Semua Bab Ruthless Claim: Bab 81 - Bab 90

For a heartbeat, no one moves.Rain hammers the pavement. Thunder rolls somewhere in the distance. Aria can’t even breathe.Matteo.Matteo has their baby.Her knees nearly buckle.Luca doesn’t blink. Doesn’t flinch. He stands there — absolutely still — as the storm has frozen around him.“Repeat it,” he says quietly, though his voice vibrates with something dangerous.Lucia swallows. “Two men claimed they had authorization. They used the board’s clearance. But their exit wasn’t logged. Matteo must have sent them.”Aria’s breath breaks in her chest.“No… no, they can’t… he can’t have—”“He does,” Lucia whispers.Aria presses a hand to her trembling lips, choking on air. Her whole world tilts violently. “Luca… Luca, do something—”He turns to her, calm and focused, not showing panic or franticness.He cups her face, gently but firmly.“Aria. Look at me.”Her eyes lock onto his.The rain drips from his hair, down the sharp line of his jaw, but his gaze stays steady — dark with fury, but

The drive is a blur of stormlight, wipers slashing across the windshield as the SUV cuts through the darkness. Aria grips the door handle so tightly her knuckles turn white. Every jolt, every turn, every sound outside feels like a countdown.Her son is out there.Her newborn.Hours old.Alone with men who shouldn’t be anywhere near him.Luca sits beside her, jaw clenched tight, phone in hand, eyes fixed on the tracker Marco is monitoring from the seat behind them. He hasn’t blinked in minutes. His whole body radiates agitation and focus, but underneath that… guilt simmers like a second storm.Aria feels it.Sees it.But right now, she can’t afford to fall apart over it.“Marco,” Luca says, voice dangerously calm, “how far?”“Two minutes,” Marco replies. “They’ve stopped inside the old shipping warehouse. No movement since.”“Too still,” Luca mutters. “They’re waiting.”Aria doesn’t trust her voice, so she stays quiet. She leans forward, staring out into the sheets of rain. Each crash

The storm outside had settled into a relentless drizzle, leaving the warehouse slick and metallic, the echoes of the struggle still ringing in their ears. Aria clutched their newborn, heart racing, her chest tightening as her gaze never left Luca.He stood a few feet away, rain dripping from his hair, eyes dark with exhaustion and something she hadn’t seen before: raw vulnerability.“Luca…” she began, voice trembling, “…the woman Matteo mentioned. Who is she?”For a heartbeat, he said nothing. Just stared at her, jaw tight, fists curling at his sides. The air between them pulsed with unspoken confessions.“I… almost gave in,” Luca admitted, voice low, hoarse. “Before Matteo interfered… I almost—”Aria froze, her grip on the baby tightening so hard her knuckles went white.“Almost gave in?” she repeated, barely a whisper. “Luca, what do you mean?”He ran a hand through his soaked hair, pacing just enough to keep from collapsing under the weight of everything. “I was under pressure, Ari

Carlo’s voice cut through the hallway like a blade wrapped in silk.“Luca? I heard shouting…”Aria stiffened instantly.Not because of what he said—But because of how he said it.Too calm.Too casual.Too present at the exact wrong moment.Luca’s hand slid from Aria’s waist to the small of her back, subtle and protective, guiding her slightly behind him.Not hiding her.Protecting her.Carlo’s eyes flicked down to the motion—barely—but Aria caught it.And the corner of his mouth twitched in the faintest smirk.Like he’d expected this.Like he wanted to see Luca react this way.“Carlo,” Luca said finally.Just his name.Flat. Controlled.A warning wrapped in ice.But Carlo only raised his hands in a fake half-surrender.“Relax, fratello. I came as soon as I heard something had happened. I’m here to help.”Aria felt Luca’s fingers tighten on her spine.A subtle squeeze.Stay close.She moved instinctively into him, her shoulder brushing his arm, and she saw Carlo’s eyes narrow almost i

The hallway felt impossibly long, every echo of approaching footsteps sending adrenaline coursing through Aria. Luca’s hand gripped hers like iron, pulling her forward, their bodies pressed close, the heat between them almost unbearable.“Stay behind me,” he murmured, voice low, rough with warning and something deeper—desire, protectiveness, need.“I’m not hiding,” Aria whispered back, letting her fingers brush the side of his hand, feeling the warmth that anchored her through the storm. “I’m with you. Always.”They moved swiftly, each step measured, every glance sharp. Outside the storm raged, rain streaking the windows, lightning illuminating the tension on Luca’s face. He was calm, precise, but Aria could feel the tension coiling in his muscles, the suppressed energy ready to explode.Her pulse raced—not just from fear, but from being so close to him. Every brush of his hand, every protective pull, ignited a fire she couldn’t ignore.Suddenly, a shadow moved in the corner of the ha