.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because you don't know what he did."

My chest tightened.

"What did he do?"

The person didn't answer.

Instead, I heard footsteps approaching from farther down the hallway.

Fast.

The person outside my door suddenly whispered,

"Don't let him know I came."

Then the footsteps disappeared.

I stood frozen.

Seconds later, another set of footsteps came toward my room.

Heavy.

Familiar.

Luca.

The door opened.

He stepped inside.

His eyes immediately found me.

"Are you okay?"

I stared at him.

"Who was outside my door?"

He stopped.

Just for a second.

But I noticed.

"Nobody."

I almost laughed.

"Seriously?"

His expression hardened.

"Who was outside?"

"I asked you first."

He walked farther into the room.

"Did anyone speak to you?"

I hesitated.

That was enough.

His eyes narrowed.

"Christiana."

I swallowed.

"Someone told me to leave."

Everything about him changed.

His shoulders stiffened.

His jaw tightened.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"What did they say?"

"That I shouldn't trust you."

His eyes darkened.

I waited for anger.

Instead, he looked almost tired.

"Anything else?"

"They said I don't know what you did."

Silence.

I watched his face carefully.

He wasn't surprised.

That scared me more than anything.

"You know who it was."

"No."

"You're lying."

He looked away.

I stepped closer.

"You know."

"Drop it."

"No."

His gaze snapped back to mine.

"Christiana."

"No!" I raised my voice. "I'm tired of everyone telling me to stop asking questions. I'm tired of being locked in a room. I'm tired of people talking about me like I'm some secret I'm not allowed to understand."

He said nothing.

I continued.

"You brought me here. You know something about me. Someone just came to my door and told me to run from you. And now you're standing here pretending nothing happened."

My breathing had become uneven.

"I deserve answers."

Luca stared at me for a long moment.

Then he said quietly,

"You do."

I wasn't expecting that.

He walked toward the window and looked outside.

"There was an attack tonight."

I frowned.

"On who?"

"Me."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

"They weren't trying to hurt anyone else."

"Then why did you tell me to stay here?"

"Because whoever came inside knew exactly where you were."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

"They came for me?"

"I don't know."

"Then what do you know?"

He turned around.

"I know someone has been watching this house."

"Since when?"

"Before you arrived."

I stared at him.

"And you still brought me here?"

"Because keeping you here was safer."

I shook my head.

"That doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to."

"Yes, it does!"

He walked closer.

"There are people looking for you."

I froze.

"For me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

"Why are people looking for me, Luca?"

His silence was answer enough.

I stepped back.

"What did my family do?"

His expression changed.

Just slightly.

But I caught it.

"My family."

He looked at me.

"That's where you're wrong."

I frowned.

"What?"

"The people looking for you aren't interested in your family."

"Then what do they want?"

His eyes stayed on mine.

"You."

My stomach dropped.

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

I stepped closer.

"Why me?"

Luca's gaze shifted toward the door.

Then back to me.

"Because you have something they need."

"What?"

He hesitated.

Then reached into the pocket of his jacket.

He pulled out a small photograph.

He stared at it for a moment before handing it to me.

I took it.

My fingers went cold.

It was an old photograph.

A little girl stood beside a woman.

The woman was smiling.

The little girl was me.

I knew that immediately.

But I didn't recognize the woman.

I stared at her face.

Something about her felt familiar.

"Who is she?"

Luca didn't answer.

I looked up.

"Who is she?"

His voice was quieter when he finally spoke.

"Your mother."

My heart stopped.

I looked back at the photograph.

"My mother?"

"Yes."

I shook my head slowly.

"No."

"You've never seen this picture?"

"No."

"That's what I thought."

I looked at the woman again.

There was something in her eyes.

Something I couldn't explain.

"Where did you get this?"

Luca didn't respond.

"Luca."

He finally looked at me.

"She didn't die when you were told she did."

The photograph nearly slipped from my hand.

"What?"

"Your mother is alive."

The room seemed to tilt.

I couldn't speak.

My entire life had suddenly become a question.

Everything I'd believed.

Everything I'd been told.

All of it.

A lie?

I looked at Luca.

"Where is she?"

He stared at me.

"I don't know."

I shook my head.

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Then why do you have this?"

His expression became unreadable again.

"Because I was there."

My heart pounded.

"Where?"

"When it happened."

"What happened?"

He didn't answer.

"Tell me!"

His eyes met mine.

"I watched your mother disappear."

Silence filled the room.

Then—

A gunshot echoed somewhere outside the mansion.

I jumped.

Luca immediately moved in front of me.

Another shot.

Closer this time.

He grabbed my arm.

"Stay behind me."

For once, I didn't argue.

He reached for the weapon hidden beneath his jacket.

My eyes widened.

"You have a gun?"

"Now isn't the time."

"Then when is?"

He looked toward the door.

His face had gone completely cold.

"Stay here."

He opened the door.

Before he could step out, I grabbed his sleeve.

He looked down at my hand.

I didn't let go.

"Don't leave me."

The words came out before I could stop them.

For the first time, something softened in his eyes.

Only for a second.

Then it disappeared.

"I'll come back."

He pulled his sleeve free and walked out.

The door shut.

I stood alone again.

Except this time, I wasn't thinking about escaping.

I was thinking about the photograph in my hand.

My mother was alive.

Someone was looking for me.

And somehow—

Luca De Santis had been there the night my entire life changed.