I pushed off the bed and reached for my dress, slipping it over my body in a rush, my fingers shaky as I zipped it up. I grabbed my phone, my heels, and headed for the door.
I needed to find him.
The tension in my chest refused to ease as I stormed down the penthouse hallway, Luca's name burning on my tongue. The image of Victoria draped over him was seared into my mind, poisoning my thoughts, twisting my emotions into something sharp and ugly.
I needed answers.
I needed to look him in the eye and hear the truth, not from rumors, not from Ryan's cryptic warnings, but from Luca himself.
---
The city hummed beneath me, a maze of lights and shadows stretching beyond the penthouse windows. But I wasn't looking at the city—I was staring at the screen of my phone, my pulse thrumming with restless energy.
The drive to Luca's office was a blur. I barely remembered grabbing my coat, barely registered the city lights streaking past the car window. My fingers were still clenched around my phone, Ryan's words burning into my mind.
"You deserve better than him, Bella."
The picture of Luca and Victoria was seared into my vision, a slow, agonizing torment that twisted in my chest like a knife. I knew I should have waited, let the anger cool, but my heart wasn't rational. My body wasn't rational. Every inch of me burned for an explanation, a reason, anything to justify why the man who had kissed me like I was his world was now tangled in the arms of another woman.
The car screeched to a stop in front of the building, and I barely muttered a thank you to the driver before stepping out. The cold night air slapped against my heated skin, but it did nothing to stop the storm inside me.
How did I get here? From coming here for my internship to coming here to demand answers from the CEO.
I stomped into the building with annoyance through my walking steps. The lobby was empty except for a few guards, their eyes flickering with recognition when they saw me. I didn't wait for permission. I didn't care about whatever unspoken rules surrounded Luca's world. I stormed past them and into the elevator, hitting the button for his floor with more force than necessary.
The doors slid open, revealing the penthouse office—an expanse of sleek glass and rich mahogany, dimly lit with the soft glow of city lights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. My pulse thundered in my ears as I stepped inside. I tiptoed into the room, trying my best not to be seen.
The air was thick with tension, the scent of cigar smoke and expensive cologne clinging to the walls of the dimly lit lounge. Men in tailored suits murmured in hushed tones, the weight of unspoken threats pressing against my skin like an invisible force.
And then, I saw him. Luca sat at the head of it all, his presence commanding, untouchable.
Luca stood near his desk, his back to me, one hand resting on the edge of the table, the other gripping his phone. His shoulders were tense, his entire posture coiled with barely restrained energy. Luca was speaking in hushed tones to a man I didn't recognize. The tension in his posture was unmistakable—broad shoulders taut, his jaw clenched as he listened intently. I took a hesitant step forward, but before I could call his name, something shifted more like broken.
Glass!
The sharp clang of glass shattering against the floor cut through the air like a gunshot. My breath caught, my heart stuttering in my chest.
Then, I heard Luca speaks. It was deadly and low but I could still hear it. "You think I don't see what you're doing?"
Another voice followed, thick with venom. "You're slipping, Valencia. The great Luca, distracted over some girl?"
I crept closer, pressing myself against the wall, peeking around the corner just enough to see what was happening and also hear clearly. I must say, curiosity really got the best of me.
Luca stood placing his hand on the desk, his posture rigid, every line of his body wound tight with restrained violence. A man I didn't recognize stood opposite him, sharp features twisted into a sneer. He was older, maybe late forties, with a scar cutting across his jaw and a gun tucked into his belt, barely concealed beneath his expensive suit.
I opened my mouthto demand an explanation, to ask what the hell was going on, but before I could speak, the glass doors behind me burst open.
A rush of movement. A shout.
I barely had time to turn before someone grabbed me from behind, yanking me back against a hard chest.
My breath caught—sharp, panicked—as an arm locked around my waist, the cold press of metal against my ribs sending ice through my veins.
Oh my God! A Gun. A freaking Gun.
Luca's head snapped up, and the moment his eyes landed on me, the room went deadly silent.
His entire body went still. Not the kind of stillness that came from shock, but something far worse.
Lethal. Dangerous.
The kind of stillness that came before the storm.
A low chuckle rumbled behind me, the man holding me tightening his grip. "Didn't think I'd catch you off guard, Valencia."
Luca's gaze lifted—slow, deliberate—as if he was assessing every single move, every single breath. His expression was unreadable, but the air in the room changed, crackling with something dark.
I wasn't stupid. This wasn't just some business rival barging in with threats and theatrics. This was personal. And I was caught in the middle of it.
The man shifted, his grip pressing me closer, and I felt the sharp edge of the gun press deeper into my side.
"Let her go."
Luca's voice was soft. Controlled.
Which meant he was on the edge of something dangerous.
The man holding me—his grip tightening as if he enjoyed the moment—laughed again. "Now, now, that's not how this works. You cost me a lot of money, Luca. I think it's only fair I take something from you in return."
I felt the shift before I saw it. One second, Luca was standing still, his eyes locked on mine.
The next, he moved. Fast. Too fast, I barely saw him move.
Gunfire exploded through the air, deafening, shattering, and then everything was chaos. The grip around me slackened just as I was shoved aside, my body hitting the floor hard. I gasped, pushing up onto my hands, heart racing as I tried to regain my bearings.
When I looked up, Luca was on him. His fists connecting to his face, I lost count of it. The man kept grunting in pain.
The rival hit the ground with a groan, and Luca stood over him, chest heaving, blood staining his knuckles. The room was filled with the scent of gunpowder and something raw, something brutal.
And then Luca turned to me.
His eyes, burning with an emotion I couldn't name, raked over me.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was rough, but there was something else there. Something close to fear.
I shook my head, still dazed. "I—no. I don't think so."
Luca exhaled sharply, his hands running through his hair as he turned away, shoulders tight. The tension in the room didn't dissipate—it only shifted, thickening into something else.
I pushed myself to my feet, swallowing hard. "Luca—"
"You shouldn't have come here." The words snapped through the air, cutting like a blade. I flinched. I was angry. I suddenly remembered why I came here in the first place.
His back was still to me, his hands braced against the desk.
"I needed to talk to you," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "About—about Victoria." I finally said out and mentally heaved a sigh.
Luca's head lifted slightly, but he didn't turn. Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. And then he exhaled, low and sharp, before finally facing me.
His eyes were dark, unreadable. "Is that what you're worried about? Victoria?"
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening into fists. "I saw the picture."
A muscle in his jaw ticked. "And?"
I let out a breath, frustration curling in my chest. "And you tell me. Because I don't know what to believe right now, Luca."
His gaze flickered with something dangerous, something unreadable.
Then, in three steps, he was in front of me.
"You think I'd touch her?" His voice was low, sharp, each syllable laced with something close to anger. "After last night?"
I hesitated, my heart pounding. "I don't know what to think."
Luca's eyes searched mine, his jaw tightening. "She wants to get under your skin, Bella. And it's working."
I swallowed hard. "So you're saying it was nothing?"
He exhaled slowly, his fingers lifting, skimming over my jaw. "I'm saying that you are the only thing that matters to me right now."
The words were quiet. Barely a whisper. But they hit like a wrecking ball. And then, just as quickly as the moment had come, it shattered.
Luca's phone buzzed, the sharp sound slicing through the air. His expression darkened as he pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the screen.
And just like that, he was gone again. A different Luca. A colder one.
"I have to handle this," he said, stepping back.
I let out a shaky breath. "Right. Of course."
Luca hesitated, his fingers flexing as if he wanted to reach for me. But then, with a sharp breath, he turned and strode toward the door.
And I was left standing there, feeling like I had just survived a storm.
No.
Feeling like I was still in the middle of it.
Because no matter how much I wanted to believe him, I couldn't shake the feeling that Victoria was just the beginning.
And that I had no idea what I'd just gotten myself into.