LUCAAn Hour LaterI watched her disappear down the hall with a flicker of a smile on her lips. A rare one. One I hadn’t seen in too long.God, I missed that smile.The moment she turned the corner, I was already pulling my phone from my pocket.“Status?” I asked, voice low.Rafael answered on the first ring. “We tracked the van. No plates. Abandoned in Queens. Torched.”Of course it was. “Surveillance?”“Nothing clean. Either they knew the angles or they’ve got someone on the inside feeding them locations.”I let out a breath, slow and steady. My fingers clenched around the glass in my hand, tension humming just beneath my skin.“Pull every camera within a ten-block radius. I want facial recognition run on anyone near that vehicle in the past twenty-four hours.”Rafael was silent for a beat. “Luca, you should tell her what we know. She’s not stupid—”“No,” I cut him off. “She doesn’t need more reasons to lose sleep. Let her plan the damn wedding.”
EMILIO Unknown Location The ice clinked against the side of the glass as I stirred lazily, the amber liquid inside catching the light of the chandelier above. “Status?” I asked, mirroring the same word Morretti was probably spitting into his phone right now. Viktor stood across the room, arms folded, expression sharp. “She was shaken. He’s rattled. Mission accomplished.” A smile tugged at my mouth. “Good.” I rose from the armchair and crossed to the wall of screens, all still frames from different angles—streets, clubs, surveillance feeds. And right in the center, a blurry image of Isadora, caught mid-turn in that little bridal boutique. Fear in her eyes. Vulnerability in her shoulders. It was art. “She didn’t see the blade,” Viktor said. “Just the man. It was enough.” “That was the point,” I murmured. “It was never about hurting her. Not yet. It was about jarring him.” I tapped the screen slowly, the rhythm like a
ISADORAThe Next MorningI woke to the faint scent of sandalwood and fire.Luca.Even before my eyes opened, I could feel him—his presence thick in the air, like a storm had passed through and left its electricity behind. The sheets beside me were cool, but the echo of him lingered. A ghost of warmth. A shadow of protection. And danger.I sat up slowly, the silk of my nightgown whispering against my skin as I ran a hand through my hair. The mansion was too still. Like it was holding its breath.Or maybe… like he was.The last few days had been a blur of lace, tastings, flower samples, and dress fittings. Smiles that didn’t quite reach my eyes. Laughter that felt like someone else’s. I’d played the part—I always did—but I wasn’t blind.Luca had changed.There was an edge to him now, sharper than usual. Not the possessive, controlling type that gripped my waist too tightly or growled when someone looked at me too long—no, this was colder. Strategic. Distant.
ISADORALater That DayI didn’t go back to my room. Couldn’t. I needed clarity, not the suffocating silence of silk sheets and locked doors. So I went to the only place that ever made sense when everything else didn’t—the garden. Luca’s mother’s garden, to be exact. It was a piece of serenity tucked between the chaos, the only place in this mansion that hadn’t been touched by blood or secrets.I walked along the stone path, brushing my fingers against the petals of the roses she used to care for. It was ironic, how something so delicate could survive here, in a place built on violence and power plays. Maybe that’s why I liked it—because it reminded me of what I wanted to be. Soft when I chose to be. Sharp when I needed to be.I sat on the stone bench at the edge of the garden, pulling my knees to my chest, letting the wind carry my thoughts. I didn’t hear him approach—not at first—but I felt it. That same tension in the air. That same storm.Luca.He didn’t say anyt
ISADORAThe Next Morning“Peonies or white roses?” Laura asked, holding up the two mood boards like this decision could alter the course of history.I eyed both, pretending to care even though my head wasn’t really in it. My heart was, though—because this wedding? It meant freedom. A promise. A future. Even if the groom walked around with a loaded gun and nightmares carved into his bones.“Peonies,” I said, eventually. “They’re softer.”Laura nodded, scribbling a note. “And the dress fitting is still set for Friday. Your shoes came in yesterday, and we need to finalize the seating chart.”“Luca’s not going to care who sits where,” I muttered.She smirked. “He cares more than he lets on. He told Rafael to make sure your uncle doesn’t sit next to that one cousin you hate.”I blinked. “He knows about that?”“Girl, he knows everything.”I bit back a smile.Maybe he did.Maybe he was listening.Luca and Rafael popped in and out—checking on securi
LUCAShe said she was fine.But she wasn’t.I knew Isadora too damn well by now—not just her smiles, her sighs, the subtle shifts in her posture when she was tired or thinking too hard—but the way she lied.Because she was a terrible liar.And that smile she gave me? It was just that—a cover. A shield.I watched her a second longer, her eyes flicking back to the phone like it burned.He looked familiar to her.She didn’t say it out loud, but I saw it in the way her shoulders stiffened, the pause too long before her answer. Something about that face hit her memory hard, and she buried the reaction faster than she thought I’d notice.But I always noticed.Because I paid attention.Because ever since I put that ring on her finger, I’d made it my business to protect her—whether from enemies or memories she didn’t want to face.I set the phone down, leaned closer, brushing her hair away from her cheek, even though my pulse had picked up slightly. “You
LUCAI woke to empty sheets.Still warm. Still scented with her skin. But empty.I stared at the space beside me, the imprint of her body a haunting echo. Isadora wasn’t the kind of woman who left quietly. She always lingered—her hand in my hair, her lips on my jaw, her scent on my clothes. She made herself known.But this morning?She slipped away like a secret.I sat up, fingers dragging through my hair as a sharp edge of unease curled in my chest. It wasn’t paranoia—not when your world was filled with shadows that moved when you weren’t looking.And not when your wife—the woman you’d kill for—was suddenly acting like she was holding something back.Again.I got up. Dressed slow. Purposeful. My head was clear, every movement methodical. I didn’t rush. No—I watched.Security footage. Hallway angles. The time she slipped out.She wasn’t just going for a morning walk.She was meeting someone.No... Laura.I recognized her in the footage, sitti
ISADORAHe knew.Not everything—God, not yet—but enough to make my breath catch as he stepped into the kitchen like a shadow wrapped in silk. His presence didn’t just fill the room—it claimed it, like oxygen suddenly belonged to him, and I was trespassing just by breathing it.And when he looked at me?Not through me.Not around me.At me.Like I was the only thing that existed between heaven and hell.“What's going to change, tesoro?”The word burned more than it soothed.Tesoro.His treasure.He always said it like a vow, like a warning. As if calling me that meant I didn’t get to break, didn’t get to run, didn’t get to hide. His treasure wasn’t allowed secrets. Not without a cost.I clenched the cup too hard. My fingers trembled. My throat tightened with all the words I should say but couldn’t. Not yet. Not while the truth still tasted like betrayal in my mouth.Because how the hell do you tell your husband that the man who saved you years ago
LAURAThe rooftop bar was closed at this hour, but Rafael didn’t need permission to occupy a space. He owned every room he entered, even one perched above a city still asleep.He was already there, leaning against the railing like it might collapse under the weight of what he was holding back. Hair tousled, black shirt rolled up at the sleeves, that brooding, unreadable look on his face that used to piss me off—and now made my mouth dry.“You’re late,” he said without looking at me.I didn’t rush to close the distance. I took my time, each step a silent declaration.“And you’re still a control freak,” I replied, coming to stand between his legs as he pulled me in, no hesitation. His hands slid to my waist like they belonged there. Because lately, they did.He kissed me—not softly. Like he needed to forget what we were doing. What we were risking. Like I was the only place he could breathe.When he finally pulled away, he kept his forehead against mine. “She s
ISADORALuca laughed at something Rafael said, the low rumble of it curling around the hallway walls and crawling under my skin.I paused at the archway, watching the two of them with narrowed eyes. The study was awash in golden light—books, whiskey glasses, the faint scent of cigars and secrets. Luca’s posture was relaxed, his hand sweeping casually as he poured a drink. Rafael leaned against the desk, arms crossed, smirking. Like nothing had ever shifted between them.But I remembered.I remembered Luca storming into that garden, face thundercloud-dark. I remembered Rafael's stare—tight-lipped, unreadable. Whatever truce they’d shaken hands on, it wasn’t clean.So why did they act like it was?The door creaked as I stepped back. I didn’t want them seeing me. Not yet. Not when my head buzzed with questions they both refused to answer.Later, when we were alone in the bedroom, I tried to press him gently. “You and Rafael seem... good again.”Luca didn’t look u
LUCAThe call came at dawn.I was half-dressed, shirt slung over my shoulder, staring out the window of my office while the city below yawned itself awake. A steaming espresso sat untouched on the table. Something in my gut twisted before I even touched the phone. Instinct. That cursed, nagging thing I’d learned never to ignore.Rafael’s name lit the screen.I answered with a clipped, “What?”There was silence. Then: “She’s gone.”Everything stilled.“What the fuck do you mean, ‘gone’?” My voice didn’t rise, it didn’t need to. The sharp edge in it could slice steel.Rafael exhaled. “Bianca. She was ambushed—two blocks from the safehouse. Three shots to the chest. Clean. Professional.”My jaw locked. The room tilted for a second.“Where’s the body?”“Cremated,” he said, voice low. “Locals were already on scene by the time our men arrived. We pulled security footage. Emilio’s men. There’s no doubt.”I closed my eyes. Three seconds. That’s all I allow
EMILIOThe man across from me was trembling, and not from the cold.I liked that.I lit a cigarette, the tip glowing like a dying star. The smoke curled upward, slow and deliberate, a quiet reminder that time was never on anyone’s side but mine.“She’s outlived her purpose,” I said simply, flicking ash into a crystal tray.Santos swallowed hard. “You’re sure you want to—?”My eyes snapped to his, and he flinched.“You questioning me, Santos?”“No, sir. Never.” He straightened, pretending he had a spine. “Just… she’s been with us a long time. Bianca’s—”“—a liability,” I cut in, calm as ice. “She thinks sleeping with secrets makes her safe. But when loyalty starts to waiver, the only thing keeping someone alive is their silence.”I stood, smoothing the sleeves of my jacket. “She knows too much. She talks to the wrong people. She’s already aligned herself with Morretti. You really think I’m going to wait for her to slip a blade between my ribs?”Santo
ISADORAThe garden was silent again, but something had shifted—warped. The kind of silence that came before a storm with teeth.Two weeks. That’s all I had left before I walked down an aisle with a man whose promises were carved in blood and devotion. Two weeks before I became Isadora Morretti in front of the world.I should’ve felt safe. Certain. But all I could feel was the slow, suffocating weight of everything we didn’t know tightening around my chest like a corset I couldn’t breathe in.Luca hadn’t let go of my hand. His grip wasn’t gentle—but it wasn’t cruel either. It was possessive. A silent vow wrapped in skin and bone: you’re mine, and I’ll destroy anyone who tries to take you from me.We walked back inside without speaking. Rafael was gone—smart. He knew Luca wouldn’t let the next conversation end in words. And if I wasn’t careful, the next time they stood in the same room, it’d end with a body.Two weeks.I stared at the calendar in our bedroom, the
ISADORAThe garden door creaked behind me, and I froze.I didn’t need to turn. I felt him—the weight of his presence pressing against my spine like a blade just shy of the skin. Luca.His footsteps were slow, deliberate, like he had all the time in the world to dismantle me.“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, without facing him.“Long enough,” he said.His voice cut through the silence like it always did—sharp, low, lethal. “Long enough to hear Rafael dodge every truth like it might bite him.”I turned then, meeting his gaze. The look in his eyes was unreadable, but his jaw—tight, twitching—spoke volumes.“So,” I said quietly, “you know.”“That he and Bianca are running their own game?” Luca’s voice dropped a notch. “Yeah, princess. I got that loud and fucking clear.”He stepped closer. Too close. His gaze pinned me where I stood, and I felt the heat of it all the way down to my bones.“What I don’t know,” he murmured, “is why you didn’
ISADORAThe garden was quiet—too quiet. The kind of quiet that made your skin itch, like the calm before something cracked.Rafael stood near the far edge, his posture deceptively relaxed, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass of something dark. He didn’t look up as I approached, but I knew he felt me. He always did.“I need to ask you something,” I said, stepping into his shadow.“Isadora.” He nodded once, without looking away from the trees. “You’ve been asking a lot of questions lately.”“And you’ve been giving a lot of half-answers.”He glanced at me then, just a flicker of his gaze, like a warning. But I didn’t back down.“I know about Bianca,” I said.His brow arched, just slightly. “What about her?”“She’s working for Luca. Feeding him information about Emilio. Don’t bother denying it.”“I wouldn’t,” Rafael said smoothly. “Because you’re right.”My heartbeat stuttered. I hadn’t expected him to admit it so easily.“What I don’t un
ISADORAI woke to his arms still around me. Tight. Protective. Possessive in the way only Luca could be—like even in sleep, he refused to let me drift too far.His chest rose and fell against my back, steady, grounding. The storm had passed, but its echo lingered. Not in words—but in everything else. The way he’d touched me last night… it wasn’t just desire.It was a claim.I slipped out from under him slowly, quietly, needing a moment to breathe, to think without his heat crawling under my skin and clouding my judgment.I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at the bruises on my collarbone—not cruel ones, not painful. Just reminders. A map of where his hands had been. A silent vow written in the language only we understood.He knew now.Everything.But something inside me still twisted—because I hadn’t told him the rest.I hadn’t told him that Emilio—Adrian—wasn't just part of my past.He was circling again.And I could feel it.N
ISADORAHe knew.Not everything—God, not yet—but enough to make my breath catch as he stepped into the kitchen like a shadow wrapped in silk. His presence didn’t just fill the room—it claimed it, like oxygen suddenly belonged to him, and I was trespassing just by breathing it.And when he looked at me?Not through me.Not around me.At me.Like I was the only thing that existed between heaven and hell.“What's going to change, tesoro?”The word burned more than it soothed.Tesoro.His treasure.He always said it like a vow, like a warning. As if calling me that meant I didn’t get to break, didn’t get to run, didn’t get to hide. His treasure wasn’t allowed secrets. Not without a cost.I clenched the cup too hard. My fingers trembled. My throat tightened with all the words I should say but couldn’t. Not yet. Not while the truth still tasted like betrayal in my mouth.Because how the hell do you tell your husband that the man who saved you years ago