CHAPTER 3
1090 Words
Luca's Pov
She stood there holding the photo like it was a bomb.
I closed the door softly and locked it. “Put it down.”
“No.” Her eyes were wide, but her chin stayed up. Brave. Stupidly brave. “This isn’t you. This man looks completely different. The crash story, were you even on that plane?”
I crossed the room in three strides and snatched the photo from her fingers. “You agreed to the deal. Questions weren’t part of it.”
“Everything changed when you lied about who you are,” she hissed. “I married a stranger. A fake.”
I grabbed her wrist, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to hold her still. “My name is Luca Moretti. Damian Vale died three years ago. I took his place. And if you breathe a word of that to anyone, your brother won’t just owe money. He’ll be gone.”
Her breathing quickened. “Why? What do you want with the Vales?”
“Revenge,” I said simply. “Victor Vale destroyed my real family. I’m going to destroy his empire from the inside using his own name.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “You’re going to get us both killed.”
“Maybe.” I let her go. “But you’re already in it now, wife. So decide….are you going to help me or fight me?”
I watched her process everything, her eyes darting between me and the scattered photos. She took a shaky breath.
“So the real Damian… he’s actually dead?” she asked, voice low. “Not missing, not recovering somewhere. Dead.”
“Yes,” I replied flatly. “Three years ago. Victor made sure of it. The crash wasn’t an accident.”
Sienna backed up a step, pressing her hand to her forehead. “This is insane. I stood in front of hundreds of people and married a man who doesn’t even exist. What if someone finds out? What if Victor already suspects something?”
“He doesn’t suspect yet,” I said. “At least not fully. That’s why this marriage helps. It makes me look stable. Settled. Less like someone plotting against him. But you digging around like this could ruin everything.”
She let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Helps you? What about me? I thought I was marrying a rich jerk, not an imposter with a death wish. Do you even care what happens to me in all this? Or am I just collateral damage in your big revenge plan?”
“I do care,” I admitted, surprising myself. “That’s why I’m telling you the truth now. If you keep snooping without knowing the full picture, you’ll get hurt. Or worse.”
Sienna crossed her arms tightly. “Then tell me the full picture. Who was Luca Moretti before all this? How did you even pull this off? The medical records, the memory loss story—how deep does this go? I deserve to know who I’m really married to.”
I hesitated, then decided she needed enough to stop fighting me blindly. “I worked for Victor years ago. Close enough to see the kind of man he really is. He ruined my father, destroyed our business, and left my mother with nothing. When the real Damian’s plane went down, I saw my chance. I had help—people who owed me favours. Plastic surgery, voice training, forged documents. The memory loss story covered the personality changes.”
She shook her head slowly. “You’ve been living as him for three years? Acting like you belong in that family every single day? God, you must hate them so much. But what happens when they find out? They’ll kill you. And now me, because I know the truth. How can you ask me to keep quiet about something this huge?”
“They won’t find out if you keep your mouth shut,” I said, stepping closer. “We’re in this together now, Sienna. Do you want to expose corruption? Help me take down Victor, and you’ll have everything you need. Files, recordings, proof. But if you try to run or expose me, we both lose. Everything.”
Her eyes searched mine. “And my brother? Is he really safe, or is that another lie to control me? Tell me honestly, Luca. Or whatever your real name is.”
“He’s safe for now,” I assured her. “I paid the debt. My men are watching him. But if Vescovi thinks you’re crossing him, that protection disappears. So play along. Be the loving wife in public. In private, we can talk like this. No more secrets between us.”
Sienna rubbed her arms, looking conflicted. “You’re asking me to lie every single day. To smile next to a man who stole someone else’s life. How am I supposed to do that without cracking? What if I slip up at dinner or in front of Victor? I’m not an actress, you know.”
“You’re a journalist,” I said. “You’ve lied before to get stories. This is just a bigger stage. And I’ll make it worth it. After one year, you get your freedom and enough money to never worry again. Noah stays protected, too. I’ll even help you with your investigations on other elites if you want. Just not my family until I say so.”
She was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Do you ever feel guilty? Pretending to be their son? Looking Victor in the eye every day knowing what you know? Calling him Dad must make you sick.”
“Guilty?” I gave a cold smile. “Victor doesn’t deserve guilt. He deserves ruin. The only thing I didn’t plan for was you. You complicate everything. I wasn’t supposed to… feel anything. This was supposed to stay clean.”
Before she could answer, my phone rang again. Victor’s head of security.
“They found the missing accounts,” the voice said. “He’s looking at you, sir.”
I hung up and looked at Sienna. Her face had gone pale.
“Someone’s coming for me,” I told her. “Which means they might come for you too. Stay close.”
She swallowed. “I want to see the files on the plane crash. All of them.”
I almost smiled. She was hooked. “Tomorrow. Tonight, we smile for the guests.”
- Writer
