* RACHEL’S POINT OF VIEW * Slade, Luca, and I sat in the living room, the tension so thick it felt like a noose tightening around us. Luca reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a silver cigarette case, tapping a filtered tip against his thumb. He went to reach for a lighter, his movements practiced and restless, but he didn't even get the flame struck. “I would appreciate it if you put that back. Smoking isn’t allowed in this house,” Slade said, his voice dropping into that low, commanding tone. Luca paused, the unlit cigarette dangling from his lips as he locked eyes with Slade. It was a clash of two different kinds of power — Slade’s polished, corporate authority versus Luca’s untamed, lethal energy from the underworld. They stared each other down for a heartbeat too long, neither willing to blink, until I broke the silence. “There are children in the house, Luca,” I said softly but firmly. Luca sighed, the defiance leaving his shoulders as he tucked the cigarette back
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