LOGINLuciano De Lucaâs POV When I returned home that evening, after spending hours at the hospital and finally seeing my father regain consciousness, all I wanted was silence and sleep. The house was unusually still, the servants long gone for the night, the dim lights casting shadows across the marble floors. It should have been peaceful. Instead, Silvia Romano was waiting for me in the living room. A half-empty bottle of wine sat on the table in front of her, along with an abandoned glass. The moment she saw me, she rose unsteadily to her feet, her eyes sharp despite the alcohol, and crossed the room with purpose. âAre you having an affair with Doctor B?â she demanded, her voice cutting through the quiet like a blade. I stopped in my tracks, irritation immediately settling into my bones. This was not the first time she had thrown that accusation at me, and it was growing more tiresome each time. Her jealousy had always been excessive, but tonight, after everything I had just endure
Chiaraâs POV Luciano De Lucaâs intervention in that unwanted proposal must have spread quickly, because as the day went on, the number of suitors hovering around me dropped off significantly. Even after he left, the pressure eased, and for once, I could move through the day without feeling watched or pursued. I returned to Enricoâs room several times, checking on him whenever I could. There was never any dramatic change, nothing that would excite anyone else, yet I felt it deep in my bones. He was close. Very close to waking. The last time I stepped into the room, Luciano was gone, but Martha was there. She rose immediately when she saw me, her expression already bright with anticipation. âHe squeezed my hand again,â she said, her voice filled with restrained excitement. âThatâs a very good sign,â I replied, and this time, I allowed myself to believe it fully. As I moved closer to examine Enrico, I felt her gaze on me again. It had become a pattern. Lately, Martha watched me li
Luciano De Lucaâs POV There was no clear reason for it. No logic I could point to. No justification I could defend. Yet the sight before me stirred something sharp and restless inside my chest, something dangerously close to anger. It burned slowly at first, then rose, steady and relentless, until it became impossible to ignore. Maybe it was because Doctor B reminded me too much of Chiara. Or maybe it was simpler than that. Maybe I just could not stand watching another man ignore her words, push past her boundaries, and act as though her refusal meant nothing. Whatever the reason, my patience wore thin as my irritation climbed. I had expected that, with Doctor Bâs growing reputation within the pack, she would attract attention. Admirers. Suitors. That much was inevitable. But this? Men crowding her workplace. Interrupting her duties. Cornering her in the very place she was meant to feel in control. That, I had not anticipated. The man standing beside her now was the chief
Chiaraâs POV I had never seen this man before. Not once. Not even in passing, at least not that I could remember. There was no shared history between us, no fleeting encounter to explain the sudden interest in his eyes. And yet, here he stood, asking me out as though it were the most natural thing in the world. For a moment, I was too stunned to respond. âDo I know you?â I finally asked, searching his face again, just in case memory had failed me. His confidence faltered almost immediately. âAh⊠no. Not exactly,â he admitted, shifting slightly where he stood. âBut your reputation speaks for you, Doctor B. And I heard that you are⊠unmated.â He hesitated, then pushed forward. âI was hoping we might try, just to see if we could be a good match.â I studied him more carefully this time. Everything about him screamed wealth and status. His clothes were tailored to perfection, the fabric expensive even at a glance. His hair was styled in that precise, slicked-back fashion common am
Giacomoâs POV Giacomo woke later than usual that morning, the sunlight already spilling across his room by the time he finally stirred. Because of that, he missed the morning broadcast and only learned about the latest report on Silvia when he unfolded the newspaper over breakfast, a glass of mimosa resting beside his plate. Halfway through reading, his appetite faltered. Not enough to make him stop eating, but enough to leave a sour taste behind. Silvia had to be playing some kind of game. That was the only explanation that made sense to him. How else could such a story have reached the media? Luciano would never have said a word. Giacomo himself certainly hadnât. And the man who had been exiled? No one would take his word seriously, not after everything. So who else knew? And more importantly⊠who would be believed? The shrill ring of the telephone cut through his thoughts. His butler answered it promptly, as always. âOne moment, sir,â the man said before approaching the
Chiaraâs POV The next morning, I sat in my living room with a cup of coffee warming my hands, my eyes fixed on the television. A quiet tension coiled in my chest as I waited. That photograph⊠the one taken at the hospital. I had no doubt it would surface. Moments like that never stayed hidden, not when it involved someone like Luciano De Luca. The media thrived on fragments like that, twisting them into something louder, something uglier. I braced myself for it. For the scandal. For my name, or rather Doctor Bâs name, to be dragged into yet another storm tied to Luciano and Silvia Romano. But as the news played on, nothing came. No scandal. No blurred image of that moment. No headlines screaming betrayal or impropriety. Instead, the only mention of Doctor B came in connection to Enricoâs condition. âThe renowned Doctor B has been treating the Alpha Kingâs father, who is now recovering,â the news anchor reported smoothly. âConfirmed by several sources, his heart condition
Chiaraâs POV I stood in stunned silence, my mouth falling open, looking at Luciano De Luca, trying to understand what he was saying. While not a divorce, a mutual rejection would end our mating bond. Luciano De Lucaâs mark on my neck would fade and weâd both be free to bond with others instead.
Luciano De Lucaâs POV She called me Luciano. That was the first thought to run through my mind as Chiara opened the door for me at Caterina's house. The second? Why did her face fall so much when she saw it was me, and not Giacomo? It was as if the bright light inside of her had been snuffed
Luciano De Lucaâs POV With no way of knowing what this rejection could mean for Chiara, I wanted to believe that she had finally come to her senses and would at last be returning home. Perhaps she realized once and for all how silly this desire for a divorce truly was. The thoughts pleased me mo
Chiaraâs POV In a panic, I immediately swiveled back around, facing away from Luciano De Luca and the door. Grabbing my mask, I re-covered my face with shaking hands. Had Luciano seen me? Did he know it was Chiara under this mask? My heart hammered in my chest, and my breathing was short and sh







