036 - Protection and Doubt

Maria’s POV

When I got back to the apartment, it was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made my skin crawl—not because something is wrong, but because something already happened.

I closed the door gently behind me and placed my bag on the kitchen counter. My shoulders ached, my feet too, but more than anything, my mind was buzzing. 

Liam’s voice followed me like a shadow—his words echoing, refusing to leave me alone.

The attack on my apartment.

The man who did it.

And how he was killed just ten days later.

It didn’t just sit right with me.

I reached for my phone, my fingers shaking slightly as I tapped it on. The screen lit up. I opened the calendar, scrolled back to that day. I could still remember the day so I could easily trace the date.

Then I moved forward to find the date I asked Luca to help me. To find him. To do something.

The gap between the two was also about ten days.

Too close.

Too perfect.

A knot formed in my stomach. I told myself it could be coincidence, that maybe the police found him, or someone else had their own reasons. 

But deep down, I already knew the answer. I was probably been too afraid to say it out loud.

It was Luca.

It had to be.

And I knew—without anyone confirming it—that if he wanted someone dead, they would die.

Luca didn’t need to be loud. He didn’t make threats. He just did his thing. Without waiting on anyone for approval. Moreover, with the kind of power and influence he had, he could probably get away with it.

But even if he did it… why didn’t he tell me?

Why lie by omission?

Why did I have to hear it from someone else?

Maybe it was about Alejandro. Maybe it was something bigger than just me, bigger than revenge. 

Or maybe it was exactly what it looked like—Luca doing what Luca does. Handling things in ways I wasn’t sure I could actually understand.

A soft creak down the hallway pulled me out of my thoughts. The sound of a door opening—light, careful.

Probably Louisa.

I knew if she saw me like this, she would ask questions. Her heart was too big for its own good.

“Are you okay?”

“Do you want to talk?”

“Would you like a drink?”

No. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to explain this feeling in my chest, this mix of fear and fascination that made it hard for me to breathe.

I pushed myself off the stool and walked quickly down the hall, hoping to slip into my room before Louisa saw me.

But when I opened the door, I froze.

Luca was already there.

He was sitting on the edge of my bed, elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely clasped. He didn’t look up right away. Just sat there like he belonged in that space. Like he’d always been there.

When his eyes finally met mine, I felt my throat tighten. I couldn’t speak. I just looked at him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, though the question felt hollow.

He didn’t answer. Just kept looking at me like he was trying to decide where to begin.

So I did it for him.

“What happened to the man who attacked my apartment?” I asked. My voice was even, but I could hear the tension in it.

Luca’s brow twitched slightly. “That’s your first question?”

I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. My fingers brushed the handle a little too long.

“I asked someone I know,” I lied. “She has a boyfriend in law enforcement. He told me they found the guy but it turns out the guy is dead.”

I paused.

“And the timing… matches right after I asked you to look into it.”

I crossed the room slowly. My heartbeat thudded in my ears.

“So, did you have him killed?”

Luca stood, not in a rush, not defensively—just calm, controlled.

He looked at me directly. “Yes.”

The air left my lungs.

“Someone tried to hurt you,” he said. His voice was steady, like he wasn’t ashamed of it. “And I couldn’t allow it. He had to suffer for it and that's exactly what I did. Make him suffer for it.”

He took a step forward.

“So yes. I had him killed.”

Then he paused. His jaw tightened.

“No… I killed him myself.”

“You killed him yourself?” Was all I could say.

“Yes I did,” he repeated. “Because I was angry. Because no one gets to hurt you and walk away. And because I have the power to make sure it never happens again.”

He was closer now. So close I could feel the calm violence beneath his skin.

“You know why I did it?” he said quietly. “Because you, Maria, you’re mine. And I protect what’s mine.”

The words hit deeper than I expected. They landed somewhere I wasn’t ready to face. Somewhere between fear, desire and doubt.

I wanted to ask why he keeps bringing up Alexa then, why it seems like Alexa is more important to him than I am even though she's dead. 

I wanted to ask if he was sure about what he was saying.

But I didn’t.

Because some terrible, aching part of me didn’t hate what he said but nonetheless, I doubted it.

Luca’s voice softened, just slightly. “I came here to apologize. For earlier. For Alexa. For ruining our moment by calling her name.”

His eyes searched mine like he was asking for something more than forgiveness.

“But I won’t apologize for what I did to that man. I don’t regret it. I won’t ever regret protecting you.”

Then he turned and left the room. 

While I just stood there, rooted to the floor.

His words echoed in the room like a promise and a warning all at once.

I won't ever regret protecting you… 

I don't doubt that but… what about Alexa, could he protect me from her?