Luca’s phone buzzed once again
He picked it up casually, but what he saw next made his fingers tighten around the device.
A video had been sent. No sender na. No number. Just a single dia file.
He tapped on it.
The screen ca alive with the image of a dimly lit room.
A small boy, frail and frightened, stared straight into the cara.
His eyes stread with tears, lips trembling as he whispered one word that cleaved through Luca’s chest like a blade.
"Papa... papa..."
Then darkness.
The video cut off in an instant, leaving only silence and the white-hot fury boiling beneath Luca’s skin.
His jaw locked.
Beside him, Bianca shifted.
"So... Donato has a son?" Her voice was soft but edged with ill-tid curiosity, nosy and sharp.
Luca didn’t answer.
A second notification pinged.
This ti, a ssage. Short. Cold. Final.
Co alone. Bring the black book. No weapons. No n. No cops. This is the only negotiation. Not cash. Not diamonds. Only the black book.
Bianca leaned in, brows furrowed. "Black book? What black book? I never knew anything about that."
Luca turned to her slowly, a glare hard enough to carve skin.
"You don’t need to know about the black book," he snapped. "You’re not part of this family. Not really. Just focus on carrying the baby you claid is mine."
Bianca’s face twisted, lips parting in disbelief. Then ca that smile fake, venom-laced.
Alessia stood by the window, arms folded tightly.
Her heart didn’t leap at Luca’s words, but a small flicker of sothing warm ignited inside her chest.
He had drawn a boundary.
Finally.
But it didn’t last long.
Bianca let out a small gasp and clutched her belly.
Luca’s head whipped toward her. "What is it?" Are you alright? "
He quickly touch her stomach and help her rubbed it through.
She winced. "Just a little pain. Probably stress, I have been stressing myself lately, carrying a baby isn’t as easy as we thought."
He quickly stepped forward, helping her sit, his hand hovering near her back.
"Did you need a pillow to support ur back "luca asked her
"Yes please, I need a soft pillow to support my back. And hopefully get a massage from you when I get back, you should massage my feet and my back too right ".
"I will give it a trial, not for you but for the sake of my flesh, you claid to be inside you". He said to her.
Alessia’s fingers curled into fists. She hated how the sight made her flinch inside, hated how Bianca smirked at her from over Luca’s shoulder, she hated the conversation they were having in her presence. She wish you could express her anger imdiately but... There was a but....
Bianca knew exactly what she was doing. And it worked.
She knew the sight of luca helping her or touching her would hurt Alessia more than any insult could.
And it did.
Alessia turned away, blinking back the sting in her eyes.
"You don’t have to touch her," she said, voice low.
Luca glanced over. "She’s carrying a child."
"Which hasn’t been confird to be yours," Alessia muttered.
Bianca gasped. "Oh, how convenient of you to say that now."
Luca stood up, rubbing his forehead. "I have to go."
"No," Alessia said, moving in front of him.
"Luca, wait. You saw the ssage, they said co alone. This is dangerous. Let’s plan another way."
"I’m not weak, Alessia."
"It’s not about weakness," she said, grabbing his arm. "It’s about thinking. About protecting yourself.
If anything happens to you, they win. Whoever they are, they win."
He gently cupped her cheek, brushing away the tear that had escaped.
His voice dropped. "We still have unsettled scores."
She nodded, lips trembling. "Why do you keep pushing away like I don’t care?"
Luca’s jaw twitched.
"I don’t know. Maybe it’s because when I look at you... you’re always so distant. Cold. Pretending like none of this affects you."
"I’m not pretending" Alessia’s voice cracked.
"I’ve never pretended. Everything affects , Luca.
Every breath you take, every lie Bianca spins, every damn ti you let her touch you... it burns alive."
"Then why didn’t you fight harder and pull away from his grip?" he whispered. "Why did you let that Lorenzo mont co between us?"
"Because it wasn’t my mont!" she cried. "It was staged. I was frad. Soone wanted you to see that photo. Soone wanted you to believe I would betray you."
Bianca stood up from the couch, arms folded, smug smile intact.
"Who frad you?" she scoffed. "soone? "... Was it so magical drama you believe they set up caras because they already cooked it up?, you were caught with your lover boy unaware darling ".....
Alessia turned to her, fury flashing. "You’d do worse if it kept Luca tied to your lies."
"Oh, so now I’m the villain? Because I’m carrying a life, possibly his child?"
"That child doesn’t give you the right to destroy our ho," Alessia snapped. "Even if it’s his, it doesn’t make you his."
"Enough," Luca growled. "Both of you."
The room fell silent, thick with tension.
"I’m going," he said. "And no one will follow ."
Fredo, his guard, stepped in. "Sir, this could be... "
"I said no one follows ."
"But sir....."
"I’m the devil they called upon. I’ll answer alone."
He turned and stord out.
The heavy slam of the front door felt like thunder inside Alessia’s heart.
She walked to the window and pressed her forehead to the glass. Her breath fogged the cold surface.
Her hand trembled on the glass pane. "Please I hope you co back, Luca... co back with the child. And with your heart... still whole."
*******
An Hour Later – luca arrived at the abandoned Factory
The location was just as the ssage said remote, dead, cold.
A broken-down glass factory hidden in the bowels of a decaying district. Rust. Dust. Blood in the air.
Luca walked through the wide tal doors alone.
He wasn’t a man anymore.
He was a beast.
And he had co to collect.
From the shadows, six masked n erged. Weapons glinted in the low light, but none raised them.
One man stepped forward. The leader.
"Where’s the black book?"
Luca’s stare was sharp enough to draw blood. "Where’s the child?"
"The boy is safe."
"You show the child, I show you the book."
"You don’t make demands here."
Luca took one slow, step forward. "And what if I decide to negotiate our lives instead? ".
"What do you an? We just want the book". The masked leader said.
"Then negotiate with death."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a device, a small detonator.
The n stilled.
"Don’t play gas," the leader warned.
"I’m not playing," Luca said. "Strapped to my chest is a bomb. Custom made. One click, and none of us leave here breathing."
They exchanged panicked glances.
One man cursed. Another backed up.
"We just got the information now.... That the Moranos don’t have the book yet."
"I bluff with poker," Luca said. "But I kill with bombs."
Silence.
Luca’s eyes narrowed."where’s the child ". ...
"No child". They answered him.
No sound.
Not even the echo of a sniffle.
A fake setup.
"You used a forged video," Luca said, circling them slowly. "But the voice... the boy’s voice? That was real."
He stopped.
"Where is he?"
"We only know what we’re told..... "
"Then tell your masters," Luca cut in, clicking off the detonator and flipping it into the air.
The n flinched.
"You made the devil walk into your trap.
Next ti, I won’t walk out."
He turned and disappeared into the dark.
Behind him, panic erupted as the masked n scrambled into the shadows.
*****
Hours Earlier at Virenkai
Enzo and Donato had trekked a long miles. All was through the bush part.
The thick canopy of the mystical Virenkai woods rustled overhead.
Enzo moved ahead with silent purpose, cutlass in hand, clearing the thorny path. Behind him, Donato adjusted the black book strapped across his chest.
"Thank you," Donato said softly.
Enzo turned. "For what?"
"For staying. Protecting . You’ve had plenty of reasons to run. Yet... you didn’t."
Enzo gave a faint smile. "You’re my leader."
Donato slowed. "And when we return to Earth, you’ll be more. Luca already sees your loyalty. I have also seem your good hard work and loyalty too. My brother luca was indeed lucky to have you beside as. It’s truly worth it. And I’ll make sure he rewards it."
Enzo nodded. "Sure... when we return."
Donato frowned. "What does that an?"
Enzo turned suddenly. "Look ahead, sir! Sothing moved."
Donato squinted into the trees, as he looked back to see what Enzo wanted him to see.
But it was too late.
Enzo bent down and grabbed a heavy stone.
"Forgive ," he said silently.
Crack.
The stone hit the back of Donato’s head with brutal force.
Donato fell instantly. A lifeless thud. The black book rolled beside him.
Enzo stood over the motionless body, chest rising and falling.
His eyes slid toward to the book.
And he smiled....
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