Heir In The Shadows

EPISODE 16

Inside the Kingmaker Estate

The mansion’s vast halls echoed with quiet power. Every servant and guard knew the rules—silence, discipline, and respect. When Jax entered, the atmosphere shifted, everyone lowering their gaze in deference.

Luciano followed him in, but not without drawing eyes. It wasn’t often that an outsider was allowed this deep into the Kingmaker’s domain.

Draco was waiting near the staircase. His sharp gaze flicked from Jax to Luciano, and for a moment, his jaw tightened. He bowed to Jax first, then spoke low, his voice laced with caution.

“Boss, a word?”

Jax nodded slightly, excusing himself from Luciano’s side. They stepped into a quieter corner. Draco’s voice dropped to a whisper, though his tone carried an edge.

“You know who that man is, don’t you? Luciano isn’t just some friendly face. He’s dangerous—and ambitious. Men like him don’t linger around the Kingmaker’s heir without wanting something in return.”

Jax’s eyes narrowed, unreadable. “You think I don’t know?”

Draco pressed, his loyalty burning through. “Boss, you’ve already been burned once. Damon played with your heart. Don’t let another man slip in under the same disguise.”

For a moment, Jax didn’t respond. His gaze slid across the room, where Luciano was casually inspecting a grand painting on the wall, calm, collected, yet radiating that unmistakable charisma.

Finally, Jax said coldly, “Luciano is not Damon. Don’t mistake persistence for betrayal. If he wants to dig, let him. I’ve already decided—he’s off-limits. No one touches him.”

Draco bowed his head in obedience, but the tension in his jaw showed he wasn’t at ease. “As you command, Boss. But don’t forget… snakes are patient too.”

Jax’s expression hardened. He didn’t reply, only turned and walked back toward Luciano, his presence as imposing as ever.

Luciano smirked the moment Jax reappeared. “You’re quite the mystery, Ghost. The more I see, the more I want to know.”

Jax met his gaze evenly, but his words were clipped. “Careful what you wish for, Luciano. Some truths come with a price.”

Jax walks away and stopped near the sitting room, his gaze cutting toward Luciano. “Now you’ve seen me, confirmed I’m fine… you should get going.” His tone was cold, clipped, as if he was drawing a line in stone.

Luciano leaned back against the edge of a velvet chair, smirking faintly though his eyes softened. “That’s it? You dismiss me like one of your guards?”

Jax’s jaw tightened. “It’s late. You’ve done what you came for.”

But Luciano wasn’t moving. He had seen enough to know—Jax was truly finished with Damon. The ties had been cut, and beneath the steel of Jax’s exterior was a man trying to endure unbearable pain. Luciano’s resolve sharpened. This was his chance.

He tilted his head, feigning casualness. “Actually… I’m hungry.”

Jax blinked, faint surprise flickering in his eyes. “Hungry?”

“Yes.” Luciano’s lips curled into a small smile, though he hid his intent carefully. “You wouldn’t want me to drive all the way back on an empty stomach, would you?”

For a moment, Jax simply studied him, his silence heavy. Then he turned to one of the servants standing nearby. “Tell the chef to prepare something. Ask him what he wants, and make sure it’s done exactly to his liking.”

Luciano chuckled low, watching Jax with keen eyes. You care, even when you pretend you don’t.

When the meal was served, Luciano ate slowly, deliberately drawing out the evening. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay, to anchor himself inside Jax’s presence, to show him there was someone willing to stand beside him in the ruins Damon left behind.

Hours passed. The night deepened.

Finally, Jax rose, his hands slipping into his pockets. “It’s late. I’ll have one of my men drive you back.”

Luciano set his fork down, his expression shifting. “No.”

Jax frowned. “No?”

Luciano leaned forward, his voice dropping lower, more sincere than before. “I don’t want to leave tonight. I’m too tired to drive back. And truthfully…” His eyes locked on Jax’s, steady and unflinching. “…I don’t want to leave you. Not like this.”

Jax froze. His instinct was to refuse—to push Luciano away before this line blurred further. “Luciano…”

But then he saw it. The quiet pleading in Luciano’s eyes, the raw sincerity he hadn’t expected. There was no mocking smile now, no sly remark—only a man who wanted to stay, who wanted to be close, even if just in silence.

Something inside Jax cracked. He exhaled, running a hand over his face. “Fine.”

He turned toward the maid standing discreetly by the doorway. “Prepare the guest room beside mine. He’ll be spending the night.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Luciano smiled faintly, victory glimmering in his expression, though he kept it gentle. “Thank you, Ghost.”

Jax didn’t reply. He simply walked away, his tall frame disappearing into the shadows of the hall.

Luciano watched him go, determination hardening in his chest. Piece by piece, I’ll heal you. And when the time comes—you’ll realize it should have been me all along.

The Night at Jax’s Estate

The guest room was beautiful—polished mahogany furniture, silk sheets, and the faint scent of lavender drifting from the gardens outside. But for Luciano, none of it mattered. He was restless, sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the wall opposite him.

The silence of Jax’s estate was heavy. Too heavy.

Luciano leaned back, letting his head fall against the headboard, eyes closing for a moment. He could still see Jax’s face—the stoic mask he wore, hiding the storm beneath. It had taken everything in Luciano not to pull him close tonight, not to tell him he deserved better than betrayal.

“Damn you, Jax Kael,” Luciano muttered under his breath, a faint smile tugging his lips. “You’ve gotten under my skin.”

He rose, pacing slowly toward the window. The moonlight washed over the grounds, silvering the trimmed hedges and the quiet fountain. Somewhere, not too far down the hall, Jax was behind his own locked door. Alone. Broken. Refusing to admit it.

Luciano’s fists clenched lightly at his sides. He wanted to break through that wall, to let Jax know he didn’t have to carry it all on his own. But he knew Jax wasn’t the type of man you forced. No, Jax had to open the door himself.

Still… maybe there was a way to bridge the distance. Subtle, quiet, but enough.

He stepped out into the hall, barefoot, the marble cool beneath his feet. The house was silent—guards stationed outside, servants tucked away in their quarters. Luciano moved like a shadow until he stopped before Jax’s door.

He didn’t knock. He didn’t even touch the handle. He just stood there, staring at the solid wood, listening to the faintest sound inside—the creak of a bed, the soft sigh of someone who couldn’t sleep.

Luciano let out a slow breath, lowering his voice to a whisper only he would hear.

“Sleep, Ghost. For tonight, you’re not alone—even if you don’t realize it yet.”

After a moment, he placed his hand gently on the door, as if sending strength through the barrier, before retreating silently back to his room.

He slid beneath the sheets, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow, he would go back to his calculated charm, his careful moves. But tonight—tonight was different. Tonight, Luciano allowed himself the dangerous truth:

He was falling. And this time, he didn’t want to stop.