Chapter 8 - The Study Door
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Luca’s expression didn't change, but the air in the hallway grew suffocatingly dense. He lowered his glass, his dark eyes locking onto Vanessa’s bodyguard.
“Let her go,” Luca commanded. It wasn't a request.
“Sir, Ms. Bellini specifically asked—”
“I don't care what my fiancée asked,” Luca interrupted, his voice dropping to a terrifying, gravelly register. “This is my house. These are my staff. You do not lay hands on them. Walk away, before I break your jaw.”
The bodyguard swallowed hard, his pale eyes darting nervously. He nodded sharply, backed away, and practically sprinted down the corridor.
Nora stayed on the floor, her breathing ragged, cradling her crushed fingers against her chest.
Luca walked slowly toward her. He didn't offer a hand to help her up. He stood towering over her, studying her like a puzzle he hadn't yet solved.
“You’re the girl who dropped the glass,” he said quietly.
“Yes, sir,” Nora whispered.
“And now you’re being dragged to the basement by my fiancée's dog.” Luca tilted his head. “You must have done something very stupid, or seen something very dangerous.”
Nora closed her eyes. This was the moment. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, and the only way to survive was to jump.
She struggled to her feet, swaying slightly from the pain and exhaustion. She looked the most feared man in the city dead in the eye.
“I need to speak with you, Mr. Moretti. In private.”
Luca raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine amusement crossing his hardened features. “A maid making demands in my own hallway?”
“A mother trying to keep her son alive,” Nora corrected, her voice trembling but fierce. “Give me five minutes in your study. If you don't believe what I have to say, you can throw me in the cellar yourself.”
Luca stared at her for a long, heavy moment. He saw the raw desperation, but more importantly, he saw the absolute truth in her eyes.
He turned on his heel.
May you like
“Follow me.”
Nora followed him down the long, dark corridor, her heart hammering against her ribs, ready to burn Vanessa’s world to the ground.
