Chapter 68 - Perhaps You Should Know

Maria's POV

I tried to keep my hands steady as I straightened the sheets, pretending I was simply getting the bed ready for the night. But in truth, I was trying to keep myself from trembling.

My heart had been racing ever since Luca walked into the room. He's later than ever, his tie is loose, the top of his shirt unbuttoned, his hair slightly mussed like he had run his hands through it a hundred times.

He looked… distracted. Unbothered. Like nothing had happened.

And maybe nothing had. Maybe it was all in my head.

But the scent wasn’t.

No matter how many times I told myself to let it go, to not open my mouth, I could smell it. Sweet, expensive, undeniably feminine. A female perfume that wasn’t mine.

I swallowed hard and turned my back to him, hoping that silence would be enough. Hoping that if I stayed quiet, I wouldn’t ruin this fragile peace between us. 

But then he spoke, his voice low, almost gentle, like he could sense the storm inside me.

“Maria,” he said, moving closer. “You’re tense. I can see it. What’s wrong?”

I forced a small smile, even though my lips trembled. “Nothing. Just tired.”

He didn’t buy it. His hand brushed against my arm, slow and deliberate, his touch both soothing and commanding. “You don’t lie well. Tell me.”

I bit my lip. I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. But the words climbed their way up my throat, burning me until I finally spoke out.

“Where were you, Luca? Why were you so late?”

The silence that followed was heavy. He didn’t expect me to ask. His hand stilled on my arm, his dark eyes narrowing as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“What do you mean?” His voice was quiet, almost too calm.

I turned to face him, my chest tight, my courage fragile but present. “I said, where were you? We had no idea where you spent your day today.”

His gaze sharpened, cold and unreadable. “You’re questioning me now?”

I hated the way my heart sank at his tone, but I forced myself to stand tall. “I’m not questioning. I just… want to understand.”

His lips curved, not into a smile, but something closer to mockery. “Understand what, exactly?”

I should have stopped there. But I couldn’t. Not when the truth pressed against me so hard I could barely breathe. “I can smell it on you, Luca.”

His eyes darkened. “Smell what?”

I drew in a shaky breath. “Perfume. A woman’s perfume.”

For a moment, I saw it. A look of surprise in his eyes, like I had caught him off guard. But then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by something else.

“Maria, you’re imagining things,” he said flatly. “Besides, I believe you must have a long day and you must be tired.”

My throat ached. “Don’t do that. Don’t make me feel crazy. I know what I smelled.”

His jaw tightened. “So now you’re accusing me?”

“I’m not…” My voice broke, but I pushed on. “I’m not accusing. I’m telling you what I noticed. Alex noticed it too.”

That got his attention. His eyes turned back to me, sharp. “Alex?” His voice tipped with disbelief. “One day. You spend one day with Alex, and suddenly the two of you are… what? Friends? Close enough to gossip about me?”

I shook my head quickly. “No, it’s not like that…”

“Then what is it, Maria?” His tone was soft, dangerous. “Because from where I stand, it looks like you and Alex are whispering about me behind my back.”

“This isn’t about Alex!” I cried, my voice rising despite the fear twisting in my stomach. “This is about you. About me. About us.”

His expression changed, the softness now leaving from his eyes. His whole presence changed, from the man who had tried to comfort me a few minutes ago, to something darker. Cold. Dangerous.

“Us?” he repeated, stepping closer. I stepped back until my legs hit the edge of the bed. His shadow now over me, and his voice dropped, low and commanding. “Let me make something very clear, Maria. You do not question where I go. You do not demand answers from me like I owe you explanations.”

My lips parted, but nothing came out except my breath. He was so close now that his presence was suffocating me.

“You think because I’ve been… careful with you, because I’ve allowed you into my world, that you suddenly have a right to challenge me?” His words cut sharper than knives. “Don’t mistake my patience for weakness, Maria.”

Tears spilled from my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, not yet.

“I’m not challenging you,” I whispered. “I just…”

He cut me off, “you just forgot your place.” He said in a low and scary tone, “or perhaps I never made it known to you.”

My chest ached, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. “Luca, please…”

But he wasn’t listening. His eyes flashed with something ruthless, something that made my stomach twist.

“You are here because, Maria, I allow you to be. Do not ever forget that,” he said, each word deliberate, heavy, terrifying. “I could take it all away in a heartbeat. Your comfort. Your safety. Everything.”

The tears from my eyes broke free now, flowing down my cheeks. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to silence the sob that threatened to escape.

Luca watched me, his face unreadable, his chest rising and falling with slow breaths. And then, as quickly as the storm came, he stepped back and left the room.

I crumpled onto the bed, my body trembling, my tears pouring freely now. His words replayed in my head, each one echoing deeper than the last. I thought I had seen his anger before, but this… this was something else. Something colder.

And for the first time since I met him, I was truly afraid of what Luca De Rossi.