Dinner Announcement

The house felt different now

Not visibly. Not to anyone else.

But to Sofia… everything had changed.

Every hallway felt narrower. Every glance felt heavier. Every silence… louder.

And Luca?

He didn’t hide it anymore.

Not completely.

It started subtly.

A hand at the small of her back when they passed each other in the hallway—brief, almost accidental… but not quite.

The stolen kisses in the hallway when no one was looking.

The midnight summons and sleeping in his room then sneaking back to her room before anyone wakes up in the house.

A look held a second too long when no one else was paying attention.

A quiet “Stay close” murmured under his breath if they stepped out for any event as family.

Possessive.

Controlled.

But unmistakable.

Sofia felt it everywhere.

And it made her pulse race in a way she couldn’t explain… or stop.

That evening, the entire family gathered again.

The long dining table was filled with warmth, conversation, and the usual Virelli chaos.

Valentina was laughing about something ridiculous Matteo had said, while Dante calmly sipped his wine, shaking his head like he was above it all—though the faint smile on his lips betrayed him.

Sofia tried to focus on that.

On the normalcy.

On the safety of it.

But it was impossible.

Because Luca was sitting across from her.

And he wasn’t even pretending.

His gaze found her almost immediately.

And stayed.

Not constantly—but enough.

Enough for her to notice.

Enough for her to feel it.

Every time.

“Why is Sofia so quiet?” Marco suddenly asked, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. “London didn’t steal your voice, did it?”

Sophia blinked, caught off guard. “No—I’m just… tired.”

“Mm,” Valentina hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Or distracted.”

Sofia shot her a warning look, but Valentina only smiled wider.

“Oh, leave her alone,” Elena their mother said lightly. “She just got back. Let her breathe.”

“Or,” Marco added dramatically, “she’s hiding something.”

Dante glanced at him. “You always assume the worst.”

“I assume the interesting,” Marco corrected with a grin.

Sofia laughed softly, shaking her head—grateful for the distraction.

Until—

Luca spoke.

“She’s fine.”

Two words.

Calm.

Simple.

Final.

The table went quiet for half a second.

Not long enough to be obvious.

But long enough to be felt.

Marco raised a brow. “Didn’t realize you were paying that much attention.”

Luca didn’t even look at him. “I pay attention to everything.”

Sofia’s fingers tightened slightly around her fork.

Because she knew…

That wasn’t true.

He paid attention to her.

Dante noticed.

Of course he always did.

His dark eyes flicked between them briefly, something curious and passing through his expression—but he said nothing.

Classic Dante.

Dinner continued, the conversation picking back up, but the tension lingered just beneath the surface.

Sofia tried to act normal.

Tried to laugh at the right moments.

Tried not to think about what had been happening between her and Luca.

But every time she looked up…

He was already looking at her.

Then something happened suddenly.

Without warning.

Romano their father set his glass down, his expression shifting slightly—serious now.

“There’s something important we need to discuss,” he said.

The table quieted instantly.

Even Marco straightened.

Sofia felt a strange unease settle in her chest.

Romano’s gaze moved briefly to Luca.

Then back to the rest of the family.

“The ongoing tension between our family and the Marchetti family…” he began, his voice calm but firm, “…has reached a point where it can no longer continue. Men have been dying for the past few years and it's time we put an end to it.”

Sofia’s stomach tightened.

Marchetti.

Her mind flashed instantly to the woman from the boutique.

“A decision has been made,” Romano continued.

“A marriage alliance has been arranged.”

The words landed heavily.

But it was what came next that shattered everything.

“Luca will be marrying Bianca Marchetti.”

Silence.

Complete.

Absolute.

Sofia’s heart stopped.

Just for a second.

Then slammed violently against her ribs.

She didn’t move.

Couldn’t move.

Her mind refused to process it.

The words echoed, repeating over and over again—

Luca… Bianca… marriage…

Across the table, Luca didn’t react immediately.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t look at anyone.

But then—

Slowly—

His gaze lifted.

And landed on Sofia.

Not on his father.

Not on his family.

On her.

Then he simply Just got up and left the dining room.

No reaction.

No outburst.

No denial.

And in that moment…

Everything inside Sofia shattered.

Sofia didn’t remember leaving the table.

One moment, she was sitting there—frozen, suffocating under the weight of the words.

Next thing… she was gone.

The hallway blurred as she walked, her steps uneven, to her room. Her chest tight like something was crushing her from the inside.

Luca will be marrying Bianca Marchetti.

The words echoed relentlessly.

Her room door shut behind her with a quiet click.

And that was it.

The composure she had been clinging to shattered.

Sofia pressed her hand against her mouth, her breathing breaking as tears blurred her vision.

It wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

She had known—had always known—that whatever existed between her and Luca was wrong. Temporary. Impossible.

But this?

This felt final.

Like she had just lost something she had never truly had.

She sank onto the edge of the bed, her shoulders trembling.

“What did you expect…” she whispered to herself.

He was Luca Virelli.

A man who didn’t believe in love.

A man who took what he wanted—and left everything else behind.

And she…

She had been foolish enough to think she might be different.

Meanwhile, Luca had walked out of the dining hall because he didn’t want Sophia to witness his anger. After a while, he decided to go and confront his father.

As soon as he got to his father’s office he did not bother knocking because he was not really in the mood for formalities.

His father was looking through a document and as soon as he saw Luca he said “It’s good you’re here. We need to finalize your marriage arrangement with the Marchetti family”

“You made that decision without consulting me?” Luca’s voice cut through the room—low, controlled, but laced with something dangerous.

Vittorio didn’t flinch. “It wasn’t a decision that required your approval. It required your participation.”

Luca let out a quiet, humorless breath.

“You’re arranging my life like a business transaction.”

“That’s exactly what it is,” Vittorio replied calmly. “This alliance ends years of conflict. It stabilizes everything. Besides, I heard you had something going on with the girl so this should be easy.”

“And you think I’ll just agree?”

Vittorio’s gaze hardened slightly. “I think you understand what’s at stake.”

Luca stepped forward slowly, his presence filling the space in a way that made even his brothers go silent.

“I built everything I have without relying on alliances like this,” he said. “I don’t need a marriage to control what’s already mine.”

“This isn’t about control,” Vittorio countered. “It’s about legacy.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“No,” he said quietly. “It’s about forcing me into something I don’t want.”

“And what exactly do you want?” Vittorio asked.

The question hung in the air.

Sharp.

Loaded.

For a brief second—just a second—Luca didn’t answer.

But something flickered in his expression.

Something rare.

Something dangerously close to the truth.

Then it was gone.

“I’m not marrying her, Besides I’m now the Don and not you!” Luca said flatly.

The room went still again.

Vittorio’s voice dropped. “That’s not a request Luca. Remember I gave you that position and I can always take it back.”

Luca met his gaze without hesitation.

“Then you’ll have a problem.”

The tension lingered long after Luca walked out.

But he didn’t stop.

Didn’t slow.

Because there was only one place he was going.

Sofia didn’t hear him enter.

Didn’t notice the door open.

She was still sitting on the bed, her face buried in her hands, trying—and failing—to hold herself together.

“You’re crying.”

Her breath caught.

She looked up instantly.

Luca.

Standing there.

Watching her.