No Escape
1003 Words
"No."
The word escaped Amara's lips before she could stop it.
Every eye in the room remained fixed on her.
She pointed at Luca.
"Him?"
Richard cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Yes."
"No."
Richard sighed.
"Miss Moretti—"
"I said no."
She pushed her chair back and stood.
The legs scraped loudly against the marble floor.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Amara laughed bitterly and ran a hand through her hair.
"This is ridiculous. My father dies, I find out he was a mafia boss, strangers tell me I'm inheriting some criminal empire, and now I'm supposed to marry a man I've known for less than an hour?"
Her gaze landed on Luca.
"I don't even like him."
A few men coughed to hide their amusement.
Others looked horrified.
Apparently, nobody spoke to Luca that way.
Luca remained unfazed.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't particularly like you either."
The room fell silent.
Amara's jaw dropped.
The nerve of this man.
"Then we're in agreement."
She grabbed her handbag.
"I'm leaving."
"Sit down."
The command came from Luca.
Cold.
Sharp.
Authoritative.
Amara stopped walking.
Not because she wanted to.
Because every instinct in her body screamed that ignoring him would be a mistake.
She slowly turned around.
"No."
For the first time, something flickered in Luca's eyes.
Interest.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Almost a smile.
Almost.
"You have courage."
"I have common sense."
"No," Luca replied. "Common sense would've told you not to challenge me in a room full of my men."
Several people immediately looked away.
As though even hearing that statement made them uncomfortable.
Amara crossed her arms.
"Are they your men?"
"Most of them."
"And they're afraid of you."
Nobody spoke.
Nobody denied it.
Luca's expression remained unreadable.
"You notice a lot for someone who walked into this world an hour ago."
"I'm observant."
"No," he said quietly. "You're surviving."
The words hit harder than she expected.
Because deep down, she knew he was right.
Everything about this situation felt dangerous.
One wrong move and she could end up buried beside her father.
The thought made her stomach twist.
Richard interrupted before the tension could grow worse.
"Perhaps we should discuss the situation calmly."
"There's nothing to discuss," Amara snapped.
"I'm not marrying him."
Antonio rubbed a hand over his face.
Several men exchanged looks.
It was obvious they had expected this reaction.
Luca remained standing.
"You think this marriage is about romance?"
Amara glared at him.
"I don't care what it's about."
"It's about survival."
The room fell quiet again.
Luca approached the table and rested both hands against its surface.
"The Moretti family controls ports, businesses, warehouses, and territories worth hundreds of millions."
Amara blinked.
Hundreds of millions?
Her father had never sent child support on time.
Yet he apparently controlled an empire.
The irony nearly made her laugh.
"Your father's death created a power vacuum."
Luca's voice remained calm.
Controlled.
"A dozen families will try to take what belonged to him."
Amara frowned.
"So stop them."
Luca's gaze darkened.
"That's exactly what this marriage does."
Understanding slowly dawned on her.
The marriage wasn't about love.
It wasn't even about her.
It was about power.
By marrying her, Luca would unite their organizations.
Their enemies would think twice before attacking.
It was strategic.
Calculated.
Cold.
Just like him.
The realization somehow made it worse.
She wasn't being treated like a person.
She was being treated like an asset.
A bargaining chip.
A solution.
"I'm not a business deal."
Luca's eyes locked onto hers.
"No."
For the first time that night, his voice softened slightly.
"You're the key to keeping a war from starting."
The room remained silent.
Amara hated that part of her understood.
She hated it even more because she was beginning to realize nobody intended to let her walk away.
A knock sounded at the door.
Antonio immediately reached for the g*n beneath his jacket.
Several other men did the same.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Danger crackled through the room.
One of the guards rushed inside.
His face had gone pale.
"Sir."
Luca straightened.
"What is it?"
The guard swallowed.
"There was an attack."
The room erupted into motion.
"What happened?"
"Who?"
"Which territory?"
The guard looked directly at Luca.
"Our eastern warehouse."
Luca's jaw tightened.
"Casualties?"
"Three dead."
A heavy silence followed.
Three dead.
Just like that.
Three lives reduced to a number.
Amara felt sick.
This world was insane.
Luca grabbed his coat from the back of a chair.
"Who claimed responsibility?"
The guard hesitated.
Then he answered.
"The Romano family."
Several men cursed immediately.
Others began arguing.
The tension became unbearable.
Amara had no idea who the Romano family was, but judging from everyone's reactions, they were bad news.
Very bad news.
Luca's expression hardened into stone.
"They're moving sooner than expected."
Antonio nodded grimly.
"They know Vincenzo is dead."
Luca looked toward Amara.
For the first time, she saw genuine concern in his eyes.
Not for himself.
For her.
"Get her upstairs."
Amara blinked.
"What?"
Antonio was already moving toward her.
"Come with me."
"No."
Antonio ignored her protest.
"Miss Moretti, now."
The urgency in his voice sent a chill through her.
She looked around the room.
The men weren't arguing anymore.
They were preparing.
Checking weapons.
Making calls.
Issuing orders.
It looked less like a meeting and more like soldiers preparing for battle.
Fear crawled up her spine.
This wasn't some movie.
People had just died.
Because of a war she didn't even understand.
Luca buttoned his jacket.
His expression was colder than ever.
"The Romano family knows your name now."
Amara's stomach dropped.
"What does that mean?"
His answer came immediately.
"It means you're no longer safe."
Before she could respond, another explosion echoed somewhere outside the mansion.
The windows rattled violently.
Several men drew their weapons.
Amara froze.
Her heart stopped.
The attack wasn't happening somewhere else.
It was here.
And suddenly, she realized the wolves weren't waiting anymore.
They had come for her.
- Writer
