Chapter 2

“Ah,” Robert said, as if suddenly remembering something. “Avery, you haven’t met my son yet.”

My chest tightened.

Luca walked down to the final step. His expression was completely blank—neither surprised to see me nor hesitant, as if he had known about everything long before I set foot here.

Robert patted his shoulder. “Luca, this is Avery. I suppose you two should get to know each other.”

The corner of Luca’s mouth twitched—not into a smile, but something far closer to a smirk.

“Don’t worry,” he said flatly. “I already know her.”

“Long time no see,” I said, trying my best to keep my voice steady.

Robert chuckled, blissfully unaware of the suffocating tension in the room. “Then this should be easier.”

Luca didn’t reply. Instead, he stepped closer, leaning in just enough so his low voice reached only my ears. “Five years, Avery.”

Then he brushed past me. But right beside me, he paused. “Still running away when things get difficult?”

I whipped my head around, but he was already walking away.

What did he mean by that? Who was the one running? He was the one who destroyed everything that night.

That bastard. As if he had any right to judge me.

“Avery?” Mom’s voice pulled me back to reality. “You look pale.”

“Probably just jetlag.” I forced a small smile to reassure her.

Mom searched my face for a long moment. She knew me too well to buy that excuse, but in the end, she simply nodded.

My new room was larger than my entire old apartment. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows lined one wall, overlooking the sprawling backyard garden. It had a sofa, a study desk, a walk-in closet, and even a private balcony.

Once Robert and Mom stepped out, I leaned against the closed door and finally released the breath I’d been holding.

For five years, I had trained myself to forget the way he laughed, the way his fingers brushed through my hair, and the way he used to whisper “I got you” every time I was about to stumble. And now, he was living under the exact same roof.

As my stepbrother.

Great. What a perfect fresh start.

When I stepped out for dinner, the hallway was eerily quiet. I had barely reached the top of the landing when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Leaving already?”

Luca was leaning casually against the doorframe of the room directly opposite mine, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Dinner.”

“So you’re staying.” It wasn't a question.

“I don’t have a choice.”

“You always had a choice, Ave.” The way he said my nickname hadn't changed at all.

He closed the distance between us until barely a meter separated us. “You just preferred running.”

“Don’t start,” I whispered. “You were the one who—”

“Who what?” His voice dropped an octave. “Who left you? Or who you walked away from without giving a single chance to explain?”

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

That phantom feeling resurfaced—that tiny, persistent doubt I had buried deep for five whole years: the nagging thought that something about that night didn't add up.

No. I saw it with my own eyes.

“I didn’t lie about anything,” I said firmly.

He let out a low laugh. A sound that used to make my heart flutter now only left a sharp ache in my chest.

“We’ll see.”

He walked past me without a single touch, yet the air surrounding him felt charged with static electricity.

The dining room featured a long table beneath a grand chandelier. White porcelain plates edged in gold sat before each setting.

Robert sat at the head of the table with Mom beside him, and Luca sat directly across from me.

“So, Avery,” Robert began warmly. “How’s the university transfer going?”

“Everything’s set. Classes start next week.”

“Your mom tells me you’ve always been a hard worker,” Robert added. “Even when things were difficult.”

Luca raised his eyes from his plate. “Difficult how?”

Mom smiled awkwardly. “Oh, you know. Moving around, adjusting to new places.”

“Right.” Luca set his spoon down with a soft click. “Adjusting.”

Silence fell over the table.

Robert attempted to salvage the atmosphere. “Luca just got back from New York. He’s taking over a few of the company’s local projects here.”

So he wasn't just visiting. He was staying for good.

“How long are you staying?” I asked without lifting my head.

“As long as it takes.”

I looked up, meeting his gaze. “As long as what takes?”

He didn't answer. He simply stared at me with an unreadable intensity.

“Well!” Mom let out a light laugh. “At least you two already know each other. That makes things easier, right?”

Luca offered a faint smile—one that failed to reach his eyes. “Much easier.”

I excused myself the second dessert was finished, leaving the dining room without looking back. But I could feel his gaze burning into my back all the way to the top of the stairs.

Late that night, I stood out on the balcony. The Miami breeze carried the faint scent of the sea from afar, triggering a memory from five years ago.

An indoor swimming pool. The sound of splashing water every time someone dived off the starting block.

I had come unannounced. Luca was supposed to have finished practice thirty minutes prior. He said he’d wait for me outside, but he wasn't there.

So I went looking for him.

He was standing by the edge of the pool, his hair still dripping wet. In front of him stood a blonde girl, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

And Luca didn't push her away.

That was the only detail burned clearly into my memory. That was what I had held onto for five long years.

Yet a tiny detail—one I had somehow never questioned until tonight—flashed in my mind: the girl had turned her head toward the door right before I could utter a single word.

I blinked the memory away. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe my mind was distorting things.

The sudden, loud roar of an engine below shattered my thoughts. A sleek black sports car burst out of the garage, its taillights flashing once before it vanished past the main gates. The thunderous rumble of the exhaust lingered in the night air for several seconds.

“Luca?”

Where could he possibly be heading in the middle of the night?

***