chapter 3- His World
987 Words
“Is he alive?”
My voice barely sounded human.
Lorenzo stared at me silently for a few seconds before answering.
“Yes.”
The breath I was holding escaped immediately.
But something still felt wrong.
“He’s injured,” Lorenzo added coldly.
Fear wrapped around my chest so tightly it hurt to breathe.
“What happened to him?”
Instead of answering, Lorenzo turned toward the hallway.
“Come with me.”
I blinked in disbelief. “That’s not an answer.”
“And you’re not in a position to demand one.”
Anger flashed through me instantly.
“I’m not one of your employees, Mr. De Luca.”
A dangerous calm settled over his face.
“No,” he agreed quietly. “You’re much more complicated than that.”
Before I could figure out what that meant, he started walking away.
Panic rushed through me.
“Wait!”
He stopped but didn’t turn around.
Damn him.
I hated how naturally he expected obedience.
I grabbed my coat quickly before locking the apartment behind me. The moment I stepped outside, my breath caught.
Black luxury cars filled the street.
Neighbors peeked through windows shamelessly.
Some people were already whispering.
Wonderful.
Public humiliation.
One of the bodyguards opened the back door of the nearest car for me respectfully.
I hesitated.
Every survival instinct screamed at me not to enter that vehicle.
Lorenzo noticed.
“You think I’m going to kill you?”
I crossed my arms stubbornly. “I barely know you.”
For the first time that night, amusement flickered in his dark eyes.
“If I wanted you dead, Amelia, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
That answer somehow made things worse.
Still, I got inside.
Because despite everything…
I needed to see my father.
The car ride was painfully silent.
Rain poured heavily against the tinted windows while soft classical music played quietly inside the car. The luxury surrounding me felt unreal.
Leather seats.
Mini bar.
Soft lighting.
This single car probably cost more than my entire apartment building.
I glanced sideways carefully.
Lorenzo sat beside me calmly, scrolling through messages on his phone with a terrifying level of composure.
“How old are you?” I asked suddenly.
One of his eyebrows lifted slightly.
“That’s your question?”
“You don’t talk much.”
“You talk enough for both of us.”
I rolled my eyes immediately.
“Twenty-nine,” he answered after a moment.
I blinked.
For some reason, I expected older.
“You?”
“Twenty-two.”
His jaw tightened slightly at my answer.
Interesting.
The silence returned again before curiosity got the better of me.
“Why are you helping my father?”
“I’m not.”
“Then why am I here?”
Lorenzo finally looked at me fully.
And God…
Those eyes should honestly be illegal.
“You ask many questions for someone surrounded by armed men.”
“Maybe I cope with fear by being annoying.”
That actually earned a low laugh from him.
A real one.
Not mocking.
Not fake.
The sound shocked me so badly I stared at him.
Lorenzo noticed immediately.
“What?”
“You laughed.”
“And?”
“You seem emotionally unavailable.”
The bodyguard sitting in front suddenly coughed violently like he was choking.
I realized my mistake too late.
Oh God.
Did I just call a mafia boss emotionally unavailable?
Lorenzo slowly turned toward me again.
“You’re either very brave or very stupid.”
“Still deciding,” I muttered.
To my surprise, the corner of his mouth twitched again.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
A few minutes later, the car finally stopped in front of the largest mansion I had ever seen in my entire life.
No.
Mansion was too small a word.
This place looked like something stolen from a billionaire movie.
Massive gates.
Armed guards.
Beautiful fountains.
Black luxury vehicles lined perfectly outside.
I stared speechlessly.
“You live here?” I whispered.
Lorenzo stepped out of the car smoothly.
“Problem?”
“You could literally solve world hunger.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
I almost laughed despite myself.
One of the guards led us inside, and I immediately froze again.
Marble floors.
Crystal chandeliers.
Huge staircases.
The entire place screamed power.
But beneath the beauty…
Something darker lingered.
I could feel it.
People moved carefully around Lorenzo.
Nobody looked him directly in the eyes.
The staff seemed terrified of making mistakes.
This wasn’t a home.
It was a kingdom.
And he ruled it like a king people feared.
Suddenly, shouting echoed somewhere deeper inside the mansion.
A man’s voice.
Desperate.
Panicked.
My heart stopped instantly.
“Dad?”
I rushed forward immediately, but Lorenzo grabbed my wrist before I could move further.
The contact sent heat shooting up my arm.
“Wait.”
“Let go of me!”
“You don’t want to see him like this.”
Fear exploded inside my chest.
“What did you do to him?!”
Every guard in the hallway immediately went silent.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Dangerously.
Lorenzo’s grip on my wrist tightened slightly.
Then he stepped closer.
Too close.
“I told my men to keep him alive,” he said quietly.
My stomach dropped.
Keep him alive.
Not protect him.
Not help him.
Alive.
Tears burned my eyes immediately.
“You monsters…”
For the first time all night, something unreadable flashed across Lorenzo’s face.
Guilt.
But before I could process it, another voice suddenly echoed through the hallway.
“Well… this is unexpected.”
I turned around instantly.
And froze.
A beautiful woman stood at the top of the staircase wearing a silk black dress, her red lips curling into a slow smile as she stared directly at Lorenzo.
Then at me.
“Oh,” she said softly. “So this is the girl you’ve been hiding.”
- Writer
