Chapter 9
1623 Words
LUCA
Luca Moretti had always believed attachment was a weakness.
It made people predictable.
It gave enemies something to hold over you.
Most importantly, it made a man careless.
He had spent years making sure he was none of those things.
Then Sophia Romano walked into his life.
And somehow, without even trying, she had begun dismantling everything he'd built around himself.
He stood alone in his office, staring through the window at the gardens below.
He could still remember the first time she'd walked into his house.
Frightened.
Angry.
Determined not to let anyone control her.
She had looked at him as though she couldn't decide whether to trust him or run from him.
Now she walked through his house as though she belonged there.
She cooked in his kitchen.
Talked to Maria.
Occasionally crossed paths with Dante.
And somehow, she'd even managed to make him laugh.
Luca exhaled slowly.
That was the problem.
He was getting attached.
More than he should.
Much more.
He had noticed it the night she'd treated his wound.
She'd been frightened by the blood, but she'd stayed.
She had carefully cleaned the injury despite her trembling hands.
And when she'd looked at him with genuine concern, something inside him had shifted.
He'd wanted to tell her everything.
He'd wanted to make sure nothing ever frightened her again.
That wasn't normal.
Not for him.
And certainly not for a woman he'd known for such a short time.
He turned away from the window.
A knock sounded.
“Come in.”
Dante entered.
“Sir, they're waiting.”
Luca's expression hardened.
“Who?”
“The council.”
Of course.
Luca adjusted his cuffs.
“Let's go.”
---
The meeting room was already occupied when Luca entered.
Six men sat around the long table.
Each represented one of the major factions operating under the Italian mafia's larger structure.
They weren't his friends.
They weren't his employees.
They were men who had spent years building their own power.
And now they answered to him.
At the far end sat Don Salvatore Vitale, one of the oldest men in the room.
Beside him was Carlo Ferraro.
Marco De Santis sat across from them, his expression unreadable.
The others watched Luca take his seat.
“Why am I here?”
Luca asked.
Salvatore folded his hands.
“This concerns the woman living in your estate.”
Luca's expression didn't change.
“Sophia Romano.”
“Yes.”
Carlo leaned forward.
“She cannot remain there.”
Luca's jaw tightened.
“She is under my protection.”
“That isn't the issue.”
“Then what is?”
Salvatore looked directly at him.
“The issue is appearances.”
Luca leaned back.
“Since when do I concern myself with appearances?”
“Since you became head of the organization.”
Silence filled the room.
That title carried more weight than any of them needed to explain.
Luca had inherited the Moretti empire.
But he hadn't simply inherited a business.
He had inherited an organization held together by fear, loyalty, alliances, and old traditions.
And every decision he made was watched.
Salvatore continued.
“You are the leader now. Your actions affect everyone beneath you.”
Luca's expression remained cold.
“Get to the point.”
Carlo spoke.
“You are keeping an unrelated woman under your roof.”
Luca stared at him.
“She is under my protection.”
“They see a woman living in the private residence of the head of the Italian mafia.”
Salvatore's voice was calm.
“The other families are already talking.”
Luca's fingers tightened against the armrest.
“Let them talk.”
“They aren't only talking.”
Marco finally spoke.
“Some believe you've become distracted.”
Luca looked at him.
“Who?”
“No names yet.”
“Then don't waste my time.”
Salvatore sighed.
“You're missing the larger concern.”
“And what is that?”
“Sophia Romano is vulnerable.”
Luca's eyes narrowed.
“Choose your next words carefully.”
Salvatore didn't flinch.
“She is your weakness.”
The room became silent.
Luca slowly leaned forward.
“She is not a weakness.”
“Then don't give your enemies a reason to make her one.”
Luca said nothing.
Because, despite how much he hated admitting it, the words had struck exactly where they were supposed to.
His enemies already knew Sophia mattered.
The kidnapping had proved that.
If they discovered just how much she mattered to him, she would become an even bigger target.
Carlo continued.
“There's another issue.”
Luca looked at him.
“You and the girl are not married.”
Luca's expression hardened.
“So?”
“So you cannot continue living under the same roof with her.”
The words hung heavily in the room.
“It is considered improper.”
Luca almost laughed.
“Improper?”
“Yes.”
Salvatore nodded.
“You know the traditions.”
“I know them.”
“Then you understand why this cannot continue.”
Luca stood.
“You called me here to tell me who I'm allowed to protect?”
“No.”
Salvatore remained seated.
“We called you here because you're putting yourself in a vulnerable position.”
Luca stared at the men around the table.
He understood their concern.
But he hated it.
Because beneath their arguments about tradition and morality was something else.
They were telling him that Sophia had become visible.
And anything visible to the mafia could become a target.
Salvatore gave him one final warning.
“Either send her away, or give everyone a reason to accept her presence.”
Luca's eyes narrowed.
“What exactly are you suggesting?”
Salvatore's expression was almost knowing.
“You know exactly what I'm suggesting.”
---
Luca left the meeting alone.
The hallway seemed quieter than usual.
He walked toward his office, but his mind wasn't there.
It was with Sophia.
Her smile.
Her stubbornness.
The way she argued with him.
The way she had looked at his wound.
The way she had laughed in the car.
He had spent years believing that love—or even simple attachment—was something powerful men couldn't afford.
But perhaps he'd been wrong.
Perhaps the real weakness wasn't caring.
Perhaps the weakness was caring and refusing to protect what mattered.
He stopped outside Sophia's door.
His hand hovered near the handle.
Then he knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
“Sophia?”
“Come in.”
He opened the door.
She was sitting near the window with a book in her hands.
She looked up.
“Luca.”
He stepped inside.
“Can we talk?”
She closed the book.
“Of course.”
He sat across from her.
For a moment, he simply looked at her.
She noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're staring.”
“I know.”
She frowned slightly.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yes.”
Her expression changed immediately.
“What happened?”
Luca leaned forward.
“The council had a meeting today.”
“About what?”
“You.”
She looked confused.
“Me?”
“They know you're staying here.”
“Oh.”
She lowered her gaze.
“I can leave.”
Luca's expression hardened.
“No.”
“Then what do they want?”
He paused.
“They believe it's inappropriate for you to live here.”
She looked at him.
“Because I'm not related to you?”
“Yes.”
Sophia was quiet.
“And what do you think?”
Luca stared at her.
He had made difficult decisions his entire life.
He had faced men with guns without hesitation.
Yet somehow, sitting across from Sophia felt more difficult than any of them.
“I think they're right about one thing.”
She waited.
“They're giving our enemies an opportunity.”
Her brows knitted together.
“What do you mean?”
“They know you're important to me.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
Luca continued.
“If they know how important you are, they'll use you against me.”
Sophia swallowed.
“So what do we do?”
He stood.
She looked up at him.
He walked closer.
Then stopped in front of her.
“There is one solution.”
“What solution?”
Luca looked directly into her eyes.
“Marry me.”
Sophia froze.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
She simply stared at him.
“What?”
Luca's voice remained calm.
“Marry me.”
Her book slipped slightly from her hands.
“You're serious?”
“Completely.”
She stared at him as though he had suddenly become a stranger.
“You're asking me to marry you?”
“Yes.”
“After everything that's happened?”
“Yes.”
She stood slowly.
“Luca, we've barely known each other.”
“I know.”
“And you're just... proposing?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“This is insane.”
“Probably.”
“Then why?”
Luca's expression softened.
“Because I won't send you away.”
He paused.
“And I won't let anyone else decide what happens to you.”
Sophia stared at him.
He continued.
“And because somewhere along the way, protecting you stopped being an obligation.”
Her breathing caught.
“It became something I wanted.”
Silence.
Luca held her gaze.
“So I'm giving you a choice.”
Sophia looked at him, completely stunned.
“Marry me.”
The room fell silent.
And for the first time since Luca Moretti had met Sophia Romano, he had no idea what she would say.
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