A deal with the devil

Chapter 2

LUCA

She went limp in my arms.

For a few seconds, I simply stood there, staring at her.

I don't know why I felt bad.

I had planned this.

I knew there was no way Sophia would stay willingly. From the moment she walked into my office, I could tell exactly what kind of woman she was.

Stubborn.

Fierce.

Independent.

The kind who would rather walk into danger than admit she needed help.

I had expected resistance.

I had expected her to argue.

What I hadn't expected was the uncomfortable feeling settling in my chest as I held her unconscious body.

“Maria.”

The door opened almost immediately.

Maria stepped inside and looked from me to the woman in my arms.

“Hold the door open for me,” I instructed.

“Yes, sir.”

She hurried toward the doorway.

I carried Phia through the door and headed for the elevator.

The house was unusually quiet.

My footsteps echoed through the hallway as I made my way to the third floor. The guards stationed throughout the property barely spared me a glance. They knew better than to ask questions.

When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and walked toward my bedroom.

I pushed the door open.

I had never imagined I'd be carrying Sophia Romano into my room like this.

I lowered her carefully onto the bed.

She remained completely still.

I stared down at her.

The woman who had been standing in front of me less than an hour ago, challenging everything I said, was now completely unaware of her surroundings.

I sat down on the edge of the bed.

A few strands of hair had fallen across her face.

Without thinking, I reached out and brushed them away.

“My Phia.”

I chuckled quietly.

I could still hear her voice in my head.

I don't think we're close enough for you to address me by my name.

She had been so serious when she said it.

As though she could draw a line between us simply by demanding that I call her Mrs. Romano.

She didn't understand.

There had been a connection between us long before she stepped into my office.

She just didn't know it yet.

I glanced at the time on my wrist.

9:30 p.m.

If everything went according to plan, she should be awake by dawn.

I stood up.

There were things I needed to handle before then.

I removed my suit jacket and dropped it onto the sofa before walking into the bathroom.

I turned on the shower and stepped beneath the warm water.

I needed to clear my head.

Tonight had not gone exactly as I had expected.

Sophia had arrived angry, suspicious, and ready to leave the moment she realized she didn't understand what was happening.

I had expected that.

What I hadn't expected was how difficult it would be to watch her struggle against something she didn't understand.

She thought I was her enemy.

Maybe, from her perspective, I was.

But I knew the truth.

I knew what was waiting outside these walls.

And I knew what would happen to her if she walked out before she understood everything.

I finished my shower and wrapped a towel around myself.

When I returned to the bedroom, she was still sleeping.

Peacefully.

Almost too peacefully.

I stood beside the bed for a moment.

She had been through more than most people could handle.

Her father was dead.

His business was collapsing.

The people who had surrounded him in life were already disappearing now that there was nothing left for them to gain.

And Sophia had been left to deal with all of it alone.

Yet the fire in her eyes was still there.

That was what caught my attention the most.

She was broken by circumstances, but she wasn't weak.

“My strong Phia,” I murmured.

She shifted slightly in her sleep.

I immediately stopped moving.

After a moment, she settled again.

I walked toward the wardrobe and changed into a pair of sweatpants.

Her black dress caught my attention again.

She looked uncomfortable.

I didn't want her waking up feeling worse than she already would.

I stepped out of the room.

Maria was standing farther down the hallway.

“Maria.”

She turned immediately.

“Yes, sir?”

“Take a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from my closet.”

She waited.

“Change her clothes and make sure she's comfortable.”

“Yes, sir.”

I handed her the clothes.

Then I walked away.

I didn't need to be there.

I took the elevator downstairs.

I needed to get a grip on myself.

The kitchen was quiet when I entered.

I opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk.

It was an old habit I'd developed when I was younger.

Whenever I couldn't sleep or my thoughts became too loud, I'd drink milk.

I poured myself a glass.

Then another thought crossed my mind.

Phia.

I shook my head.

I had an entire empire to run.

There were negotiations to handle, enemies to watch, and problems that couldn't wait until morning.

I finished the milk and walked toward my office.

The moment I entered, I went straight to my desk.

Documents were scattered across it.

I picked up my phone and called Matteo.

He answered quickly.

“My office,” I said.

I ended the call.

Less than a minute later, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Matteo entered.

He was one of the few people I trusted completely.

“How's the issue with the Irish?” I asked.

I pulled a document from my drawer and placed it on the desk.

“Don Russo has agreed to join hands with us, but there's a condition.”

“What condition?”

“He wants a position in the Moretti enterprise.”

I leaned back in my chair.

“Give it to him.”

Matteo looked at me.

“Just like that?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly do you think the Moretti enterprise is worth compared to everything I have?”

He nodded.

“Understood.”

I opened another document.

“We need the agreement signed before the week ends.”

“I'll handle it.”

“Good.”

Matteo hesitated before speaking again.

“How is it going with Miss Romano?”

My fingers stopped moving.

“She is unconscious.”

His expression changed slightly.

“When she wakes up, I'll have a civil conversation with her.”

Matteo nodded.

“Sophia is stubborn,” I continued. “I can't keep her here unless she agrees to stay.”

“You think she'll agree?”

A faint smile crossed my face.

“No.”

He almost laughed.

I looked down at the document in front of me.

“But I'll make sure she understands why she needs to.”

Matteo remained silent for a moment.

“And if she still refuses?”

I looked up.

“Then I'll deal with it.”

He nodded.

“Understood, sir.”

He turned toward the door.

“Matteo.”

He stopped.

“Make sure the guards know she is not to leave the property without my permission.”

“Yes, sir.”

He left.

I stared at the closed door.

My attention drifted toward the clock.

I had no interest in working anymore.

I pushed my chair back and stood.

There was only one place I wanted to be.

Upstairs.

I left the office and took the elevator back to the third floor.

When I arrived outside my bedroom, the door opened.

Maria stepped out carrying a basket.

“I've changed her clothes, sir,” she said. “These are the clothes she was wearing. I'd like to have them dry-cleaned.”

She lifted the basket.

I glanced at it.

“Fine.”

She nodded.

“You can leave now.”

“Yes, sir.”

She walked away.

I opened the door and stepped inside.

My eyes immediately found the bed.

Sophia was still asleep.

I closed the door behind me.

For a moment, I simply stood there.

Then I walked toward the bed.

I sat beside her.

She looked peaceful.

It was strange seeing her this way.

Earlier, she'd been glaring at me as though she could burn a hole through my chest.

Now there was no anger in her expression.

No defiance.

No questions.

Just silence.

I reached out and carefully moved a strand of hair away from her forehead.

I shouldn't have become this attached.

Not to her.

Not now.

But some things were no longer within my control.

I had made a promise long before Sophia ever knew my name.

And I intended to keep it.

Whatever happened next, she would remain safe.

Even if she hated me for it.

Especially if she hated me for it.

I leaned back against the headboard.

The room was quiet.

My eyes moved toward the clock.

11:47 p.m.

Only a couple of hours had passed.

It felt like an entire day.

I looked back at Sophia.

“Sleep, Phia.”

She didn't respond.

Of course she didn't.

I almost smiled.

Even unconscious, she was still managing to frustrate me.

I rested my head against the headboard.

My body was exhausted, and my mind had finally begun to quiet.

I closed my eyes for what I intended to be only a moment.

But exhaustion won.

And before I realized it, I fell asleep beside her.

Neither of us knew what the morning would bring.

But one thing was certain.

When Sophia Romano opened her eyes, nothing would ever be the same again.