LOGINThe morning light was too bright. It cut through the sheer curtains of Luca’s bedroom, throwing long, cold lines of white across the messy bed.Luca lay completely still. His body was sore, a dull ache pulsing in his hips and lower back every time he tried to breathe too deeply. The sheets felt rough against his skin. He didn't want to move. He felt like if he stayed perfectly quiet, he could pretend none of it had happened. He could pretend he was still back in his old room at the Moretti house.But the silence in this room was different. It was heavy, empty, and cold.Slowly, Luca pushed himself up. He winced as his muscles protested. The silk night shorts and shirt he had worn yesterday were scattered on the floor, the buttons torn. He couldn't look at them. He grabbed a fresh pair of gray sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt from his suitcase, wrapping himself in the thick cotton like armor.In the bathroom, he turned the shower on as hot as it would go. He stood under the water f
Every bite of the meal left for him felt heavy and tasteless, a bitter reminder of his surrender. Even though his body had desperately craved the nourishment, swallowing the rich food felt like accepting defeat. He sat at the cold marble island, his hands still trembling slightly from the fading adrenaline of the afternoon and the lingering warmth of the whiskey. Adrian didn't watch him eat at least, not physically. He had retreated deeper into the penthouse, leaving Luca alone with the heavy, suffocating silence of the glass fortress.But Luca knew the cameras were still there. He knew every movement, every heavy breath, and every flicker of exhaustion on his face was being recorded, analyzed, and cataloged by the man who held his key.By midnight, the penthouse was cast in deep, predatory shadows. Luca lay awake in his cavernous room, staring up at the ceiling. The defiance that had burned so hot and bright in Adrian’s study felt fragile now, chilling into a quiet, creeping dread. “
For thirty-six hours, the only sound in Luca’s room was the ticking of the wall clock and the steady, agonizing rumble of his own empty stomach.The bedroom Adrian had assigned him was cavernous, decorated in muted grays and cold marbles that offered no comfort. It was a beautiful tomb. A king-sized bed wrapped in high-thread-count silk sheets, a private bath that looked like a high-end spa, and a floor-to-ceiling view of the sprawling city skyline below. But to Luca, it was nothing more than an oversized cell.And then there was the silence.The penthouse was a fortress of quiet. Adrian left early in the mornings for Voss Industries and returned late, his presence marked only by the heavy, imposing aura that seemed to settle over the apartment when he was home. The domestic staff were like ghosts silent, moving with practiced, terrified efficiency. They had been forbidden from speaking to Luca. They simply knocked on his heavy oak bedroom door at exactly 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 8:00 PM
The sun was starting to set over the city, but inside the Moretti mansion, there was only tension. Luca went up to his room to pack his things, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold his clothes. He couldn't even get through it without breaking down. Everything was so overwhelming. Just a few hours ago, he was the happiest he had ever been, and now his whole world was falling apart. After finally managing to get his bags together, he walked downstairs for the last time.His father was sitting in his large armchair, looking like he had aged twenty years in a single afternoon. Every few minutes, a sob would break from his chest."We don't have to do this," his brother Marco said, pacing the floor with a face red from anger. "We can run, Luca. We can take whatever cash is left and leave the country. We don't have to give you to him!"Luca looked at his brother and gave a sad, tired smile. "And go where, Marco? From what you told me about him, he has eyes everywhere. He would fi
The Moretti house was always a place of noise and laughter. It was a home where the walls seemed to vibrate with life, the sound of Italian opera coming from the kitchen, the heavy thud of footsteps on the stairs, and the constant, energetic bickering of brothers who loved each other more than they loved themselves.But when Luca walked through the front door that morning, he didn't notice the strange tension in the air. He didn't notice that the house was too quiet or that the lights in his father’s study were still burning bright even though it was past dawn. Luca was in a world of his own. He walked through the foyer with a dreamy smile on his face, his heart feeling lighter than it ever had. He kept touching his neck, his mind replaying every second of the night before.It had been a wonderful night . The music, the drinks, and that man Adrian. Luca didn’t think much of anything else, He just wanted to go to his room, fall into his soft bed, and sleep while keeping those golden me
The morning sun pushed through the blinds, leaving bright stripes on the floor. The city below was already busy and loud, but Adrian’s penthouse was dead quiet. He sat up slowly and put his feet on the cold floor. The other side of the bed was empty. Luca was gone. There wasn't a note or a message, just a faint smell on the sheets that reminded him of what he’d just shared.Adrian sat there for a long moment, staring at the empty space. He didn't freak out, but his mind was racing. Being bisexual wasn't a secret to him, but it had been a very long time since he had been with a man. Actually, it had been a long time since he’d been with anyone. Luca was the first person he had let into his bed since his wife died, and there was something about the younger man that he couldn't quite put his finger on.He lit a cigar and let the smoke clear his head. He didn't like how much he was thinking about Luca. To clear his mind, he picked up his phone and called his right-hand man."I need you to







