Dahlia’s POVThe self-defense instructor arrived later that afternoon, just like Luca had promised. I was sitting on the couch, nervously twisting my fingers together when Mrs. Cruz came to tell me he was waiting for me in the training room. My stomach twisted a little. I wasn’t sure what to expect — I’d never done anything like this before. But after what happened on the road, I knew I couldn’t let fear control me anymore.When I entered the training room, the first thing I noticed was how big it was. It had tall ceilings, wide open space, and padded floors that stretched from one wall to the other. There were mirrors, punching bags, weights, and even a rack of what looked like wooden practice weapons. The air smelled faintly of leather and disinfectant.And standing in the middle of the room was a man who looked like he could snap a door in half with his bare hands.He was tall and muscular, with short dark hair and tattoos that crawled up his arms and disappeared under his black sh
Dahlia’s POVLuca looked up from behind his desk, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, without saying a word, he nodded at Dante. Dante understood immediately, closing the laptop in front of him and standing up. He gave me a polite nod before walking out of the office, leaving Luca and me alone. The door shut quietly behind him, and suddenly the air felt thicker. The room was filled with silence, the only sound coming from the faint ticking of the clock on the wall and the soft hum of the air conditioner.Luca rose from his chair slowly, his movements calm and collected, but his eyes never left me. There was something about the way he looked at me — controlled but curious, like he was trying to figure out what I needed before I even said it. He came around the desk, stopping just a few feet in front of me. Up close, I could see how sharp and tired his features looked in the morning light. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing the veins on his forearms, and I realize
Dahlia’s POVI woke up with the dawn like someone pulling a curtain back. The sunlight was soft and pale through the curtains, and for a few slow seconds I only felt the safe, warm quiet of the bedroom. Then the memory of last night slid back in — the bangs, the glass, Liam’s shout. My chest tightened and I sat up, rubbing my face with the heel of my hand until the dreams blurred away.I felt better than I had the night before, but not whole. My hands still trembled a little when I reached for the blanket. Luca’s side of the bed was cold and empty. I remembered falling asleep pressed against him and telling him not to go. I remembered his voice low and steady, and then I had slept. That tiny memory made something flutter in my chest — like relief and trouble mixed together.I climbed out of bed and padded across the cool floor to the bathroom. The tiles were a little chilly under my feet. I turned the shower on and the hot water came like a small kindness. Steam filled the room and fo
Luca’s POVI watched her sleep longer than I should have. The room was dark except for a thin ribbon of light that cut across the bed. Dahlia’s breath was soft and slow now. Her face looked peaceful, almost like the girl I’d seen sometimes when she thought no one was looking — small, quiet, and very human. That sight settled something in my chest and made my hands itch to do something—anything—to make sure nothing like today ever happened again.I stepped out of the room on soft feet and went down to the study. Dante was already there, his laptop open and a map spread out on the table. Liam sat in a chair by the window, one hand pressed near his wound. He had cleaned it himself; the rag smelled like alcohol and metal. Both men looked up when I came in. The air in the room smelled like coffee and cold late-night paper.“How bad?” I asked, because facts kept me steady.Dante pushed the laptop closer and tapped the screen. “They were masked,” he said. “We got a few frames from the highwa
Luca’s POVI leaned back in the seat and clenched my fists. My driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes questioning but silent. “Drive,” I said. “Faster.”The car sped forward, the city lights blurring past the window. My reflection in the glass looked calm, but I wasn’t. I was burning inside. Every second that passed felt like an hour. I kept replaying the sound of her voice in my head—the tremor in it, the fear she tried to hide.I hated that she’d felt that fear and she didn’t deserve to live in fear or flinch at every sound. She deserved peace. She deserved safety. And whoever had dared to touch that peace… whoever had dared to come after her… would pay for it.By the time the mansion came into view, I was already on edge. My heartbeat thudded like a drum in my ears, and my only thought was getting to her—seeing her with my own eyes, making sure she was really okay.Because until I did, nothing else mattered.I got to the mansion and jumped out of the car before i
Luca’s POVAs I sat at the long glass table surrounded by my business partners, I couldn’t stop thinking about my wife. Their voices sounded far away, like background noise I didn’t care to focus on. They were talking about profits, contracts, and numbers, but my mind wasn’t there. It was with her.I leaned back in my chair, pretending to listen, my fingers tapping lightly on the table. The air in the room smelled like expensive cologne and coffee. Papers rustled, pens clicked, but all I could think about was Dahlia.She had been quiet lately—too quiet. I noticed the way she kept to herself, walking through the mansion like a ghost. She never complained, never asked to go out. She just did what she was told, and that bothered me more than I wanted to admit.That’s why I told her to get the birthday gift for Governor Lawrence. It wasn’t really about the gift. I couldn’t care less about the man or his party. I just wanted her to have a reason to go out, to breathe different air, to see