DANGEROUSLY YOURS MR.VALE

CHAPTER 5

Luca's Pov

Trust. She had no reason to give it, but I needed it anyway.

I pulled her out of the room and down the hall. “Victor’s making his move. The break-in was his warning.”

Sienna’s hand was cold in mine. “And my brother? Tell me the truth, Luca. Is he okay? They threatened to send pieces of him. I’m losing my mind here.”

“I already have men looking,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Vescovi won’t kill him while he can still squeeze us. He’s worth more alive right now. I hope I’m right.”

She pulled her hand away. “You hope? That’s not enough! Noah is all I have left. If your revenge gets him killed, I swear I’ll expose everything myself.”

We reached my private office. I opened the safe and handed her a USB drive. “Everything I have on the crash. Take it. If something happens to me, use it.”

She stared at the drive, turning it over in her fingers. “You’re really doing all this for revenge? After three years of living as someone else, lying to an entire family, is this all because of what Victor did to your parents?”

“Yes.” I touched her cheek without thinking. “But you’re making it complicated.”

Her eyes softened for a second, then narrowed. “I found medical files in that room too. Something about memory loss cover stories. You planned this for years, didn’t you? Every single detail… the surgery, the voice lessons, the fake hospital records. How long have you been waiting for this?”

“I did,” I admitted. “Almost three years of planning. I waited for the perfect moment after the real Damian’s plane went down. I became him so I could destroy the empire from within.”

She stepped back. “God, I’m such an i***t. I actually started to feel—”

“Started to feel what, Sienna?” I pressed, my voice low and urgent. “Tell me. Because I need to know if this is real for you too or if I’m just dragging you deeper into my hell.”

She shook her head, frustration flashing across her face. “I started to feel something for you, okay? Against all my better judgment. You made me believe we could actually be a team. But now I see it was all calculated. The gentle touches, the way you looked at me during the ceremony... Was any of it genuine, Luca? Or was I just another pawn on your chessboard?”

“Every touch wasn’t planned,” I replied, stepping closer despite the danger closing in. “I swear to you, the way my heart races when you’re near me, that wasn’t in the script. I’ve spent years hardening myself for this war, but you... you snuck past every defense I built.”

A loud crash echoed from downstairs. Shouts. Security alarms blared.

I shoved her behind me and pulled a gun from the desk drawer. “Stay quiet.”

We crept to the balcony overlooking the foyer. Three men in dark clothes were fighting our guards. One of them looked up, straight at us.

“Find the girl!” he yelled. “Victor wants her alive.”

Sienna’s breath hitched. “Luca… they’re here for me? What are we going to do? We’re trapped upstairs! I can hear them breaking things down there. How many more are coming? This is insane!”

“Stay behind me,” I whispered. “Don’t make a sound. I need to see how many there are. Count the shadows, listen for their voices. We have to be smart about this.”

I turned and kissed her hard, quick, something I’d wanted to do for days. “Whatever happens, remember the deal was real to me in the end.”

She touched her lips, eyes wide with shock. “You can’t kiss me and say things like that right now! Not when men with guns are downstairs. Luca, if this is the end, be honest with me. Do you actually care about me, or am I still just a tool in your revenge plan? Because I need the truth before I decide whether to run or stay and fight by your side.”

“I care more than I should,” I confessed, gripping her shoulders. “You weren’t supposed to matter, Sienna. This was supposed to be clean…get in, destroy Victor, get out. But you make me question every choice. I lie awake thinking about keeping you safe, about what life could look like after this storm passes. That’s not part of the revenge. That’s you changing the game.”

Her voice trembled but held strength. “Then why push me away now? We took vows, Luca. Fake or not, they meant something to me. I’ve lost everyone else, my parents, my freedom. I can’t lose you too. Tell me there’s a plan B. Tell me you have a backup coming or some hidden exit we can both use.”

“There’s no time for backup,” I said, glancing toward the growing chaos below. “The safe house is our best shot. It’s stocked, off the grid, with encrypted lines to my most trusted men. You go there, you call Marco, he knows what to do. But if I tell you to run, it’s because I need you alive. I can’t focus if I’m scared for you every second.”

“I’m not leaving you!” she shouted, grabbing my arm tightly. “We’re married now, fake or not. We said we’d fight together. You can’t just send me away while you stay here and play hero! What if they overwhelm you? What if Victor’s men have more firepower than we think? I know how to shoot—I’ve been practicing in secret. Let me stay and cover your back!”

The footsteps were getting closer, heavy boots pounding up the stairs.

I looked at her one last time. “Sienna, if you stay we both die. Go. Now! I can hold them off, but not if I’m worried about protecting you at the same time. Please, just go! I need to know you’re safe. Think of Noah. If I fall here, you’re the only one who can still save him with that USB. You have the evidence now. Use it wisely.”

She hesitated, tears filling her eyes. “Promise me you’ll come back to me. Don’t you dare die here, Luca Moretti. I want to hear more about the real you—the man behind the mask. We have unfinished conversations, unfinished feelings. You owe me dates that aren’t staged for cameras, nights where we’re not running from ghosts. Swear it.”

“I swear,” I whispered fiercely. “I’ll fight like hell to get back to you. Now run, my brave wife. I’ll find you when this is over.”

Then she turned and ran.

I raised the gun and waited for the first man to reach the top of the stairs.

“Come on then,” I muttered. “Let’s finish this.”

But as the door burst open, the man’s words froze me colder than any bullet.

“Damian—or whoever you are—Victor knows everything. And he has your wife’s brother. Game over.”