Chapter 8
1558 Words
SOPHIA
I thought the shopping trip would be the most surprising thing Luca had done all week.
I was wrong.
It started with a knock on my door.
I had just finished getting dressed when I heard it.
I opened the door and found Luca standing outside.
He was dressed differently from usual.
A black suit.
No tie.
The top buttons of his shirt were undone, making him look less formal than the man I'd become accustomed to seeing behind his desk.
“Are you busy?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Good.”
He glanced at me.
“Come with me.”
I frowned.
“Where?”
“You'll see.”
“That doesn't sound suspicious at all.”
His lips curved slightly.
“I promise you're safe.”
I studied him for a moment.
“Do I get to know where we're going before I get into a car with you?”
“Yes.”
He paused.
“My casino.”
I blinked.
“You own a casino?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“How many businesses do you actually own?”
“Enough.”
“That wasn't an answer.”
“It was the only one you're getting.”
I shook my head.
“You're impossible.”
“So you've told me.”
He stepped aside.
“Come on.”
---
The drive took almost forty minutes.
Dante was driving, as usual, while another vehicle followed behind us.
I noticed it through the window.
“Do you always have that many people following you?”
“Yes.”
“Is that necessary?”
“Yes.”
I sighed.
“I suppose I'll never understand your life.”
Luca looked at me.
“That's why I brought you.”
I turned toward him.
“What?”
“I want you to understand a little.”
I didn't respond.
There was something different about his voice.
He wasn't joking.
He genuinely wanted to show me something.
Eventually, the car slowed.
I looked outside.
A massive building stood ahead of us, surrounded by elegant lights and several security personnel.
The entrance was impressive.
People dressed in expensive clothes moved in and out.
I stared.
“This is yours?”
Luca nodded.
I looked at him.
“Luca.”
“Yes?”
“You own this?”
“Yes.”
I laughed softly.
“I genuinely don't know what to say.”
“You don't have to say anything.”
The car stopped.
Dante stepped out and opened my door.
Luca got out after me.
Immediately, several men approached.
“Good evening, Mr. Moretti.”
Luca nodded.
“Good evening.”
They moved aside.
I noticed something as we walked inside.
People recognized him.
Some greeted him.
Others simply moved out of his way.
No one questioned him.
No one stopped him.
He didn't need to introduce himself.
His presence was enough.
I leaned closer to him.
“Everyone knows you.”
“They should.”
I looked at him.
“That's very arrogant.”
He smiled.
“Probably.”
We entered the main hall.
I stopped.
It was enormous.
Crystal lights hung from the ceiling.
The floors were polished marble.
Music played quietly in the background.
Everything looked expensive.
Beautiful.
And slightly intimidating.
I looked around.
“So this is part of your world?”
“Yes.”
Luca watched my expression.
“What do you think?”
“I think it's overwhelming.”
He smiled.
“You're allowed to think that.”
I looked at him.
“Do you actually enjoy being here?”
“Sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“When I was younger, I used to.”
“What changed?”
He looked ahead.
“People changed.”
I didn't push.
---
Luca led me through the building.
He introduced me to several people who worked for him.
Managers.
Security.
Staff.
I noticed how differently they behaved around him.
Respectful.
Careful.
Almost afraid.
But whenever Luca turned to me, something changed.
His shoulders relaxed.
His voice softened.
It was strange seeing the contrast.
“You're different here.”
He glanced at me.
“How?”
“You're more serious.”
“This is work.”
“I know.”
I smiled.
“But you're scary.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Scary?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you weren't afraid of me.”
“I said I wasn't.”
“You've changed your mind?”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“I'm just observing.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
---
We eventually reached a private office overlooking the main floor.
Luca opened the door.
I stepped inside.
The room was quieter than the rest of the building.
There was a large desk near the window and a sitting area in the corner.
I walked toward the glass.
From there, I could see almost the entire building.
“Wow.”
Luca stood beside me.
“This is where you work?”
“Sometimes.”
“What do you actually do here?”
“Manage the business.”
I laughed.
“I meant beyond that.”
He looked at me.
“What do you mean?”
“You have people everywhere.”
He was quiet.
“I have responsibilities.”
“That sounds vague.”
“It is.”
I turned toward him.
“Are you always this secretive?”
“Yes.”
“At least you're consistent.”
He smiled.
I looked back through the glass.
“Do you ever get tired?”
“All the time.”
I turned.
His expression was different.
There was no arrogance in it.
Just exhaustion.
“You don't have to pretend around me.”
He looked at me.
“I know.”
Those two words were quiet.
But they meant more than he probably realized.
---
We stayed there for a while.
He told me small things about how he'd built parts of the business.
Not everything.
There were still things he wouldn't explain.
But enough for me to understand that the Moretti name wasn't simply inherited wealth.
Luca worked.
Hard.
He made decisions.
People depended on him.
And there were consequences when he made the wrong ones.
“You carry a lot.”
I said quietly.
He looked at me.
“You have no idea.”
“Maybe not.”
I smiled faintly.
“But I can tell.”
He didn't respond.
Instead, he walked toward the small bar in the corner and poured himself a glass of water.
He looked at me.
“Do you want anything?”
“Water.”
He handed me a bottle.
I took it.
“Thank you.”
He leaned against the desk.
“You're quieter than usual.”
“I'm thinking.”
“About?”
“You.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
I laughed.
“I was thinking about how different you are here.”
He waited.
“You're not just the man who lives in that enormous house.”
“I never said I was.”
“I know.”
I looked around.
“You have an entire world outside that house.”
He nodded.
“And now you've seen a small part of it.”
“A very small part?”
“A very small part.”
I smiled.
“I think I'm beginning to understand.”
His eyes stayed on mine.
“Good.”
---
A knock came at the door.
Dante entered.
He looked at Luca.
“Sir.”
Luca straightened.
“What is it?”
“Everything is in order.”
Luca nodded.
“Good.”
Dante glanced at me.
“Miss Romano.”
I nodded.
“Dante.”
He left.
I looked at Luca.
“Does everyone here call you sir?”
“Most people.”
“I'm glad I don't.”
He smiled.
“I like hearing you say my name.”
My heart skipped.
I looked away.
“Come on.”
He chuckled.
“Where?”
“Let's go home.”
---
The drive back was quieter.
I watched the city lights through the window.
I had expected the casino to frighten me.
Instead, it had made me curious.
Luca had shown me something important tonight.
Not everything.
But enough.
A glimpse into the life he lived.
A life built on power, responsibility, secrecy, and people who seemed to hang on his every decision.
I looked at him.
He was staring out the opposite window.
“Luca?”
He turned.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for showing me.”
He nodded.
“I wanted you to see it.”
“Why?”
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he answered.
“Because if you're going to stay here, I don't want you to only know the version of me you see at the estate.”
I smiled.
“I think I like that version too.”
His eyes softened.
“Good.”
I looked away before he could see the smile forming on my face.
Maybe I was getting too comfortable around him.
Maybe I was beginning to trust him too much.
But tonight, for the first time, I didn't feel like an outsider looking into Luca Moretti's world.
He had opened the door.
And he'd let me step inside.
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