Chapter 20: BOUNDARIES IN ASHES
Aria couldn’t shake the sound of the prisoner’s laughter. It echoed in her head long after he’d been dragged out of the basement, louder even than Luca’s final words to her: You’re mine, whether you admit it or not.
The mansion was too quiet that night, as if holding its breath. Guards patrolled the halls, their shadows spilling beneath her door, but the silence in her room was unbearable. Every flicker of candlelight reminded her of his eyes, every creak of the old house reminded her of the danger pressing closer.
When she finally worked up the courage to leave, she found him in the courtyard, pacing like a caged animal. He hadn’t heard her yet. His movements were sharp, restless, his head tilted back toward the sky as though searching for something out of reach.
"You can’t keep doing this," she said softly.
He turned, instantly alert. "Doing what?"
"Carrying it all on your own. Pretending you’re untouchable." She stepped closer, her voice steady despite her racing pulse. "You’re not."
His mouth twitched in something between a smile and a scowl. "You came out here just to tell me I’m weak?"
"No." She shook her head. "To tell you I see through you. You act like you don’t care about anything, but the truth is written all over your face."
He crossed the space between them in three strides, towering over her. "Careful, Aria. You don’t know what you’re saying."
"Yes, I do." She held her ground, even as his nearness made her tremble. "You could have killed that man yourself. But you didn’t. You let someone else do it because you knew I was watching. Because somewhere, deep down, you didn’t want me to see you like that."
Luca’s jaw flexed, his silence confirming what she already suspected.
"Tell me I’m wrong," she whispered.
He leaned in so close she felt the warmth of his breath. "You’re wrong about everything... except one thing."
Her voice was barely audible. "What’s that?"
"That I care." His confession slipped out like a curse, rough and reluctant.
The world seemed to stop. Aria’s pulse hammered in her ears, her body rooted to the ground. "Then why do you keep pushing me away?"
"Because caring makes you weak in this world," he said, almost angrily. "And weakness gets people killed."
"Maybe." Her voice was steadier than she expected. "But pretending you don’t care doesn’t make you strong either. It just makes you alone."
The tension between them crackled like fire. He reached up as though to touch her, then stopped himself. His hand hovered in the air, trembling, before he let it fall back to his side.
"You make me reckless," Luca muttered. "You make me forget the rules I’ve lived by my whole life."
"Then maybe those rules are wrong."
His laugh was low, humorless. "You think you can just walk into my world and rewrite the code I live by? That’s not how this works."
"I’m not trying to change your world," she said, her voice breaking. "I’m trying to survive in it. And if I’m going to survive, I need the truth. Not the version you think I can handle. The truth."
For a long moment, he said nothing. His eyes searched hers as if testing her resolve. Then, slowly, he spoke.
"My father was killed because he cared. He let someone too close. Trusted them. And I buried him because of it." His voice was raw, stripped of its usual control. "Since that day, I promised myself I’d never make the same mistake."
Her chest ached at the pain beneath his words. "I’m not him, Luca I’m not going to betray you."
"You could," he countered. "You might not mean to, but you could. All it takes is one slip, one wrong word in the wrong ear, and everything I’ve built burns."
"Then teach me," she said quickly. "Don’t lock me out. Teach me what I need to know so I don’t make that mistake."
He studied her, every muscle in his body tense. "You’re asking me to drag you deeper into a life that will swallow you whole."
"No," she said firmly. "I’m asking you not to shut me out of the life I’m already in. Because whether I like it or not, I’m part of this now."
Silence. The only sound was the wind rustling through the trees.
Finally, he exhaled. "You don’t know what you’re asking."
"Maybe not. But I know what I’m choosing."
Luca closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to steel himself. When he opened them again, they burned with something fierce and unyielding. "If I give you the truth, there’s no going back. You won’t look at me the same way again."
"Try me."
His hand reached out then, not hesitant this time. His fingers brushed her jaw, tilting her face toward his. The touch was gentle, almost reverent, but his eyes remained hard.
"They wanted you because you’re leverage," he said quietly. "They wanted to use you to pull me apart. But they didn’t count on one thing."
Her breath caught. "What?"
"That losing you would destroy me faster than any bullet."
Her heart lurched painfully at the admission. For once, there was no bravado in his voice, no arrogance. Just raw, brutal honesty.
"Luca..." she began, but her words tangled in her throat.
"Don’t say anything," he murmured. "Just know that you’ve become the one weakness I can’t afford. And I hate you for it almost as much as I need you."
Her hands moved of their own accord, pressing against his chest. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart beneath her palms, steady and strong yet betraying his turmoil.
"You don’t hate me," she whispered.
He gave a strained smile. "No. I don’t."
The moment stretched, the space between them collapsing. And just when she thought he might finally close the gap, footsteps echoed from the courtyard gates.
"Boss!" a guard called out. "The Giannis sent word. They’re demanding a meeting."
Luca stiffened, his hand dropping from her face. "When?"
"Tomorrow night."
His jaw tightened, the softness vanishing from his features. He nodded once and dismissed the guard.
Aria touched his arm hesitantly. "You’re going, aren’t you?"
"I have to." His voice was flat again, controlled. "They want to see if I’ll bend. I can’t afford to."
"Then I’m coming with you."
His head snapped toward her. "Absolutely not."
"I won’t stay behind like some pawn on a chessboard while they’re making threats about me."
"You don’t understand"
"No, you don’t understand." Her voice rose with fierce determination. "You keep saying I’m a target, that I’m already part of this. Then stop pretending I can be shielded by four walls. If I’m in danger either way, at least let me stand beside you."
Aria stared at her, torn between fury and admiration. Finally, he let out a sharp breath. "You’re going to be the death of me."
"Maybe," she said softly. "But at least I won’t let you face it alone."
The fire in his eyes flickered again, softer this time, almost vulnerable. He reached for her hand, his fingers curling tightly around hers.
"Tomorrow night," he said. "But if anything happens, you run. Do you understand me?"
She nodded, her pulse thundering. "I understand."
For once, there was no more push, no more pull. Just the fragile, dangerous truth binding them together: that neither of them could walk away now, no matter the cost.