LOGINLuca POVI hear her door before I see it. The soft click of the lock. Like she’s sealing herself in.10:12am Victoria walked out of the master with that smile. 10:47am and I still haven’t moved from the kitchen. The coffee is cold. My hands are shaking.I can’t keep doing this. Not after what she just did. Not after Aria saw her clothes on the floor.I walk down the hall. Stop in front of Aria’s door. The wood is between us. It feels like a wall and a weapon at the same time.“Aria.” My voice comes out rough. I clear my throat. “Aria, can we talk?”Nothing.“I know you don’t want to. I know you hate me right now.” Pause. “I just need five minutes. Please.”Still nothing. But I hear it. The shift of weight. She’s on the other side. She’s listening.“Look,” I say. “What happened this morning... it’s not what you think.” God, that sounds stupid. What else could it be?“I’m trying to keep you safe,” I say. The words rush out. “Victoria’s dad threatened you. At the tower. He said if I didn
Victoria POVI don’t knock. That’s the first rule of taking something. You don’t ask. You walk in like you already own it.The hallway is quiet. Aria’s door is still closed. Good. Let her sit in there and bleed quietly.Luca is in the kitchen. He’s standing at the counter with a mug in his hand but he hasn’t drank it. Staring at the window. Like if he looks hard enough, he can see a way out of this. “Morning,” I say. Bright. Casual. He turns. He doesn’t answer.I walk past him. Heel clicks on the tile. Deliberate. I stop at the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. “I’m going to put our things in the master,” I say over my shoulder. “Our things.” Not _my_ things. _Our_.His jaw ticks. “That’s not—” “What?” I cut in. I turn back to him. Smile. “That’s not your room? It’s your house, Luca. And I’m your wife.” I say _wife_ slow. Like I’m tasting it.He doesn’t argue. Because he can’t. Because the security team told us to be seen together. Because if he fights me now, Aria gets hurt. I know
Aria POVThe door closes. I don’t hear it. Not really. It’s like the sound happens somewhere far away, underwater.My room. My bed. My hoodie. His hoodie. I’m still wearing it. I should take it off. I can’t make my arms move.9:31am. He walked in with her hand in his. 9:35am. She kissed his cheek. And he let her._Is it real?_ _Of course it’s real._My phone is on the nightstand. It’s buzzing. Marco. Nico. Probably all of them. _are you okay_ _come with us_ _don’t stay there_ I don’t pick it up.The walls feel too close. The air feels too thin. I sit on the edge of the bed because if I don’t, I’ll fall.Two days ago he was here. In this room. He’d pulled me into him and said _I’m not letting anyone hurt you._ He’d taken off this hoodie and given it to me when I was cold. He’d looked at me like I was the only thing in the room.Today he looked at me like I was a stranger. And then he said nothing.That’s what hurts. Not the kiss. Not her arm in his. The nothing. He chose silence. He ch
Luca POVThe door to Vale Tower closes behind us and the air dies. It’s quiet. Too quiet. Like the whole apartment heard us come in and decided to hold its breath.Victoria’s hand is still in mine. Warm. Deliberate. She squeezes once. _Remember._ I don’t look at her. I can’t. Because standing in the middle of the living room is Marco. He’s in sweats. Hair a mess. Like he hasn’t slept. His jaw is tight. His fists are at his sides. And his eyes are locked on our hands.Behind him, on the couch: Aria. She’s wearing my hoodie from two nights ago. The one I left here. Her hair is down. Her face is bare. She looks up when we walk in. And freezes.Nico is by the window. Enzo is leaning against the kitchen counter. Dante is sitting on the floor, phone in his hand. All of them. All of them staring.6:07am I was running. 9:31am I’m standing in their home with my wife.“Luca,” Marco says. Just my name. Flat. Dangerous.Victoria steps forward before I can. She lets go of my hand. And then she sli
Luca POV6:07am. Outside. Running.Cold air. Empty streets. I’m three miles in and my chest still feels like it’s caving.Victoria took the hair tie. Said _I own you now._ Said _act like it if you want her alive._I nodded. Because that’s what you do when they have a gun to her head.My phone is in my pocket buzzing. I don’t check it.At 6:02am I was in the guest room of my dad’s penthouse with her standing over me. At 6:10am I was out the door. At 6:07am I’m running because if I stop I’ll run straight to Vale Tower. To Aria.I can’t.My watch buzzes. 6:09am. I’m turning onto the last block before Moretti Tower when I hear it.Glass breaking. Shouting. Tires screeching.I stop. Look up.Black SUVs. Not ours. Men in masks. The front doors of my dad’s building are already busted open.Moretti Tower. My last name is on that building.My phone rings. Unknown number. I answer.“Mr. Moretti?”“Who is this.”“Security. We’ve got a breach. 43rd floor. Your father’s gone. Mrs. Moretti is insid
Victoria POVI don’t sleep in other people’s houses.Especially not when the husband I married yesterday is sleeping on the floor in the guest room with a hair tie on his wrist.6:02am. Caruso Penthouse.I woke up at 5:30 in the master bedroom. Alone. The bed was cold. The house was quiet. Too quiet.I checked the guest room at 5:45. The door was closed. The light was off. I heard nothing. No breathing. No movement. That’s when I knew. Luca doesn’t do quiet. Luca does control. Luca does anger. Luca does 3am phone calls.I went to the kitchen and made coffee I won’t drink. Then I scrolled my own posts. _Chapter 1 #MrsMoretti. I posted all night and tagged him in all of them. He didn’t like any of them.At 5:58am I checked his phone location. Still here. Still in the guest room.So I went back. Knocked once. No answer. I opened the door.He was on the floor with his back against the wall. Phone in his hand. Eyes closed. Hair tie on his wrist. He looked wrecked. Good.“Luca.”He jerked a







