Chapter 15: “The Question He Couldn’t Answer”

Tayla’s POV

“Luca…”

His eyes met mine.

Steady.

Calm.

Careful.

“Did Damian ever investigate you?”

The question hung between us.

For the first time since I’d known him, Luca didn’t answer immediately.

Just one second.

Maybe two.

But it was enough.

Enough for me to notice.

Enough for my instincts to start screaming.

Then his familiar smile returned.

Slowly.

Controlled.

“Why would you ask that?”

Not a denial.

Not a laugh.

Not confusion.

A question.

My stomach tightened.

I folded my arms.

“I asked first.”

For a moment neither of us spoke.

The penthouse suddenly felt too quiet.

Too small.

Too tense.

Then Luca sighed.

“Your husband was a businessman.”

His voice remained calm.

“He investigated everyone.”

That answer sounded reasonable.

Almost believable.

Almost.

But something still felt wrong.

Because Damian hadn’t hidden photographs of everyone.

He had hidden photographs of Luca.

Dozens of them.

Luca stepped closer.

Not enough to invade my space.

Just enough to pressure me.

“Did you find something?”

There it was.

The real question.

The one he actually wanted answered.

I immediately looked away.

And unfortunately…

That was answer enough.

Something changed in his eyes.

Only briefly.

Then it disappeared.

Hidden behind concern.

“Tayla.”

His voice softened.

“If you’re looking through Damian’s things, you’re probably going to find a lot of things you don’t understand.”

The warning sounded innocent.

Yet somehow it felt threatening.

I hated that thought.

Because part of me still trusted him.

Still wanted to trust him.

But another part was beginning to wake up.

Beginning to question everything.

And once doubt enters your heart…

It spreads.

That afternoon I couldn’t focus.

Not on work.

Not on television.

Not even on Noah.

The notebook remained locked inside my mind.

Every sentence.

Every accusation.

Every warning.

Especially one.

If anything happens to me, it was Luca.

The words haunted me.

Because Damian wasn’t the type of man who panicked.

He wasn’t dramatic.

He wasn’t paranoid.

So if he’d written those words…

There had to be a reason.

I sat alone in Damian’s office.

Staring at the city.

Thinking.

Trying to make sense of everything.

Then my phone rang.

The prison.

My heart immediately jumped.

I answered before the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Russo?”

“Yes.”

The voice on the other end sounded professional.

Formal.

“We’re calling regarding your husband’s visitation request.”

My breath caught.

Damian.

After everything…

Just hearing his name hurt.

“You’ve been approved for tomorrow.”

Relief flooded through me.

I hadn’t realized how desperately I needed to see him.

Needed answers.

Needed something.

Anything.

“Thank you.”

The call ended.

And suddenly I knew exactly what I had to do.

Tomorrow…

I was going to ask Damian about Luca.

Directly.

No more guessing.

No more assumptions.

No more secrets.

Across the city…

Luca sat inside his office.

His jaw clenched.

His fingers tapped slowly against the desk.

A dangerous habit.

One his employees feared.

Because whenever Luca became quiet…

Someone usually suffered.

A man stood nervously across from him.

One of his security operatives.

“She found the notebook.”

Silence.

The man’s throat tightened.

Luca stared out the window.

Expressionless.

“How much did she see?”

“We don’t know.”

The answer wasn’t good enough.

The man knew it.

Luca knew it.

Everyone knew it.

Slowly, Luca stood.

The movement alone was enough to make the man step back.

Because despite his polished appearance…

Luca could be terrifying.

“You had one job.”

His voice remained soft.

Dangerously soft.

“One.”

The man swallowed.

“We tried—”

Luca’s fist slammed onto the desk.

The sound echoed through the room.

The man nearly jumped.

“I don’t care what you tried.”

The smile that appeared on Luca’s face was worse than anger.

Much worse.

Because it contained no warmth.

No kindness.

No humanity.

Only calculation.

“Fix it.”

The man nodded immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

Luca watched him leave.

Then turned toward the city.

Toward the direction of Elena’s penthouse.

His expression darkened.

Because for the first time…

Things were slipping beyond his control.

And Luca Russo hated losing control.

The following day arrived too slowly.

Every hour felt endless.

Every minute dragged.

By the time I reached the detention center, my stomach was tied in knots.

The same cold walls greeted me.

The same security checks.

The same endless hallways.

Nothing about this place felt normal.

Nothing ever would.

Eventually, I entered the visitation room.

And waited.

The chair felt uncomfortable.

The silence felt unbearable.

Then the opposite door opened.

My heart stopped.

Damian.

For a moment I forgot everything.

The files.

The notebook.

The questions.

All of it.

Because despite everything…

He was still my husband.

His eyes found mine immediately.

And the pain in them nearly broke me.

He looked thinner.

More exhausted.

More worn down.

But the moment he saw me…

Something softened inside him.

Like seeing me gave him strength.

I picked up the phone.

So did he.

For several seconds neither of us spoke.

Neither of us knew where to begin.

Finally, Damian smiled sadly.

“You look beautiful.”

A laugh escaped me.

Half laugh.

Half sob.

“That’s your opening line?”

His smile widened slightly.

“I missed you.”

The simple honesty in those words shattered something inside me.

Because lately…

Nobody spoke honestly anymore.

Nobody except him.

Tears burned my eyes.

“Damian.”

His expression immediately changed.

Concern.

“What’s wrong?”

I looked down briefly.

Gathering courage.

Then I met his gaze.

And asked the question.

The question that had been destroying me for days.

“Why were you investigating Luca?”

Everything changed.

Instantly.

The warmth vanished from Damian’s face.

His entire body stiffened.

His grip tightened around the phone.

Fear entered his eyes.

Real fear.

And suddenly…

I knew.

The notebook was real.

Every word.

Every warning.

Every secret.

Real.

“Tayla.”

His voice dropped.

Low.

Urgent.

“Did you find something?”

I nodded slowly.

Damian closed his eyes.

A curse escaped under his breath.

When he looked at me again, he seemed more frightened than I’d ever seen him.

“Listen to me carefully.”

My heart pounded.

“Damian—”

“No.”

His voice sharpened.

“You need to listen.”

The urgency terrified me.

“What’s happening?”

His eyes searched mine.

Then he spoke the words that changed everything.

“You’re not safe.”

A chill raced through my entire body.

“What?”

“Not with him.”

The room suddenly felt freezing.

The air felt thinner.

Harder to breathe.

Because deep down…

I already knew who he meant.

Damian leaned closer to the glass.

Desperation filling every inch of his face.

“You need to get Noah.”

My heartbeat thundered.

“Damian—”

“Take Noah and leave.”

The fear in his voice was real.

Terrifyingly real.

“Leave where?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

And that frightened me even more.

Because Damian Russo always had answers.

Always.

Until now.

Then the visitation door suddenly opened.

A guard stepped inside.

His expression serious.

Urgent.

And immediately Damian’s face darkened.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The guard looked directly at Damian.

“Russo.”

The room fell silent.

The next words sent ice through Tayla’s veins.

“You have another visitor.”