Claimed By My Husband’s Ruthless Brother

Aria POV I knew something was wrong the moment Luca kissed my cheek. Not because the gesture was unfamiliar. Because it felt rehearsed. “Try to smile tonight, sweetheart,” he murmured against my skin while adjusting the diamond cufflinks on his wrist. “The press will be everywhere.” I stared at his reflection in the mirror of our hotel suite, forcing a smile that never quite reached my lips. Three years ago, Luca De Luca used to look at me like I was the center of his universe. Now he looked at me like a responsibility he had stopped enjoying. “You’re quiet,” he observed. “You’ve barely spoken to me all week.” His jaw tightened slightly. “I’ve been busy.” Busy. That word had become the graveyard of our marriage. Busy with meetings. Busy with parties. Busy with everyone except me. I lowered my eyes to the silver gown hugging my body. Luca had chosen it himself for tonight’s charity gala at The Blackthorn Hotel in central London. The dress shimmered under the lights, exposing my shoulders and the curve of my back. “You look beautiful,” Luca said absentmindedly while checking his phone. Not because he meant it. Because husbands were supposed to say things like that. A sharp ache settled in my chest. I remembered when compliments from him used to feel real. Now everything felt scripted. The gala was already crowded when we arrived. Cameras flashed instantly the moment the De Luca family stepped inside the ballroom. Wealth dripped from every corner of the room—crystal chandeliers, champagne towers, politicians, models, CEOs. And standing above all of them somehow— Damian De Luca. Even from across the ballroom, he commanded attention effortlessly. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed entirely in black. His cold grey eyes swept through the crowd before stopping directly on me. My breath caught. It always unsettled me how intensely Damian looked at people. Especially me. Luca’s older brother rarely smiled, rarely spoke, and rarely attended family events unless business demanded it. But whenever he entered a room, everyone felt it. Including me. His gaze lingered on me for one dangerous second too long before he turned away toward another group of investors. I exhaled quietly. “Don’t stare at him,” Luca muttered beside me. I frowned. “I wasn’t.” “He doesn’t like people’s attention.” That almost made me laugh. Damian attracted attention simply by existing. The night blurred into endless conversations and fake smiles. Luca disappeared twice to answer “important calls,” leaving me standing alone among strangers pretending not to pity me. Everyone knew our marriage was dying. No one said it aloud. Halfway through the evening, I noticed Isabella walking quickly toward the elevators. My stomach tightened instantly. My cousin looked flushed, her blonde hair slightly messy, lips swollen like she had just been kissed. Then Luca’s phone buzzed beside me on the table. A message lit up the screen. Coming upstairs? Room 1908. Hurry. My blood turned cold. For a second, I stopped breathing. No. No, no, no. Maybe I was misunderstanding. Maybe— Then I looked up. Luca was gone. The elevator doors were closing upstairs. And Isabella was inside them. My heels clicked sharply against marble floors as I crossed the lobby. My pulse pounded violently inside my ears while the elevator climbed toward the nineteenth floor. Please let me be wrong. Please. But deep down— I already knew. The hallway outside Room 1908 was silent. My hands trembled as I approached the door. Then I heard laughter. Female laughter. Isabella. And Luca’s voice immediately after. “She suspects nothing.” My entire body froze. “She’s too emotional to leave you anyway,” Isabella laughed softly. “Honestly, Aria practically worships you.” A painful c***k split through my chest. Then Luca spoke again. “She’ll get over it.” Something inside me shattered completely. The room blurred around me. I pushed the door open. And my world ended. Luca stood beside the bed with his shirt unbuttoned. Isabella wore nothing except his white dress shirt. And one protective hand rested over her stomach. Pregnant. The sound that left my throat barely sounded human. Luca turned sharply. “Aria—” “How long?” I whispered. Silence. Then Isabella smirked. That smile destroyed me more than the affair itself. “Oh God,” she sighed dramatically. “This is awkward.” I stared at her stomach again. Pregnant. My husband had gotten another woman pregnant while I was still trying to save our marriage. The pressure inside my chest became unbearable. Luca stepped forward. “Listen to me—” “Don’t touch me.” My voice cracked violently. For the first time since I met him, Luca actually looked uncomfortable. “Aria, calm down.” Calm down. I almost laughed. Instead, tears burned my eyes. “You got my cousin pregnant.” “It didn’t mean anything.” The words hit me like a slap. Didn’t mean anything. A sudden cold voice cut through the room. “You embarrassed the family enough.” Every person froze. Slowly, I turned toward the doorway. Damian stood there. His expression was unreadable. But his grey eyes— Those terrifying eyes were locked entirely on me.