Chapter 9

Nyla's POV 

The words stayed with me all night.

I barely slept, replaying them in my mind, wondering if I had misheard him….

Morning came too quickly. Sunlight filtered through the heavy drapes, softening the sharp edges of the room. I dressed simply in a fitted black blouse tucked into high-waisted trousers, a reminder that I wasn’t just here as a bride-to-be. 

I trailed my step down the staircase, and Luca was already in the dining room; he raised his head at the click of my heels against the marble floor of the ground that wasn't covered with thick rugs.

Our eyes met briefly, but he didn’t say a word and just gestured toward the seat beside him.

The dining room looked like something torn out of a glossy magazine, with sunlight pouring through tall windows and silver cutlery lined up on the dining table.

Luca was already seated at the head of the table, in a black long sleeve open at the collar, with one hand around a steaming cup of coffee. 

“Morning,” I said coolly, taking a seat midway down the table rather than right beside him.

He gestured to the maid, who was already dishing out our breakfast.

 “Bring her coffee. And make sure she eats.”

I arched my brow. “Are you ordering breakfast for me now?”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “I prefer my people not to pass out in the middle of the day.”

“Your people,” I scoff under my breath, but I reached for the coffee when it arrived. I wasn’t stupid enough to turn down caffeine, not after a long night.

We ate in silence, the clinking of cutlery the only sound until he finally spoke again. “Matteo will show you to the headquarters after breakfast. You’ll be working in my division.”

I set my fork down slowly. “Your division?”

Oh, I had almost forgotten his father mentioned it the last time.

He met my eyes. “You’ll be handling logistics. Schedules, shipment tracking, managing certain communications. Nothing that puts you in danger.”

I smirked faintly. “Dangerous is relative, Luca.”

His lips twitched like he was fighting a sarcastic smile. “Not for you, it’s not. You stay in the office.”

I scoff.

We didn’t talk again until the meal was over.

~~~

The Valenti headquarters was a steel-and-glass fortress on the edge of the city. Inside, the air smelled faintly of expensive cologne and printer ink. Every person I passed looked sharp enough to cut themselves, their eyes tracking me with a mix of curiosity and calculation.

And a thought struck me: were they all like this?

“I'm Marco, Mr. Luca's PA. He asked me to show you to your office,” Marco said with a small smile.

“This is your office,” he said to me politely while opening a glass door. The space was surprisingly spacious with a sleek black desk, leather chair, and a wide window overlooking the city skyline.

“And this,” he added, stepping aside, “is your assistant. Ava.”

A young pretty lady stepped forward; we should be age mates if I'm not mistaken, smart in a navy pencil skirt and cream blouse, her dark hair swept into a perfect chignon. Her smile was polite but unreadable.

 “Ms. Silver. I’ve prepared the files you’ll need to get up to speed.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking the stack from her as I took my seat on the rotating leather seat.

“You’ll be reporting directly to me,” Luca’s voice came from behind.

How long has he been standing there? He was leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets, a clear picture of casual authority. 

“Which means when I say something, you follow it,” he added in a demandingly husky voice.

I turned slowly in my chair, meeting his gaze head-on. “See, that’s where you and I have a problem. I don’t do well with being bossed around, Luca.”

His lip lifted in a sly smug. “You’re in my world now. You’ll adapt.”

I leaned back, crossing my arms. “Or maybe you’ll adapt to the fact that I’m not one of your soldiers. I’m here to work, not take orders like some obedient little pet.”

The room went still. Even Ava froze, her pen hovering above her notepad.

Luca stepped inside, closing the distance until he was standing right in front of my desk. His shadow cut across me, his voice low but firm. “You’re here because you’re going to be my wife. That means you do as I say when I say it. The office doesn’t change that.”

My pulse kicked, but I refused to look away. “I think you’ll find I’m not the kind of wife you can leash.”

For a long moment, we just stared at each other, tension sparking like electricity between us. Then Luca’s smirk returned slowly.

“We’ll see about that, Ms. Caruso.”

And just like that, he turned and walked out, leaving the faint scent of his cologne in the air and my blood running hotter than I cared to admit.

Ava just gave me an awkward smile, and then she hurriedly left the room.

I scoff in disbelief.

I picked up my phone and made a phone call.

“Is the investigation going on?