Chapter 19

Chapter 19  

The hospital hallway smelled like antiseptic and fear. Damon stood outside the ICU doors, staring through the glass window as doctors moved around the bed inside. His doctor,seraphine vale lay motionless beneath white sheets. Machines beeped steadily beside her. Alive. But barely. The assassin’s bullet had come frighteningly close to killing her this time. Damon pressed his hand against the cold glass. “How many times,” he whispered quietly, “do they plan to try?”Now everybody related to me will pay the price?!”

Behind him, Luca leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Watching. Thinking. Calculating. The attack had confirmed what Luca feared all along. This wasn’t just one enemy. It was a network. A syndicate. And Damon stood directly in the middle of it. That meant one thing. The people behind it would never stop.

Luca looked at Damon again. The man looked exhausted. Not physically. Emotionally. Years of buried trauma were starting to surface, piece by piece. First the assassination attempt. Then the secrets about his mother. Now another attack. Damon didn’t realize it yet. But he was slowly breaking. Luca hated that he could see it happening.

“You should sit down,” Luca said quietly. Damon didn’t move. “I’m fine.” “You’ve been standing there for two hours.” “I said I’m fine.” The tension in his voice made Luca sigh. “Damon” “Don’t.” That one word stopped him. Damon finally turned around. His eyes were darker than usual. Colder. “Every time we think we’re getting closer to answers, someone else gets hurt.” He gestured toward the ICU room. “My doctor almost die tonight.” “I know.” “And now you expect me to just sit here and wait for the next assassin to show up?”

Luca didn’t answer. Because the truth was he didn’t want Damon waiting. He wanted Damon safe. But safety required something Damon would never agree to. That meant Luca would have to make the decision alone. “You’re thinking again,” Damon said suddenly. Luca blinked. “What?” “That look.” Damon crossed his arms. “You get it when you’re about to do something reckless.” Luca looked away slightly. “You’re imagining things.” “No, I’m not.” Damon stepped closer. “What are you planning?” “Nothing.” “Luca.” Their eyes locked. Silence stretched between them. Finally, Luca exhaled slowly. “There’s something you need to understand.” Damon’s jaw tightened. “I don’t like the tone of that sentence.” “This syndicate we’re dealing with…” “Yes?” “It’s bigger than we thought.”

Damon frowned. “How big?” Luca hesitated. Then he said quietly, “International.” Damon blinked. “You’re kidding.” “I wish I was.” Luca stepped closer. “The assassins, the shell corporations, the financial manipulation…” He shook his head. “That’s not the work of one enemy.” “Then whose work is it?” “A network.” Damon rubbed his temples. “So what now?” Luca didn’t answer immediately. Because he already knew the answer. And Damon wasn’t going to like it. “I need to disappear for a while.” The words landed like a bomb. Damon stared at him. “…What?” 

Luca forced himself to stay calm. “If I can get inside the syndicate” “You’re leaving.” “It’s temporary.” “No.” Damon’s voice sharpened. “You’re not doing that.” “Damon” “No.” The word echoed in the hallway. “You don’t just disappear when things get complicated.” “This isn’t about complications.” “Then what is it about?” “Protecting you.” Damon laughed bitterly. “I don’t need protection.” “You nearly got shot yesterday.” “That’s not the point.” “It is the point.” Damon shook his head. “You think running off alone will solve this?” “It’s not running.” “It sounds like running.” 

Luca stepped closer, lowering his voice. “If I stay here, they keep coming after you.” “And if you leave?” “I can cut the problem off at the source.” Damon stared at him. “You’re serious.” “Yes.” “And what if you don’t come back?” Luca didn’t answer. That silence said everything. Damon’s expression hardened. “So that’s the plan.” “What plan?” “You disappear into the shadows like the assassin you used to be.” Luca’s voice softened. “That’s exactly why it might work.” Damon shook his head slowly. “I should stop trusting you.” 

Luca felt the words hit harder than he expected. But he didn’t argue. Damon wasn’t wrong. Luca had been hiding things from him from the start. And now he was about to disappear without a guarantee of returning. Damon ran a hand through his hair. “When?” “Soon.” “How soon?” Luca hesitated. “Tonight.” Damon laughed quietly. “Of course.” “Damon” “No.” Damon stepped back. “If you walk away now…” His voice tightened. “…don’t expect me to be here when you come back.” Luca felt something twist painfully in his chest. But he knew the truth Damon didn’t. If Luca stayed Damon would die. And Luca couldn’t let that happen. Even if it meant losing him.

Two hours later, Damon returned to the penthouse alone. The city lights flickered across the skyline outside. The apartment felt strangely empty. Too quiet. Damon dropped his jacket on the couch. “Luca?” he called out. No answer. He walked through the rooms. Kitchen. Office. Guest bedroom. Empty. Damon stopped in the living room. Something was wrong. Then he noticed the envelope on the table. His name was written across the front. He opened it slowly. Inside was a single note. Three words. Stay alive, Damon. No explanation. No goodbye. Damon clenched the paper in his fist. “You idiot,” he muttered. But the anger couldn’t hide the truth. Luca was gone.

Across the city, inside an abandoned warehouse, Luca stood in the shadows. Waiting. Footsteps echoed through the darkness. Several armed men entered. One of them stepped forward. Tall. Dangerous. The man studied Luca carefully. “So,” he said slowly. “The famous assassin finally returns.” Luca didn’t flinch. “I’m here to talk.” The man smirked. “You disappeared for years.” “And now you want back into the syndicate.” Luca’s voice stayed calm. “I want the contract.” The man’s eyes gleamed. “You mean the one on Damon Moreau?” “Yes.” The room fell silent. Then the man laughed. “Well…” He stepped closer. “…you’re a little late.” Luca’s stomach tightened. “What do you mean?” The man smiled coldly. “Someone already accepted the job.” And at that exact moment sirens exploded outside the warehouse. Police lights flooded the windows. And Luca realized something terrible. He had just walked straight into a trap.