Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The rain started sometime after midnight.  

Damon stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse office, watching the city blur beneath sheets of silver rain. Milan looked softer like this. Quieter. As if the world outside had paused for a moment.  

Inside, nothing felt quiet.  

His phone still rested on the desk where Matteo’s call had ended.  

Matteo had sounded just like himself concerned, calm, supportive.  

Too supportive.  

“You’re thinking too hard again,” Luca said from behind him.  

Damon didn’t turn around.  

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”  

“It becomes one when it keeps you awake for forty-eight hours.”  

Damon let out a tired breath.  

“Is that your official medical opinion?”  

“No.”  

Luca stepped closer.  

“Just observation.”  

Damon rubbed his temples.  

Everything from the last week had begun blending together boardroom pressure, the media circus, the woman impersonating his mother, the video accusing Matteo.  

Nothing felt stable anymore.  

Nothing except the man standing behind him.  

Which was the most dangerous part of all.  

“You don’t trust Matteo,” Damon said quietly.  

Luca didn’t hesitate.  

“No.”  

“Why?”  

“He’s too perfect.”  

Damon finally turned.  

“That’s not evidence.”  

“No,” Luca admitted.  

“It’s instinct.”  

Damon studied him.  

“And your instincts are usually right?”  

“They’ve kept me alive.”  

Damon nodded slowly.  

“That’s reassuring.”  

But the doubt remained.  

Matteo had been in his life for years.  

They built parts of the company together.  

They survived Lucius Moreau’s death together.  

The idea that Matteo could be involved in Evelyn’s murder felt impossible.  

And yet 

The video message echoed in Damon’s mind.  

Ask Matteo what she discovered.  

Damon looked away.  

“Leave it alone for now,” Luca said.  

“That’s not an option.”  

“It is if digging deeper gets you killed.”  

Damon laughed softly.  

“You’re very dramatic tonight.”  

Luca’s expression didn’t change.  

“I’m serious.”  

The room fell quiet.  

Then Damon asked the question that had been lingering in the back of his mind all day.  

“Why did you really come here, Luca?”  

Luca blinked.  

“You hired me.”  

“That’s the official version.”  

Damon stepped closer.  

“But men like you don’t randomly appear in billionaire security rotations.”  

Luca said nothing.  

Damon continued carefully.  

“There’s no military record. No personal history. No digital footprint.”  

He folded his arms.  

“You’re a ghost.”  

Luca’s jaw tightened slightly.  

“And?”  

“And ghosts usually belong to someone.”  

Silence.  

For a moment Damon wondered if he had pushed too far.  

Then Luca said quietly,  

“I work alone.”  

“That’s not what I asked.”  

“It’s the only answer you’re getting.”  

Damon studied him.  

Part of him wanted to push harder.  

Another part knew Luca would simply walk away.  

So Damon let it go.  

For now.  

Across the room, Luca watched Damon return to the desk.  

The billionaire looked exhausted.  

Dark circles shadowed his eyes.  

Grief still clung to him like smoke.  

Luca felt something twist painfully in his chest.  

This wasn’t how the contract was supposed to unfold.  

Damon Moreau was meant to be a target.  

A name.  

A job.  

Instead, he had become a man Luca couldn’t stop watching.  

Couldn’t stop protecting.  

Couldn’t stop wanting.  

Which meant Luca had already made the worst mistake an assassin could make.  

He had grown attached.  

Luca stepped onto the balcony outside the office.  

Cold rain hit his face immediately.  

Good.  

He needed the shock.  

His phone vibrated in his pocket.  

The encrypted number on the screen made his stomach tighten.  

Adrian.  

Luca answered.  

“You’ve been quiet,” Adrian Kessler’s voice said smoothly.  

“I’m working.”  

“You’re stalling.”  

“I’m protecting the target.”  

“You were hired to eliminate him.”  

Luca looked out at the city lights.  

“Circumstances changed.”  

Adrian laughed softly.  

“They always do.”  

Silence stretched between them.  

Then Adrian’s voice hardened.  

“You’re getting close to him.”  

“That’s part of the job.”  

“No.”  

A pause.  

“That’s a mistake.”  

Luca’s hand tightened around the phone.  

“You don’t get to lecture me.”  

“I get to remind you of the contract.”  

Luca didn’t respond.  

Adrian continued calmly.  

“The client is growing impatient.”  

The words made Luca’s blood run cold.  

“Then tell them to wait.”  

“You’re not in a position to make demands.”  

“I’m the one standing next to him every day.”  

“Yes,” Adrian said softly.  

“That’s exactly why I’m worried.”  

Luca closed his eyes briefly.  

“Give me more time.”  

“You have three days.”  

The line went dead.  

Rain continued pouring around him.  

Luca stared out at the city, jaw tight.  

Three days.  

After that 

Someone else would be sent to finish the job.  

And Damon would never see it coming.  

Inside the office, Damon noticed the balcony door slide open.  

Luca stepped back inside, rain clinging to his dark hair.  

“You look like hell,” Damon said.  

“Thank you.”  

Damon studied him.  

Something felt different.  

More distant.  

“Everything alright?” Damon asked.  

“Yes.”  

“You’re lying.”  

Luca shrugged.  

“I do that sometimes.”  

Damon leaned against the desk.  

“What happened on that balcony?”  

“Nothing.”  

Damon’s gaze sharpened.  

“You know you’re terrible at hiding things.”  

“Not usually.”  

“That’s concerning.”  

Luca moved toward the door.  

“I’m going to run a perimeter check.”  

“You already did one an hour ago.”  

“Doing another.”  

Damon watched him.  

“You’re avoiding me.”  

“No.”  

“Yes.”  

Luca stopped walking.  

For a moment the tension between them felt electric.  

“Damon,” Luca said quietly, “you should consider replacing me.”  

The words landed like a punch.  

“What?”  

“You need someone with fewer… complications.”  

Damon frowned.  

“You’ve saved my life twice this week.”  

“That doesn’t mean I’m the best choice.”  

Damon walked toward him slowly.  

“Where is this coming from?”  

“It’s practical.”  

“No.”  

Damon shook his head.  

“It’s something else.”  

Luca didn’t answer.  

Damon’s voice dropped.  

“Are you planning to leave?”  

Silence.  

That was answer enough.  

Damon felt something unexpectedly sharp twist in his chest.  

“You’re serious.”  

“Yes.”  

“Why?”  

Luca met his eyes.  

“Because staying here might get you killed.”  

Damon stared at him.  

“That’s literally your job to prevent.”  

“Not if the danger is connected to me.”  

The room fell silent.  

Damon took another step closer.  

“You think someone is targeting you?”  

“I think I bring problems with me.”  

Damon studied his face carefully.  

“You’re afraid.”  

Luca’s expression hardened.  

“I’m realistic.”  

Damon shook his head.  

“You’re running.”  

“No.”  

“Yes,” Damon said quietly.  

“And the worst part?”  

“What?”  

“You’re doing it because you care.”  

The words hung between them.  

Luca looked away first.  

That was confirmation enough.  

Damon exhaled slowly.  

“You’re not leaving.”  

Luca looked back at him.  

“That’s not your decision.”  

Damon stepped closer.  

“You’re under contract.”  

“Contracts can be terminated.”  

“Not this one.”  

Luca frowned slightly.  

“What does that mean?”  

Damon’s voice turned calm.  

Dangerously calm.  

“It means if you try to walk away…”  

He paused.  

“…I’ll make sure every security firm in Europe blacklists you.”  

Luca blinked.  

“Did you just threaten me?”  

Damon gave a faint smile.  

“Yes.”  

Luca stared at him for a moment.  

Then, unexpectedly  

He laughed.  

A quiet, genuine laugh Damon had never heard before.  

“You’re unbelievable.”  

“I’m determined.”  

Luca shook his head.  

“You don’t know what you’re asking.”  

“Stay,” Damon said simply.  

The word hung in the air.  

For a moment Luca almost said yes.  

Almost.  

Then his phone buzzed again.  

A new message appeared on the screen.  

An encrypted photo.  

Luca opened it.  

His blood ran cold.  

The image showed Damon leaving the building earlier that afternoon.  

A red sniper crosshair was centered directly on Damon’s chest.  

Beneath the photo was a single message.  

“Three days is generous.”  

Luca slowly lowered the phone.  

Damon noticed his expression immediately.  

“What is it?”  

Luca looked at him.  

And realized the terrible truth.  

If he stayed

Damon would die.  

Damon watched Luca carefully.  

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”  

Luca slipped the phone back into his pocket.  

“I need to go out.”  

“Now?”  

“Yes.”  

“Why?”  

Luca hesitated.  

Because telling Damon the truth would only make things worse.  

“Just trust me.”  

Damon studied him for a long moment.  

Then said quietly,  

“You’re not coming back tonight, are you?”  

Luca didn

’t answer.  

That silence said everything.  

Damon’s chest tightened.  

“Luca.”  

Luca paused at the door.  

“Don’t follow me.”  

Then he left.  

Damon stood alone in the office.  

Something in his gut told him this wasn’t just a security check.  

It felt like goodbye.