Chapter 3: The Truth Behind the Debt
1088 Words
The moment Luca's convoy disappeared through the mansion gates, Aria exploded.
"What is wrong with you?"
Her father flinched.
"Aria—"
"No!" she shouted. "Don't 'Aria' me! Why aren't you fighting back? Why are you letting that man treat us like property?"
The dining room echoed with silence.
Her father's tired eyes met hers.
For a moment, she thought he might finally tell her everything.
Instead, he looked away.
That hurt more than anything.
"How long?" she demanded.
"What?"
"How long have you been hiding this from me?"
He rubbed his forehead.
"Almost a year."
Aria felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach.
A year.
For an entire year, her father had carried this burden alone.
A year of lies.
A year of pretending everything was normal.
"A year?" she whispered.
He nodded.
The anger inside her slowly gave way to disappointment.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to protect you."
She laughed bitterly.
"Protect me? Dad, a mafia boss just walked into our house and demanded marriage."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Her father lowered his head.
Shame radiated from him.
Aria suddenly felt guilty.
No matter what mistakes he'd made, he was still her father.
She sat beside him.
The anger remained.
But concern began replacing it.
"Tell me everything."
He hesitated.
Then finally spoke.
"It started eighteen months ago."
Aria listened quietly.
"Our company was struggling."
"I know."
"No. You don't."
His voice trembled.
"We were losing contracts faster than we could replace them. Investors pulled out. Several major deals collapsed."
Aria's stomach tightened.
She remembered the endless meetings.
The stress.
The late nights.
Everything made sense now.
"I thought I could fix it."
Her father stared at the table.
"So I borrowed money."
"From Luca?"
"No."
That surprised her.
"Then who?"
His expression darkened.
"A private lender."
Aria immediately understood.
A loan shark.
The worst kind.
"They promised easy terms."
"Let me guess."
Her voice turned cold.
"They lied."
He nodded.
"The debt kept growing."
"And eventually Luca bought it."
"Yes."
Aria closed her eyes.
Now she understood.
Luca wasn't the cause.
He was simply the final collector.
Still ruthless.
Still dangerous.
But perhaps not entirely responsible.
A knock interrupted them.
The family butler entered.
"Miss Romano."
"Yes?"
"Someone left this for you."
He handed her a black envelope.
No name.
No return address.
Only a silver seal.
Her heart immediately sank.
She knew who sent it.
Luca.
The butler left.
Aria stared at the envelope.
"Don't open it," her father said quietly.
Of course that made her want to open it even more.
Breaking the seal, she unfolded the letter inside.
The message was short.
Painfully short.
You have forty-six hours remaining.
—L.M.
Aria nearly tore the paper in half.
"He's unbelievable."
Her father didn't disagree.
She stood abruptly.
"I need air."
Before he could stop her, she left the mansion.
The cool afternoon breeze hit her face.
For the first time all day, she felt able to breathe.
She walked aimlessly through the city.
Past cafés.
Past stores.
Past people living normal lives.
People who didn't have mafia heirs trying to force them into marriage.
Eventually she found herself near the harbor.
The water stretched endlessly before her.
Calm.
Peaceful.
Unlike her thoughts.
She sat on a bench overlooking the docks.
"What am I supposed to do?"
No answer came.
Only the sound of waves.
Minutes passed.
Then an unfamiliar voice spoke behind her.
"Beautiful view."
Aria turned.
A handsome man stood a few feet away.
Blond hair.
Blue eyes.
Expensive clothes.
Friendly smile.
She didn't recognize him.
"Do I know you?"
He laughed.
"No."
"Then why are you talking to me?"
"Because you looked sad."
Normally she would've ignored him.
Today she didn't have the energy.
"Bad day."
"Relationship trouble?"
"If only."
He sat on the opposite end of the bench.
"I'm Ethan."
She hesitated.
"Aria."
His smile widened.
"Nice to meet you."
Something about him felt genuine.
Safe.
Which was why what happened next shocked her.
A black SUV suddenly screeched to a stop nearby.
Her blood turned cold.
The rear door opened.
And Luca Moretti stepped out.
Ethan immediately stood.
Confusion crossed his face.
Aria's stomach dropped.
What was he doing here?
Luca's dark eyes locked onto hers.
Danger radiated from him.
The harbor suddenly felt ten degrees colder.
"Ethan."
The blond man stiffened.
"You know him?" Aria asked.
Neither answered.
Luca approached slowly.
His gaze shifted between them.
"What an interesting coincidence."
Ethan forced a smile.
"Not really."
Aria looked from one man to the other.
Something was happening.
Something she didn't understand.
"You two know each other."
It wasn't a question.
Luca stopped directly in front of them.
"Ethan is my cousin."
Aria blinked.
What?
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
"Small world," he muttered.
Luca ignored him.
His attention returned to Aria.
"Why are you here?"
The question irritated her.
"Last time I checked, public benches weren't your property."
A dangerous smile appeared.
"Not yet."
She rolled her eyes.
Ethan suddenly looked as if he wanted to disappear.
"Luca, maybe we should—"
"No."
One word.
Ice cold.
Ethan immediately fell silent.
Aria noticed the change.
The fear.
Even Luca's own family seemed intimidated by him.
That should have frightened her.
Instead it made her curious.
Who exactly was Luca Moretti?
And why did everyone fear him?
As if sensing her thoughts, Luca stepped closer.
Too close.
"Your forty-six hours are now forty-four."
Aria frowned.
"What?"
"I deducted two hours."
Her jaw dropped.
"You can't do that."
"I just did."
Ethan choked on a laugh.
Luca shot him a look.
The laughter instantly died.
Aria couldn't believe this man.
"You're insane."
"Possibly."
Then something unexpected happened.
Luca reached out.
For one terrifying second, she thought he was about to touch her.
Instead he removed a small leaf tangled in her hair.
His fingers brushed her cheek.
The contact lasted less than a second.
Yet her heart suddenly skipped.
Luca seemed to notice.
The faintest smile appeared.
And that made her even angrier.
Because she wasn't supposed to react to him.
She was supposed to hate him.
So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?
Before she could answer that question, Luca spoke again.
"Enjoy your freedom while you can, Aria."
His voice was low.
Dangerously certain.
"Because in a few days..."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"You'll be my wife."
And for the first time since meeting him...
A small part of her feared he might be right.
- Writer
