Chapter 54: Young, Soft and Quiet

Maria's POV

“I know the shooter,” Luca said. “And I think I know why she might have wanted to kill me.”

Those words stayed in my head as the water kept running down both our bodies. I was still holding him from behind, but I could feel how heavy those words were on him.

I didn’t ask him anything else. I just let the silence fill the space between us.

Then he reached for the shower knob and turned off the shower.

Without a word, he stepped out and grabbed his robe. He didn’t even look at me. He just wrapped the robe around his body and walked out of the bathroom. I picked up a towel and followed.

By the time I got to the room, he was already sitting on the couch. His robe was loose, almost falling off his shoulder. He looked... exhausted. Not just from the attack, but from what was bothering him deep inside.

Whatever it was was surely eating Luca up.

I walked over and sat on his lap.

I rested my head on his chest and didn’t say anything. I just wanted him to know I was here. He didn’t push me off. Instead, he rested his hand on my leg.

Then he spoke.

“You know Alexa used to love sex very much,” he said softly.

I looked up a little, but I didn’t interrupt.

“I don’t even know if it was the sex she loved or just the power that came with it. The control. The high. Whatever it was... she needed it. All the time.”

He paused for a bit, like he was remembering something that didn’t feel like a memory but more like a weight.

“She’d make us have sex almost every night. It wasn’t always just us two, though. She liked bringing others in. Women. Sometimes men. People she said looked ‘different’ or ‘interesting.’” He gave a short laugh. “I won’t lie, I enjoyed some of it. A lot of it, actually.”

I didn’t say anything. I just kept listening.

“She was careful though. Always made sure anyone who came in was tested. She didn’t like risks. She had lawyers draft documents that made sure if anyone ever tried to talk, they’d get crushed in court. That she must have learnt from me.”

He sighed.

“She brought in all kinds of people. But then one day, she brought a girl. I thought she was underage. She looked like she was. I got angry at first. Alexa laughed. Said she wasn’t. Said she made sure. Told me if she was underage, I could kill her myself.”

“And was she?” I asked softly.

“No,” he said. “She wasn’t. Alexa was right. I checked later. Girl was barely legal, but legal enough.”

I stayed quiet, even though my chest was tightening.

“I wasn’t comfortable with it,” he continued. “I swear I wasn't but Alexa had her drugged. Not to knock her out. But just... enough. Enough to make her slow. To make her dull.”

I swallowed.

“And we did things,” he said.

He paused again.

“We did things to her. Used her like a sex toy to our satisfaction.”

He said it like he was talking about something evil. And I could feel how torn he was.

“I hated myself for it,” he whispered. “But I won’t lie. I enjoyed it. She was soft. Young. Quiet. Pretty too I must add. She didn’t fight back. She didn’t even speak much.”

He shifted under me, and I could feel he was getting hard.

That made something turn in my stomach, but I didn’t move.

“I had Alexa call her back a few more times but then, Alexa didn’t like it. She started getting jealous. I think she must’ve threatened the girl or scared her away or something. Because one day, she just stopped coming. Disappeared. I asked Alexa about her, and she told me she got bored. Wanted something new.”

“Did you try to find her?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“No. I didn’t. She was just a toy. And when a toy goes missing, you don’t search the whole house for it. You just get a new one. And that we did. But I don't think I ever stopped thinking about her sometimes.”

He looked at me when he said it. And I couldn’t read what was in his eyes. Shame? Guilt? Or nothing?

I shifted a little on his lap, giving him room to get up.

He leaned forward, then stood, walking away slowly.

“But why would she want to kill you?” I asked.

He stopped near the bed.

“Because we drugged her every time,” he said quietly. “Not to sleep. Just to make her dull. To take her out of her own body. And I’m sure we did painful things to her body. She might not remember anything then but she'll surely feel the pains.”

He untied his robe and let it fall to the floor.

He didn’t bother covering himself.

Then he climbed into the bed, naked.

He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling.

I stood there for a few seconds, the towel still wrapped around me.

I had no idea what to feel.

Luca had just confessed something deep like this to me. Something raw. And he wasn’t trying to defend it or explain it away. He just said it like it was the truth. Because it was the truth.

I looked at him again.

And in that moment, I couldn’t tell who he was more angry at—Stephanie, Alexa… or himself.

But one thing was clear.

Someone wanted him dead.

And maybe… they had a good reason.