Luciano: Entrapped By My StepBrother's Sin

"Welcome to New York City!"

The arrival announcement echoed as she stepped off the flight, dragging her luggage behind her…reluctantly.

She never wanted to return to this place again, not if she could help it. But her mother had left her no choice but to return, especially after the news of her stepbrother, Lucas Richardson, getting engaged.

"Noora…"

The deep, familiar voice froze her in her tracks, along with her heart halting mid-beat.

She slowly turned around, her eyes meeting the familiar dark gaze that always left her breathless. Her heart skipped several beats, a blush warming her cheeks as she took in his face; the same face that had her heart tripping over and over again for years.

However, the flutter of her heart soon died down and her heart sank as she watched a tall blonde sensually hooking her arms with him.

"Lucas… I almost lost sight of you!" The blonde gasped, her voice was sweet and coy as she gazed up at him, her eyes shining with something Noora couldn’t bear to name.

Yes, as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t escape from the shameful truth that she was hopelessly in love with her stepbrother.

Hot tears stung her eyes, but she held them back as Lucas turned to her with a sweet, familiar smile. His hand brushed back a stray strand of the blonde hair that twisted the knife in her chest.

"With the pace she was exiting the airport, I would have lost sight of Noora if I hadn’t rushed." Lucas said with a soft laugh, gesturing for the blonde to follow him.

The blonde’s gaze swept over Noora from head to toe. The look in her eyes were sharp, and deliberate, hostility unmistakable in them.

"Noora, she's Cindy, my soon-to-be finance, as you might already know," Lucas introduced Cindy, his words cutting into her like a fresh wound.

Noora opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. It was as though her voice had been stolen, her heart weighed too heavy to even let her speak.

Cindy tilted her head slightly, her demeaning gaze carefully studying Noora’s face.

"So, you're Noora," Cindy said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness that couldn’t mask her condescension.

"Yes, I am," Noora replied softly, nodding. She wanted nothing more than to escape this suffocating moment, but Cindy clearly had no intention of letting her go just yet.

"Ah, I must say, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Lucas has told me so much about you…" Cindy said, her smile sharp.

"Ahh, it's… it's nice to meet you too…" Noora said, but her mind lingered at the words 'heard a lot about you from lucas.'

As much as the probability of him thinking about her was intoxicating, she knew better. Her cheeks burned as her discomfort became all too visible which wasn't unnoticed by Lucas.

"Are you okay, Noora?" Lucas asked concernedly as he instinctively reached out to brush her flushed cheek as if it was the most natural thing to him.

However, Noora reflexively stepped back, avoiding his touch. Even if it might have just been his concern for her as his ‘little sister’ that he always saw her as, but now it felt revolting.

 "Yea… yeah. I'm okay, just exhausted." She shuttered.

"You should sit down for a while," Lucas said, his worry evident as he gestured for her to follow. "Let’s head to the next section. Luciano will be here any minute, and we’ll head home together once he arrives."

Noora froze, her heart skipping painfully.

"Luciano?" she echoed, her voice barely audible as a wave of dread washed over her.

"Yes… Luciano, will be here anytime soon.” Cindy smirked, “We're here to pick him up in the first place but since you were landing around the same time, Lucas decided to pick you up as well."

Cindy’s words were sharp and deliberate to make her realize that Lucas wasn't here for her at all. 

Noora swallowed hard, the tears she had been holding back threatening to spill. Why had she let herself believe, even for a second, that Lucas came here for her?

More than that, the name kept hammering like a bell being struck in her mind, making her mind spin. Her chest squeezed fearfully as she struggled to steady her breathing.

And now, it'd been five years without him around her which ensured the little peace she'd had in her life and now mere his name made the hairs of her body stand.

"Let me carry your luggage." Lucas’s gentle voice pulled her from her spiraling thoughts as he reached for her suitcase.

"No, I'll take it myself," she denied quickly, her voice tinged with nervousness; her knuckles white from clutching her suitcase harder.

Lucas’s brows furrowed slightly; his expression clouded with worry. Something about her behavior was different today, and he didn’t fail to notice it.

For a fleeting moment, an unreadable emotion flashed across his face, but he masked it just as quickly before anyone could even notice it. Without a word, he turned and led the way forward.

However, the concern that he showed Noora was too genuine that it irked Cindy. She had never seen this tender side of Lucas before, and it made her stomach churn with jealousy.

As Noora saw Cindy clinging to Lucas all the way from behind, she had no option but to walk faster, past them.

Noora quickened her pace, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. All the interaction spun in her mind, making her heart shatter into several pieces. And the news of Luciano’s arrival made the air feel heavy, suffocating, and the pain inside her chest built to the point where it was almost unbearable.  

As she marched forward at absolute speed, desperate to run away, her frantic existence suddenly came to a halt when she bumped into a hard, sturdy chest of a man.

She winced at the impact, stumbling as she grabbed onto the man’s coat, barely managing to stay upright. Before she could recover or even lift her gaze to apologize, her entire body froze at the sound of Lucas’s voice behind her.

“Luciano, you’re already here!”

A chill ran down her spine as her heart seemed to stop entirely. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to step away from the warmth of the blazing heat of the broad chest in front of her.

The familiar name echoed in her mind, and her breath hitched. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

Luciano Richardson!

It had been five long years since she had seen him, and she had hoped that she would never have to see him again.

Yet here they were again, having their unwanted reunion in the most unexpected way.

Noora's heart was racing as she slowly lifted her head to see Luciano Richardson standing in front of her; his face barely inches away from her. Watching him up-close for the very first time made her realize one thing; he was devilishly handsome. He was the colder, crueler, and darker version of Lucas; the one who turned her life into a nightmare.

Her heart skipped few beats as their eyes locked, and she saw an unknown emotion flashing in his eyes before it vanished, like an illusion that never happened, once again replaced by the familiar disdain that it had always held for her all these years.

“Do you plan to get off or keep latching onto me?” Luciano’s deep voice rumbled, the vibrations traveling through his chest and into her trembling hands. 

She hurriedly took a few steps back to maintain a breathable distance, her heart pounding in her chest as she faced him.

"I…," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'm sorry."

He didn't respond to her apology. Instead, he just stood there, staring at her with his cold, dark eyes. Noora felt a shiver run down her spine. Those five good years free from the terror his ruthlessness had somehow made her forget how terrifying he could be.

After all, he was Luciano Richardson, the eldest son of the Richardson family and heir to the family fortune. Ruthless, arrogant, and with a temper that could unnerve even the strongest of men, Luciano had always been someone to fear. To her, though, he had been far worse. From the moment they first met, she had been his favorite target. Growing up, she had suffered through years of his cruel taunts and bullying, making her life a living hell.

Now, he was standing before her, and Noora had no idea what to expect. She had hoped that he had forgotten about her, or that he had moved on to other targets. But as she looked at him, she knew that wasn't the case.

"I see you haven't changed," Luciano finally spoke, his voice dripping with disdain. "Still as pathetic as ever."

Noora felt her cheeks burn with shame. She had hoped that he had forgotten about her, but it was clear that he still hated her the same… not the same, but even more intensely.

"What the hell is your problem, Luciano?" Noora shot back, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound steady. She might have just let it pass but she couldn't just swallow the humiliation in public.

"My problem? Isn’t that you?" Luciano’s dark eyes narrowed, his expression hard. "And your pathetic existence that couldn’t stay out of my way!"

A knot tightened in Noora’s stomach, each word knocking the winds out of her lungs. She had hoped to avoid him entirely, to keep her distance, but it was painfully clear now how impossible that would be.

Her cheeks and eyes burned hot; her ears reddened with embarrassment as she stood frozen in place. In that moment, she felt exactly as he’d called her—pathetic.

"Luciano, she's just back after staying abroad for five years. You’re stepping out of line again even after all these years!" Lucas stepped forward. Though he knew that Luciano’s disdain for Noora ran deep, he didn't expect him to humiliate her so viciously the very moment they met each other again.

Luciano’s cold gaze flicked to Lucas, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Now, don’t tell me you’re playing the knight in shining armor again-even after all these years," he mocked. "Especially when you’ve got your long-time fiancée waiting on you. Or has her presence suddenly slipped your mind in a fit of your brotherly concern?"

"Lucian…" Lucas’s voice tinged with outrage at his brother's blatant disrespect for Noora. But before he could say anything, Cindy gently tugged at his arm, stopping him mid-sentence.

"Lucas, there’s no need to escalate the situation," Cindy chimed in sweetly. "I’m sure Mr. Luciano didn’t mean it. It was just a moment of frustration." She smiled at him, making him unable to refute while her eyes met with Luciano with a meaningful smile.

Luciano’s lips curved into a faint, sardonic smirk as his eyes swept to Cindy. "Looks like you’ve got yourself a smart fiancée," he remarked, his words laced with amusement.

"I'm flattered." Cindy smiled coyly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Luciano."

Luciano just gave a curt nod before turning his attention back to Lucas again. "Is the car ready?"

Luciano gave a curt nod before turning his attention back to Lucas. "Is the car ready?" he asked, his voice brisk.

Lucas nodded and led the way, with Cindy by his side. Luciano followed a few steps behind with his bodyguards trailing him.

Left behind, Noora felt her heart sink. As always, she was the outsider. She tried to pull herself together watching them go, feeling a sense of dread wash over her. She knew that this was only the beginning.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to move, and slowly trailed behind them to the car waiting outside the airport.

Lucas climbed into the driver’s seat without hesitation. Noora hovered for a moment, unsure where she was supposed to sit.

She took a step toward the backseat, but before she could settle there, Luciano opened the door and slid inside deliberately that made her stomach drop.

There was no way he would want her by his side throughout the way, would he?

Quietly, she redirected her steps towards the passenger seat, only to be stopped in her tracks by Luciano’s sharp voice.

"Looks like your habit of inserting yourself where you don’t belong hasn’t changed till now," Luciano snarked, his words cold enough to sting. "Don’t you realize you’re taking someone else’s place? Lucas has his girlfriend now. The passenger seat doesn’t belong to you."

"Noora should probably sit here you’re so averse to her being near you.” Lucas interjected firmly, “I don't think Cindy would mind these small things. Am I right, Cindy?" he redirected the question to Cindy, only for her face to be immediately shrouded in darkness.

But she quickly composed herself with a smile, and said, "Yes of course! Although I thought we might get to discuss about our engagement on our way, I won't mind if Noora feels comfortable there."

"She will take the backseat," Luciano interjected coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I’m sure your ‘dear little sister’ wouldn’t want to hinder your engagement plans."

Noora inwardly cursed herself for choosing this day to be back to New York. She knew Luciano was deliberately making her life difficult but she has to put up with it.

"Don't worry. I'll take the backseat." Noora forced a faint smile on her face and climbed into the backseat, as she saw Cindy smiling victoriously from the corner of her eyes.

As she got into the backseat, she could feel Luciano's disdainful glare without even needing to turn.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to steel herself for the uncomfortable ride ahead, wishing she could disappear entirely. But with Cindy’s presence in the car, staying invisible seemed impossible.

"I want the venue to be covered with Orchids. You know how much I love those flowers!" Cindy said coquettishly, clinging onto Lucas's hand.

Noora froze. The words hit her like a thunderclap, leaving her breathless. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Lucas sneaking a glance at her, his expression unreadable.

"Well, that's a great idea. In fact, I was thinking the same.” Lucas squeezed Cindy’s hands and gave her a smiled before focusing on the road again while she could see Cindy’s sharp eyes staring at her through the mirror.

Noora’s lips quivered and hot tears filled her eyes, the raw emotions burning her body yet everything around her felt chilly.

Orchids…

Her heart was smashed to bits and pieces. Her favorite Orchids which she thought was special, just between her and Lucas is now the symbol for their engagement. Everything that she thought was special just to them… did it really meant nothing to him?

She had turned a hot red mess and tears barely contained in her eyes. Everything burned her alive yet she couldn’t let it show.

She didn’t have any right to show!

She turned away and stared outside the window, hiding her face and tears from everyone and ignoring the world for a moment. Yet she couldn’t ignore the burning hot gaze on her.

Lucian's eyes were burning on her and she knew it was probably because of how pathetic she was. But she didn't care at this moment.

Lucian’s jaw clenched tightly as eyes bore into her reddened face, stricken with tear which she pathetically tried to hide from him; his heart outraged with emotions he couldn’t name.

His fingers curled around the fragile stem of the orchid which was delicately hidden in his hands until now, his knuckles whitening with the force.

Then, as if the flower carried the weight of his own whirlwind of emotions, he crushed it. Petals crumpled and broke under his grip, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed it out the window, letting the breeze carry its remnants away.

For a moment, the silence in the car was deafening. And then, just as Noora’s heart threatened to crumble in the silence, Lucian’s voice cut through the air like a dark promise.

“Orchids,” he murmured, his voice low but edged with something raw and dangerous. “So fragile... so easy to destroy.”

His words hung in the air, as Noora’s bloodshot gaze flickered to him. His eyes were on her, unrelenting, smoldering with an intensity that made her shiver. But for the first time, she saw a flicker of something that was more than a disdain.