The air between Luca and Elena was thick with unspoken tension as they returned to the estate. The events at the docks had left them shaken but not defeated. Dominic's absence from the ambush was telling—it wasn’t over, and both of them knew it.
Elena sat by the fireplace, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The warmth of the flames did little to chase away the chill that had settled in her chest. Luca paced the room like a caged animal, his every movement a testament to his inner turmoil.
“Luca,” she finally said, breaking the silence.
He stopped and turned to her, his eyes dark and unreadable. “What?”
“We need to talk,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” he replied curtly, resuming his pacing.
“There’s everything to talk a
