LUCAThe minute I answered the call and heard my father’s voice, my chest went tight like a trigger being pulled halfway.“I have an offer for you,” Matteo said, calm like we were discussing business and not trying to bury each other alive. “Walk away from Alina. File for divorce. I’ll make your little court case disappear.”I didn’t speak. I just stared at the window like maybe the glass could shatter from silence.“She’s a liability,” he continued. “She’s cost you more than she’s worth. You want to survive this world, son? Cut her loose and take over Costa. Kill her if you have to. But take that crown while it’s still warm.”I swallowed the taste of rust. “Kill her?” My voice barely sounded like mine.“It’s not personal,” he said. “It’s strategic. You’re too soft now. You used to have guts, now look at you—letting some girl pull your strings.”I let out a low, hollow laugh. “Then why not kill Bella, if you’re so hungry for blood? She was the one who sheltered me when you were too bu
ALINAI didn’t even remember walking out of the bathroom. I didn't remember anything at all. I thought for a moment I'd floated away from the feelings coursing through me. I kept staring at that pregnancy stick, as though I needed to make sure what I was seeing was right in front of my face. Then one minute I was on the floor staring at the tiles, the next, I was in my closet pulling on a sweater and boots, keys tightly clenched in my hand.The pharmacy was five minutes away, but the drive felt like an hour. My heart beat like a drum the entire time, my fingers tight around the steering wheel as if that would keep them from shaking.I didn’t want to hope. I didn’t want to dream. Not yet. Not when the thought of disappointment could rip me open worse than a bullet wound.But God….what if?I grabbed the tests like a thief, ignoring the curious stare from the cashier as I quickly, and drove back home without even turning on the radio.Back in the bathroom, I tore through the box lik
ALINAAdriano’s suitcase sat open on his bed, clothes folded in neat stacks. For a boy who’d spent half his childhood throwing things everywhere, the sight almost broke me. He was quiet as he worked, his jaw tight, eyes focused on the bag like packing socks was a matter of life or death.“You’re sure you’ve got everything?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe, trying to sound light even though something in his silence made my stomach twist.“Yeah.” He zipped the bag and turned to me. That was when I saw it. His eyes were filled with questions. He sighed, looked away, the back at me again. “What’s wrong?” My voice softened without thinking.He hesitated, then sighed again. “I still haven’t changed my mind, Alina.”I blinked. “About what?”“The Mafia. I’m not doing it. I’m not taking over. And I wanted to let you know that when I graduate…I’m leaving the country.”The words punched into my guts. “Leaving?” I repeated, stunned.He nodded. “Yeah. For good. I don’t…I don’t want to
LUCAI was still in the office, trying to track the gold with Darion’s help, when Marco walked in like nothing was wrong.He looked like nothing had changed, as though I hadn’t just heard my wife tell me something that made me want to snap his neck in half.“Where’ve you been?” My voice was calm. Too calm. Calm enough to make a smarter man sweat.Marco didn’t. He knew me, he was in my circle. He didn't need to sweat. He closed the door and shrugged. “Checking on a lead for the gold.”I leaned back in my chair, studying his face. Every twitch, every blink, every breath. “Any progress?”“Nothing yet,” he said. His voice was steady, but I didn’t miss the way his hand gripped the back of the chair across from me a second too long before letting go.Nothing yet.Two words I’d heard before, but this time, they felt different. Like a lie with a fresh coat of paint.I nodded slowly, fingers tapping against the desk. “And Mila? You’ve been talking to her?”His eyes met mine, then looked away.
LUCAFor a second, I just stared at her.Marco?No. That didn’t make sense. Couldn’t make sense. Marco had been with me for almost twenty years. He’d taken bullets for me. He’d bled for me. When I was climbing my way up from the dirt, Marco was the only one who didn’t flinch away from me no matter what happened. “Alina,” I said slowly, my jaw tight. “Are you sure about this?”“I’m sure.”I wanted to tell her she was wrong, that she was letting her anger cloud her judgment, but there was something in her eyes that shut me up.A sharp burn lit under my ribs. My blood felt like it was boiling, then freezing, then boiling again. Marco? No. I wouldn't believe it until I saw the evidence with my own eyes. Which might be too late, but at least I would know. I stepped closer and cupped Alina’s face, because right then, I needed something to keep me grounded, and she was it. “Before you go,” I murmured, “tell me something. Did you doubt me when you saw Analide?”Her eyes dimmed and she lo
ALINAFor a second, all I could hear was the pounding in my ears.Analide was smirking like the cat that got the cream. Luca stood like a wall between us, his face calm but his eyes, God, his eyes, burned like coals.And then it hit me. It was that smirk. It was th way she looked so satisfied. She knew she could piss me off. She had studied me for months while she pretended to be my friend. Analide wanted me to soubt Luca. It really didn't matter to her if he had done anything to deserve that doubt or not. But Luca, my monster, he wouldn't cheat on me. Especially not in his office where anyone could walk in at any moment. Even if he wanted to, he wasn't that stupid. So I took a deep breathe, stepping into his arms. Analide’s smirk widened.What? Did she expect I would slap him? Because instead, I grabbed Luca’s jaw with both hands and crushed my lips to his. His body went rigid for half a second, but he groaned and snatched my body against his. Luca kissed like a starving ma