Chapter 20
(Luca’s POV)
The door clicked shut behind me, sealing Emma away on the balcony. My hand lingered on the knob for a moment, as though some part of me was considering going back inside. But I didn’t.
I stalked down the dimly lit hallway, my jaw clenched tight. Every muscle in my body felt coiled, taut with frustration and something I refused to name.
She was driving me insane.
I’ve dealt with power struggles my entire life—men who thought they could challenge me, families who tried to dismantle my empire, enemies who wanted to see me fall. I crushed them all without blinking. Yet this woman, this maddeningly defiant woman, was unraveling me in ways I couldn’t control.
She thought she hated me. That was fine. Let her hate me. Hate was familiar, predictable. What I couldn’t st
