The sharp crack of the gunshot shattered the morning silence, sending a ripple of panic through the estate. Anna's breath hitched as she instinctively stepped closer to Marco, her pulse pounding.
"Stay behind me," Marco ordered, his voice tight, his hand hovering near his holster.
They barely had a second to react before hurried footsteps echoed down the hall. Antonio appeared first, his gun drawn, his expression unreadable.
"Luca wants you both in his office," he said, his tone clipped, leaving no room for argument.
Marco tensed. "What the hell just happened?"
Antonio's jaw clenched. "You'll see soon enough."
A cold feeling crept up Anna's spine as she exchanged a glance with Marco before nodding. Together, they followed Antonio through the winding halls, their footsteps heavy against the polished floors.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it in the way the guards avoided their gaze, in the way the house seemed unnaturally still, as if it, too, was waiting for the inevitable storm to break.
---
Luca's Office – Moments Later
The door swung open, and the sight before them made Anna's stomach lurch.
A body lay on the floor.
Blood pooled beneath the man's head, dark and thick against the pristine hardwood. His vacant eyes stared up at the ceiling, his mouth slightly open, as if frozen in the middle of his last, desperate plea.
Anna's breath caught. Her entire body stiffened.
The metallic scent of death filled the room, suffocating.
Luca stood over the body, his expression calm, his gun still in hand. He turned to them, his dark gaze settling first on Marco, then on Anna.
"Do you know who this is?" Luca asked, his voice unnervingly steady.
Marco's gaze flickered over the dead man, and then his entire body went rigid.
Anna looked between them, confusion tightening in her chest. "Who is he?"
Luca's grip on the gun tightened. "The rat."
Marco exhaled sharply. "You're sure?"
Luca smirked, tossing a folder onto his desk. It slid open, revealing photographs, documents, bank statements—evidence.
Antonio spoke up. "He was feeding information to an outside group. We don't know how much he's leaked, but it's enough that we had to act fast."
Anna forced herself to look at the dead man again, bile rising in her throat. This wasn't just some warning shot—this was an execution.
And Luca had done it without hesitation.
Her throat tightened. "Why are we here, Luca?"
Luca finally met her gaze, stepping closer. His presence was suffocating.
"To remind you both what happens to people who betray me."
The words were a razor against the air.
Anna felt Marco stiffen beside her. She didn't dare move.
Luca's gaze locked onto Marco's. "You hesitated last night."
Marco said nothing.
"You didn't show up when I called for you."
Marco exhaled, his jaw clenching. "I needed time."
Luca's smirk was cold. "Time for what?"
Silence.
Anna could feel the tension rising, the thin thread holding everything together threatening to snap.
Luca stepped even closer, lowering his voice. "Tell me now, Marco—where do your loyalties lie?"
Anna's breath caught.
This was it.
The moment that would decide everything.
Marco held Luca's gaze, his expression unreadable. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.
"With you."
Luca studied him for a long moment, as if searching for a lie.
Then he smiled.
"Good."
But Anna wasn't convinced.
Because she knew Marco.
And she knew that sometimes, the biggest betrayals came wrapped in well-spoken lies.
---
An Hour Later – Anna's Room
The tension in the office had followed her here, wrapping around her like an iron chain.
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the window, the city beyond it untouched by the chaos inside these walls.
Her mind raced.
Luca had killed that man so easily.
It shouldn't have shocked her, but it did. Maybe because she had been so caught up in the moments where Luca had been gentle with her, where his touches had burned but never scarred, where his words had been harsh but never lethal.
But this?
This was a reminder.
A warning.
You are in his world now. And in this world, hesitation is deadly.
A knock at her door made her jump.
She turned just as Marco stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
His face was unreadable, his usual confidence shadowed by something else.
"We need to talk," he said quietly.
Anna swallowed hard, nodding.
Because deep down, she knew—
Whatever Marco was about to tell her could change everything.
---