The Husband Who Came Back

The moment Enzo announced Adrian’s arrival, my appetite disappeared.

For three years, I had waited for Adrian to come home. I had waited through lonely dinners, unanswered calls, and countless nights when I fell asleep beside an empty space in our bed.

Now that I had finally left him, he had come looking for me.

How ironic.

“Do you want me to send him away?” Enzo asked.

I stared at him. “Can you?”

A faint smile touched his lips.

“He’s standing on my property, Luca. I can do considerably more than send him away.”

I looked down at my hands.

“No. Let him come in.”

Enzo studied me for a moment.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I want to hear what he has to say.”

“Very well.”

He turned towards Victor, who had appeared at the dining room entrance.

“Bring Adrian to the main hall. No weapons.”

Victor nodded.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nervousness rising inside me.

Enzo noticed.

“You don’t have to prove anything to him.”

“I’m not.”

“Then stop looking like you’re preparing for a funeral.”

I almost smiled.

Almost.

Adrian entered the main hall five minutes later.

He wore a black suit, his white-grey hair neatly styled. Two men followed him, but they stopped when Victor raised his hand.

Adrian’s eyes immediately found me.

“Luca.”

I remained seated.

“Adrian.”

His gaze moved briefly to Enzo before returning to me.

“We need to talk.”

Enzo leaned against the side of the table.

“He’s not interested.”

“I wasn’t speaking to you, Moretti.”

“And yet you’re in my house.”

Adrian ignored him.

“Luca, come with me.”

I looked at him.

“Why?”

His eyebrows drew together.

“What do you mean, why?”

“You signed an agreement surrendering me to your enemy. You divorced me. You watched me leave your house. What exactly do you want now?”

His jaw tightened.

“Things have changed.”

I let out a humourless laugh.

“Since yesterday?”

“Don’t be difficult.”

Those words.

Even now, he expected me to obey.

I stood slowly.

“You came here to take me back?”

“Yes.”

“Back where? To the mansion? To the marriage you just ended? Or to the life where I waited for you while you shared your affection with someone else?”

Adrian’s expression hardened.

“Damian has nothing to do with this.”

“Then why was he standing beside you when you handed me those papers?”

For a brief moment, Adrian said nothing.

Enzo watched us without interfering.

“I made a decision based on business,” Adrian finally replied. “You know how these arrangements work.”

“Of course I do. I was the arrangement.”

“Luca”

“No. You don’t get to say my name like you still have the right to command me.”

Something shifted in his eyes.

It was small, but I saw it.

Perhaps he had expected tears. Perhaps he had expected me to beg.

He had not expected this.

Adrian took a step towards me.

“Come home. We can discuss everything privately.”

I stepped back.

“This is my home now.”

His eyes darkened.

“You’re making a mistake.”

I looked at Enzo, then back at Adrian.

“That sounds familiar.”

Enzo gave a quiet chuckle.

Adrian’s attention snapped towards him.

“Stay out of this.”

“You’re standing in my mansion, demanding that I hand over a man who is here by agreement. I think I’m already involved.”

“He belongs to me.”

The words escaped Adrian before he could reconsider them.

My heart gave a painful twist.

Enzo’s expression turned cold.

“Interesting. I thought you divorced him.”

Adrian looked at me.

“He’s my husband.”

“Former husband,” I corrected.

Silence filled the hall.

I removed the silver wedding ring I had carried in my pocket since leaving the Vescari mansion. I held it out for a moment before placing it on the table.

“You gave up that right yesterday.”

Adrian stared at the ring.

For the first time, I saw something resembling uncertainty on his face.

“Luca, listen to me.”

“No. You listen to me. I don’t know what made you come here, and I don’t care. I won’t return with you.”

His expression turned colder.

“You’re choosing him?”

I shook my head.

“I’m choosing myself.”

Adrian remained silent for several seconds.

Then he turned towards Enzo.

“This isn’t over.”

Enzo smiled without warmth.

“It was over when you signed the papers.”

Adrian’s gaze returned to me.

“You’ll regret this.”

I swallowed the ache in my throat.

“Perhaps. But at least it will be my mistake.”

He turned and walked towards the entrance.

His men followed.

Just before leaving, he stopped.

“One day, Luca, you’ll understand why I did this.”

I looked straight at him.

“I understood the moment you signed.”

The doors closed behind him.

I didn’t realize how tightly I had been holding my breath until it escaped in a shaky exhale.

Enzo approached but didn’t touch me.

“Are you all right?”

I nodded.

Then, after a moment, I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s an honest answer.”

I looked at the wedding ring on the table.

“Why did he come back?”

Enzo followed my gaze.

“Possibly because he thought you would still be waiting for him.”

I laughed softly, but my eyes burned.

“Well, he was wrong.”

Enzo picked up the ring and placed it in front of me.

“You don’t have to keep this.”

“I know.”

I left it on the table.

As I turned to leave, Victor hurried into the room with a tablet in his hand.

“Boss, we have a problem.”

Enzo’s expression changed.

“What happened?”

“Someone accessed the Vescari transfer documents before Mr. Valenti arrived. They also searched for the name Isabella Valenti.”

My stomach tightened.

“Who?”

Victor looked at Enzo.

“We traced the request to a private account connected to Damian.”

Enzo’s face became unreadable.

“Keep this quiet. Find out who he’s working with.”

I looked between them.

“Why is Damian interested in my mother?”

Neither man answered immediately.

And suddenly, I was beginning to understand that my divorce might have been the smallest part of the nightmare waiting for me.