Ruined by Desire

The Apology

Sienna ignored Luca Moretti for exactly nine hours. Which was apparently enough to trigger an international Luca Moretti crisis.

Her phone had not stopped vibrating since she left the yacht.

Luca: Are you home?

Luca: Emilia says you’re still angry.

Luca: Matteo says this is my villain origin story.

Luca: In fairness, you did accuse me of yacht infidelity.

Sienna: I hate you.

Luca: That feels emotionally charged.

Sienna had thrown the phone face-down onto her bed after that.

Unfortunately, the problem with ignoring Luca was that he responded to silence like it was a personal challenge, and by midnight there had been another twenty-three messages.

Luca: I’d like to formally defend myself.

Luca: Valentina called me emotionally incompetent.

Still, she didn’t answer. Partly because she was still embarrassed but mostly because Emilia’s words kept replaying in her head.

My brother once ignored a Victoria’s Secret model because she interrupted his espresso.

It was worrying how much that affected her.

Sienna sat cross-legged on her couch in oversized pajamas with her laptop open in front of her

pretending to edit photographs while mentally reliving every disastrous second from the yacht.

“You were jealous,” Luca had said and he’d sounded pleased.

Her phone buzzed again.

Luca: I’m outside.

Sienna sat upright immediately.

Sienna: Excuse me?

Luca: Open the balcony curtains.

“Oh my God,” she muttered.

Sienna crossed her apartment quickly before pulling the curtains aside.

Down on the street below, Luca leaned casually against a black car in dark jeans and a black jacket,

phone in one hand looking like he belonged in a luxury watch advertisement.

The i***t looked up the exact second she appeared.

Then smiled.

Sienna snatched the curtain closed again.

Her phone buzzed.

Luca: There you are.

Sienna: Are you insane?

Luca: Mildly.

Sienna: It’s after midnight.

Luca: I’m aware.

Sienna: Why are you outside my building?

Luca: I’m apologizing.

Sienna stared at the message.

Then typed:

Sienna: This feels threatening.

Luca: That’s hurtful.

Sienna: You laughed at me.

There was a longer pause before his reply arrived.

Luca: I know.

Luca: That part wasn’t fair.

The honesty in that answer softened her irritation slightly despite her best efforts.

Sienna: Emilia already yelled at you?

Luca: Aggressively.

Sienna: Good.

Sienna: Your cousin seems fun.

Luca: She called me a “disaster wrapped in expensive tailoring.”

Sienna: Accurate.

Luca: You’re enjoying this too much.

Sienna bit back another smile. That was another problem with Luca. Even angry at him felt dangerously close to flirting.

Luca: Come downstairs.

Sienna: No.

Luca: Harsh.

Sienna: I’m emotionally recovering.

Luca: I’ll recover you faster in person.

Sienna rolled her eyes so hard it physically hurt but the blush in her cheeks betrayed her.

Sienna: That sentence alone should get you arrested.

Luca: You still haven’t denied missing me.

Sienna immediately threw her phone onto the couch cushion beside her like it had personally offended

her. Damn him.

Her phone buzzed again.

Luca: Your lights are still on.

Sienna: STOP WATCHING MY WINDOWS.

Luca: You noticed though.

Sienna: I’m calling the police.

Luca: They know me.

Sienna: That somehow made it worse.

Luca: Come downstairs.

This was a terrible idea. But then again, everything involving Luca Moretti had become a terrible idea approximately ten terrible decisions ago.

Before she could answer, another message appeared.

Luca: Actually don’t.

Sienna frowned.

Sienna: What?

Luca: You’re still angry.

Sienna: Correct.

Luca: And I’m trying very hard to apologize properly.

Sienna: Why does that sound ominous?

Luca: Because you know me.

That was not reassuring. A moment later, her apartment buzzer rang.

Her phone buzzed again.

Luca: Go downstairs.

Sienna: Luca.

Luca: Trust me.

Curiosity won out and five minutes later, Sienna stepped into the apartment lobby wearing slippers, leggings and the hoodie she had conveniently forgotten to give Luca back after the swimming incident.

The night receptionist looked deeply entertained.

“Delivery for you,” he informed her.

“Delivery?” Sienna frowned.

He gestured toward the entrance doors.

“Oh my God.”

A florist stood outside holding what appeared to be approximately half of all the white roses in southern

Europe.

“No.” Sienna stared in horror.

The florist smiled politely.

“For Miss Vale?”

Behind the massive arrangement stood Luca, visibly trying not to laugh.

Sienna pointed at him immediately.

“Absolutely not.”

Luca finally lost the battle against his smile.

“Technically,” he said smoothly, “this counts as an apology.”

“That is not an apology. That’s a botanical attack.”

The receptionist actually snorted.

The florist handed her a small black envelope.

Inside was a handwritten card.

I’m sorry I laughed.

You were allowed to feel hurt.

Also, in my defense, you being jealous over my cousin was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

—L

Sienna closed her eyes briefly. “God, you’re irritating.”

Luca looked delighted. “You sent me an entire garden.”

“You seemed upset.”

“Fine. Bring them inside before someone thinks I died.”

The receptionist looked thrilled by the unfolding drama. Luca followed her inside while the florist and another assistant carried the flowers toward the elevator.

“You hired multiple people,” Sienna realized.

Luca looked unapologetic.

“It was a large apology.”

“It’s midnight.”

“You were angry.”

“That’s not how time works.”

The elevator doors opened and Sienna stepped inside with him and immediately, the space felt smaller, the atmosphere charged.

Luca stood beside her quietly for the first time all evening. When she finally glanced at him, his expression had softened slightly.

“I really am sorry,” he said quietly.

“You embarrassed me.”

“I know.”

“And then you laughed.”

“That part was instinctive.”

Sienna glared.

“That’s not helping your case.”

“I’m aware.”

The elevator doors opened onto her floor.

The florist was already arranging flowers inside her apartment. Somehow, Luca had apparently coordinated a second delivery team while distracting her downstairs. Traitorous receptionist.

Sienna stepped through the doorway and stopped dead.

“Oh my God.”

Flowers covered nearly every visible surface - white roses across the kitchen counter, on the dining table and next to all the windows. It looked less like an apartment and more like a royal wedding had exploded.

“You’re insane,” she whispered.

“Still angry?” Luca asked carefully.

“Yes.”

“But less?”

Sienna looked around the apartment again.

“…Possibly.”

Luca’s mouth curved slightly.

The multiple florists finally finished arranging the last bouquet before escaping quickly. The second the apartment door closed behind the florists, silence settled through the room.

“You know flowers don’t automatically fix things.”

“I know.”

“Because if they did, rich men would never suffer consequences.”

“That feels pointed.”

“It’s meant to.”

Luca nodded once before reaching into his jacket pocket.

“Oh no,” Sienna muttered immediately.

“What?”

“You’re pulling out another apology prop.”

“I had options.”

“That sentence is horrifying.”

Luca handed her something small. When Sienna looked down at his palm, her brain short circuited.

A tiny velvet box.

She stared at him in disbelief.

“Luca.”

“Before you panic,” he interrupted quickly, “it’s not jewelry.”

“That somehow makes me more nervous.”

Sienna opened the box cautiously. Inside sat a tiny silver key. She blinked.

“What is this?”

“The wine cellar.”

“The what?”

“The locked room below the yacht.”

“The suspicious locked room?”

“Yes.”

“The one I said definitely contained bodies?”

Luca sighed.

“You’ve really committed to this serial killer theory.”

“What’s the key for?”

Luca leaned one hip lightly against the kitchen counter.

“So you stop thinking I’m hiding crimes down there.”

Sienna stared at him.

“Your apology gift is access to your mysterious basement?”

“When you say it like that, it sounds terrible.”

“It sounds deeply concerning.”

“It’s a wine cellar.”

“That’s exactly what murderers would call it.”

Luca laughed softly. There it was again - that stupid laugh she liked too much. Sienna looked away quickly before her brain betrayed her further.

“You know,” Luca said quietly after a moment, “I didn’t realize how much tonight hurt you until you walked away.”

The teasing tone had disappeared completely now. Sienna’s fingers tightened slightly around the velvet box.

“I hated feeling stupid.”

“You weren’t stupid.”

“I practically accused you of cheating.”

“We’re not together.”

The words landed strangely between them. Because technically they were true. But neither of them seemed entirely comfortable with it anymore.

Luca studied her quietly.

“You know what bothered me most?” he asked.

Sienna looked up cautiously.

“What?”

“You thought I’d invite you there while entertaining another woman.”

Sienna’s face warmed immediately.

“Well when you phrase it like that, I sound unwell.”

“You sound jealous.”

“That word is banned.”

Luca smiled slowly.

“There she is.”

Sienna rolled her eyes, but the anger had faded now into something softer and infinitely more concerning. Because Luca was standing in her apartment at one in the morning looking at her like she mattered. And that was becoming a problem.

“You really sent all these flowers because you felt bad?”

“I considered diamonds first.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You reject luxury jewelry very aggressively.”

“I would’ve thrown them into the ocean.”

“That feels expensive.”

“Cheaper than the plastic surgery and bill for a new life I was planning on sending you earlier."

Luca laughed again before his expression gentled slightly.

“You know,” he said quietly, “I’ve never had to apologize like this before.”

“That’s not surprising.”

“No?”

“You usually date women who think yachts count as personality.”

He looked offended.

“My yacht has an excellent personality.”

“You named it Euphoria.”

“It’s aspirational.”

Sienna shook her head helplessly.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” he murmured, “you still opened the door.”

The apartment suddenly felt very quiet. Very close.

Sienna became aware of everything all over again including the fact she was standing barefoot in front of Luca wearing his oversized hoodie while he looked at her like she was still the most beautiful woman in Monaco.

Her phone buzzed loudly on the kitchen counter.

Theo.

Sienna answered immediately.

“ARE YOU WITH LUCA?” Theo demanded.

Sienna winced. “How are you always this loud?”

Luca looked deeply entertained from across the kitchen.

Theo gasped dramatically. “Oh my God, he’s there.”

Sienna closed her eyes. “Goodnight, Theo.”

“You’re doomed!”

She hung up before he could continue.

Silence settled again.

Then Luca smiled slowly.

“You laughed.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re forgiven.”

“But close?”

Sienna looked around the apartment overflowing with roses then at Luca standing in the middle of her kitchen after showing up purely because he hated the idea of her being upset.

“Maybe,” she admitted quietly.

Luca’s entire expression softened.

And somehow that felt more intimate than flirting ever had.