Carlton's office was a mess of scattered documents, shattered glass, and cigarette smoke. He stood at the window in a wrinkled shirt, eyes sunken, jaw twitching with the kind of anxiety he hadn’t felt since prison in his youth. His desk, once neat and polished, was buried under folders of fake financials, shredded check stubs, and a half-finished glass of whiskey. For three days straight, he hadn’t slept. Not since Olivia vanished with those files. Not since the syndicate that used to trust him began sniffing around like wolves sensing weakness.The door slammed open with a bang that echoed through the house.Carlton jumped, nearly dropping the whiskey glass.Matteo.Dressed in black from head to toe, his broad figure blocked the light from the hallway. The thick bandage peeking through his unbuttoned collar was stained with red. In his hand, a Glock.Carlton blinked. "Matteo…""Where the fuck is my money, Carlton?" Matteo growled, voice low, seething.Carlton raised his hands slowly.
"I think it's time you invited your parents over," Vincenzo said, voice low but steady.Noel blinked, sitting up from where he was curled on the plush couch in the sun-drenched De Luca bedroom. "My parents?""Isadora and Leontis," Vincenzo clarified, turning slightly from the window where he’d been standing. The afternoon light poured across his bare shoulders, the bandages still snug across his stomach. "I want to talk to them. Something important."Noel shifted, fingers curling into the hem of his soft shirt. He hadn't exactly made peace with them yet. Isadora had tried, true. Leontis too, in his own rigid way. And they had helped him when it mattered... but it still didn’t erase the years they were absent. The years he spent thinking Carlton was his only family."Okay," he said finally. "I'll call them."He did, voice even but clipped. The moment the call ended, he stayed silent, eyes staring out blankly until his phone buzzed again.A message.From Carlton.Noel, please. I’m dying
The city buzzed with neon lights and the bass-heavy thump of music spilling onto the crowded streets. Inside Noir, the most exclusive club in town, bodies moved to the rhythm, lost in a haze of alcohol and desire.Noel Laurent leaned against the bar, fingers wrapped around a glass of something stronger than his heart could handle. His best friend, Aria, had practically dragged him here, insisting he needed a distraction.Distraction. Right."Come on, babe," Aria nudged him playfully. "You look like a kicked puppy. You’re way too cute to be sulking over that asshole ex."Noel scoffed, rolling the glass between his hands. Julian. The name alone left a bitter taste in his mouth."He was never worth your time, man," Nico added, tossing back a shot. "You need a rebound. Hell, get two."Noel exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I just want to drink in peace.""That won’t last long," Aria smirked, her eyes flicking toward something…or someone…behind him. "Because you’ve got eyes on you, babe.
"Who the hell are you, and why am I half-naked in your bed?!"Noel’s panicked scream shattered the peaceful morning silence.Vincenzo groaned, his arms instinctively tightening around the squirming warm body pressed against him. He wasn’t a morning person…especially not when someone was yelling in his ear at seven in the goddamn morning."Shut up," Vincenzo muttered, voice thick with sleep.Noel did not shut up.Instead, he thrashed harder, elbowing Vincenzo in the ribs before rolling out of his grip and tumbling off the bed.Thud."Ow, fuck!"Vincenzo cracked one eye open, peering over the edge of the bed. "You good down there, drama queen?"Noel sprung up, clutching a pillow to his bare chest as if it would protect him from whatever the hell was going on. His wide, sleep-ridden eyes darted around the ridiculously massive bedroom, trying to process.Marble floors. Floor-to-ceiling windows. A ridiculously expensive chandelier. And an even more ridiculously expensive man lying in bed,
"You’ve got to be fucking kidding me."Noel froze mid-step the moment he stepped out of his exam hall.Ariel grabbed his arm dramatically. "Oh my God."Nico let out a low whistle. "Damn. He really pulled up like this?"Across the university courtyard, standing like he had the entire world at his feet, was Vincenzo De Luca.Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, with the top buttons undone, revealing a sliver of his perfectly sculpted chest. Hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed directly on Noel, like a hunter cornering prey.And the campus? Losing its collective shit."Oh my God, is that…?""Holy fuck, Vincenzo De Luca?!""What’s he doing here?""I heard he’s the heir to some crazy mafia family…""No way, he’s literally looking over here…"Noel felt his stomach drop.Ariel smirked. "I think your sugar daddy is here."Noel snapped his head around. "SHUT UP."Nico chuckled. "Babe, he’s walking over."Noel barely had time to process before Vincenzo was standing right in front of hi
"You’re really testing my patience, Noel."Vincenzo exhaled sharply, fingers tightening around the steering wheel of his black Aston Martin parked outside Noel’s dorm. The soft glow of the streetlights barely reached the darkness inside the car, but his eyes were sharp, locked on the entrance.It had been weeks. Weeks of relentless gifts, money, extravagant gestures…he had even fucking bought Noel a penthouse, and the damn brat refused it. Not even a "thank you." Just silence.It was driving him insane.And yet... this defiance. This ridiculous, stubborn rejection... it turned him on more than it should."What the fuck are you doing to me, pretty boy?" he muttered to himself.He leaned back, rubbing his jaw. Tonight would be no different. He’d sent for Noel multiple times, and every night, the same answer: Noel Laurent will not be coming downstairs.His patience was wearing thin.Then, movement.His eyes snapped to the entrance.Noel.Vincenzo sat up immediately. The petite, gorgeous
"You're hiding something."Vincenzo’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. His dark eyes stayed locked onto Noel, who sat curled up on his bed, his arms wrapped tightly around himself.Noel didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at him.Aria and Nico exchanged glances, shifting uncomfortably."Who was that guy?" Vincenzo pressed, stepping closer. His patience was razor-thin. "The one who had his filthy hands on you."Noel flinched at the reminder. His fingers clenched the blanket, his breathing still uneven from earlier.Aria was the first to break the silence. "Vince, drop it."Vincenzo’s gaze snapped to her, his jaw tightening. "Like hell, I will. You think I’m gonna just stand back after seeing someone attack him?"Nico sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Look, man. It’s complicated.""Then uncomplicate it," Vincenzo snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "Who. The fuck. Was he?"Silence.Noel’s head lowered, his platinum hair falling over his eyes. He was trembling, t
"You’re late." The voice was cold, sharp like a blade, and it made Noel’s stomach churn. He hadn’t even stepped inside yet. His fingers curled into fists at his sides as he stood frozen outside the grand three-story house, his childhood prison. The sight of it alone made his chest tighten, the air around him suddenly feeling too thin. He hated this place. The memories clawed at him, dragging him back. The shouting matches in the kitchen, plates shattering against walls, his mother’s piercing screams. He used to squeeze his eyes shut, hands pressed tightly over his ears, wishing it would stop. But it never did. Sometimes, she took her anger out on him instead. A slap across the face, a yank of his arm, and then the dreaded sound of the basement door unlocking. "You like hiding so much? Stay there." Cold. Cramped. Suffocating. His breath would quicken, his chest tightening as the shadows pressed in on him. He'd claw at the door, scream until his voice went hoarse, but no on
"I think it's time you invited your parents over," Vincenzo said, voice low but steady.Noel blinked, sitting up from where he was curled on the plush couch in the sun-drenched De Luca bedroom. "My parents?""Isadora and Leontis," Vincenzo clarified, turning slightly from the window where he’d been standing. The afternoon light poured across his bare shoulders, the bandages still snug across his stomach. "I want to talk to them. Something important."Noel shifted, fingers curling into the hem of his soft shirt. He hadn't exactly made peace with them yet. Isadora had tried, true. Leontis too, in his own rigid way. And they had helped him when it mattered... but it still didn’t erase the years they were absent. The years he spent thinking Carlton was his only family."Okay," he said finally. "I'll call them."He did, voice even but clipped. The moment the call ended, he stayed silent, eyes staring out blankly until his phone buzzed again.A message.From Carlton.Noel, please. I’m dying
Carlton's office was a mess of scattered documents, shattered glass, and cigarette smoke. He stood at the window in a wrinkled shirt, eyes sunken, jaw twitching with the kind of anxiety he hadn’t felt since prison in his youth. His desk, once neat and polished, was buried under folders of fake financials, shredded check stubs, and a half-finished glass of whiskey. For three days straight, he hadn’t slept. Not since Olivia vanished with those files. Not since the syndicate that used to trust him began sniffing around like wolves sensing weakness.The door slammed open with a bang that echoed through the house.Carlton jumped, nearly dropping the whiskey glass.Matteo.Dressed in black from head to toe, his broad figure blocked the light from the hallway. The thick bandage peeking through his unbuttoned collar was stained with red. In his hand, a Glock.Carlton blinked. "Matteo…""Where the fuck is my money, Carlton?" Matteo growled, voice low, seething.Carlton raised his hands slowly.
The sunlight streaming through the tall windows warmed the edge of the bed, tracing golden fingers over the white sheets tangled around Vincenzo and Noel.Noel stirred first.He blinked slowly, eyes adjusting to the room…the rich wood, the gold-framed portraits, the subtle scent of leather and cologne. Then the weight beside him shifted. Vincenzo’s arm was still draped around him."You’re awake?" Noel whispered.Vincenzo didn’t open his eyes. “Have been for a while.”Noel’s throat tightened. “You scared me, y’know.”Vincenzo finally turned his head. “Scaring you wasn’t the plan.”Noel sighed, sitting up slowly. “You almost died.”“I didn’t.”“Because Lucas gave his blood. And I passed out trying to do the same.”Vincenzo’s hand found Noel’s waist under the sheet. “You always try to do the most dangerous thing to protect me.”“Because you always do the stupidest shit to protect me.”They sat in silence for a moment.Then Noel asked quietly, “Where do we go from here?”Vincenzo arched a
The television flickered in the corner of the smoke-filled bar, its grainy screen catching the attention of the man hunched over his whiskey. Hooded and half-shadowed, he looked up slowly, glass paused at his lips.BREAKING NEWS: OPERA SHOOTOUT TURNS BLOODYThe footage was shaky, captured by a panicked bystander, but it was enough. The camera caught a brief glimpse of a woman collapsing to the floor, her head jerking violently with the impact of a bullet.The caption read: *Elene Ricci presumed dead in the aftermath of the Opera House ambush.*The man’s grip tightened on the glass until it cracked. His eyes, a cold storm beneath his disguise, didn’t blink.Don Vittorio Ricci.Alive.He muttered, barely audible beneath the music and chatter, “You killed my daughter...”And then, like steel being tempered in flame:“I’ll burn the De Lucas to ash.”Meanwhile, in the De Luca estate...The return was a slow procession.Noel supported Vincenzo with gentle hands, guiding him up the marble st
The air was suffocatingly still.It had been thirty-seven hours.Thirty-seven hours since Noel had walked into that room and refused to leave Vincenzo’s side.Doctors had come and gone. Nurses whispered in corners. The rhythm of machines continued its haunting lullaby, every beep a breath stolen, every silence a cliffhanger.Noel hadn’t moved.Lucas had stabilized, resting in another room with Nico refusing to leave his side.Aria had gone to get clean clothes and food. She cried when she hugged Noel but left quietly, promising she’d return soon.But Noel...He stayed.He slept curled on the edge of the bed, his arms around Vincenzo’s waist, his cheek pressed lightly against the cold hospital gown.He hadn't said a word since last night.Not even to Isadora, who had come with a bowl of soup and a fresh change of clothes.She stood by the door now, Leontis beside her, both of them silent."He's still not speaking?" Leontis asked quietly.Isadora nodded. "He's holding it all in."Leonti
The hospital lights burned too bright, too sterile.Noel sat crumpled on the hard bench outside the operating room, his face buried in his trembling hands.His body shook violently, silent sobs wrecking through him.Aria sat beside him, arms wrapped tight around his shoulders, tears streaming down her own face.Nico crouched in front of him, gripping his knees, whispering something..anything…but Noel couldn’t hear him.He couldn’t hear anything over the deafening roar in his ears.The image of Vincenzo collapsing in his arms played again and again behind his eyelids.Blood.So much blood.Hot, sticky, soaking his fingers.The doors to the OR burst open.The doctor…young, sweat beading his forehead…rushed out, removing his gloves."His condition is critical," he said, his voice clipped and urgent. "The bullet tore through an artery. We’ve managed to stabilize the bleeding, but he’s lost too much blood."Noel's head snapped up."I’ll donate," he said immediately, voice cracking. "Take m
The opera house ruins loomed like a carcass in the night.Fog curled over the broken steps, swallowing the splintered marble columns and shattered stained glass windows.The SUVs crawled to a silent stop a block away.Vincenzo sat in the backseat, staring out the tinted window.Beside him, Noel shifted, his legs bouncing with nervous energy he couldn't suppress.Lucas spoke first, keeping his voice low. "Visual confirmation. Ten of their men outside. Unmarked vans. Heavily armed."Vincenzo nodded once. "Positions?""East and west entrances covered. Main hall's open." Lucas paused. "But it's a kill box. They want to herd us through it."Vincenzo’s lips curved into something that wasn't a smile."They think we're that stupid."Lucas shrugged one shoulder. "They think you're desperate."Vincenzo leaned back, turning his head toward Noel."You ready?"Noel swallowed hard, nodding."I'm not leaving without them," he said."You won’t have to."Noel hesitated. "You’re not either."Vincenzo r
The room was dark, save for the low orange glow of the antique lamp on the bedside table.Vincenzo lay on his side, arms locked tight around Noel, feeling the slow, soft rise and fall of his chest against his own.For the first time in what felt like eternity, it was peaceful.Warm.Real.He buried his nose in Noel’s hair, breathing in the soft scent of him…clean, faintly like vanilla. His heart tightened. If he could, he would stay like this forever. No wars. No blood. No betrayals.Just them.His phone buzzed, sharp against the silence.Vincenzo cursed under his breath and reached over Noel’s sleeping form for it.The screen read: Elene Ricci.His jaw flexed.He carefully shifted out of bed, covering Noel with the heavy comforter, and padded across the ridiculously large bedroom Isadora had given them. It was nearly the size of his penthouse master suite. Gilded mirrors, marble floors, velvet drapes that made no sound even as they swayed with the wind.He answered on the third buzz.
The house was eerie silent.Olivia tiptoed across Carlton’s velvet-carpeted study, her heels long discarded in the hallway. Her pulse was a silent drumbeat in her throat.She had five minutes. Maybe less.She opened the drawer she’d memorized during one of his drunken rants. Bottom right, third file in.Her fingers brushed past forged deeds, bank routing numbers, old court records..and then..“Bingo,” she whispered.The black envelope was thick. Sealed in wax. Labeled: Transfer of Ownership – Laurent Holdings.Olivia smiled. “Oh, baby, you just bought me that Santorini yacht.”She stuffed the file into her large purse and glanced around.“Maybe I’ll even learn how to mix cocktails and dance barefoot. Far, far away from this old, greedy bastard.”She turned.And froze.Carlton was standing in the doorway, shirt half-unbuttoned, a vein pulsing in his temple.His voice was low and venomous. “What the fuck are you doing?”Olivia blinked. “Darling, I was just…”He stormed forward.She tuck