Chapter 2
717 Words
A Cage of Gold
Alessia barely slept that night.
Luca’s words—Nice try—echoed in her mind, a taunt wrapped in dark amusement.
Had he been bluffing? Or had he already guessed that she would fight this arrangement with everything she had?
By morning, she had her answer.
Her father’s men shadowed her more closely than ever, their presence an unspoken warning. Even the household staff seemed warier,
as if they already saw her as his.
It made her sick.
But she wouldn’t break.
Not for Luca.
Not for anyone.
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That evening, the Moretti estate was filled with guests. Another business meeting disguised as a social gathering—an excuse for the
most powerful men in their world to drink expensive liquor and plot behind closed doors.
Alessia moved through the crowd with practiced grace, offering polite smiles, playing the perfect Mafia daughter. But beneath the
surface, she was searching.
For allies. For weaknesses.
For an escape route.
Then she felt it.
A presence behind her.
Heat against her skin.
She turned, already knowing who she would find.
Luca.
Dressed in a tailored black suit, his dark eyes locked onto hers with the same unshakable intensity from the night before.
“Enjoying the party, piccola?” he murmured.
She forced a smile. “Immensely.”
Luca chuckled, a deep, rich sound that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
“I thought we should have a dance,” he said smoothly, offering his hand.
Alessia hesitated. In their world, refusing a fiancé in public wasn’t just disrespectful—it was dangerous.
She placed her hand in his.
His grip was firm but not forceful, his thumb brushing against her wrist in a way that felt almost... possessive.
A warning.
As he led her onto the dance floor, the music slowed, wrapping around them like a net.
He pulled her in, one hand resting on the curve of her waist, the other clasping hers. They moved together, effortlessly, as if they had
done this a thousand times before.
“You’re tense,” he murmured, his lips just above her ear.
“I wonder why.”
He smirked. “Relax, Alessia. "You don’t have to like me, but you will be mine.”
A sharp jolt of fury shot through her.
She met his gaze, refusing to look away. “You think because my father handed me over, I belong to you?”
Luca’s grip tightened slightly. “I think you don’t understand how this works.”
“Enlighten me.”
His voice dropped lower, just for her.
“You think you’re trapped with me,” he said, eyes glinting with something dark. “But you should be asking yourself if I’m the one
trapped with you.”
Her breath caught.
Because the way he said it…
It wasn’t just a warning.
It was a challenge.
A Ruthless Reminder
Before she could respond, the music ended. But Luca didn’t let go immediately.
Instead, he leaned in and murmured against her temple, “We’ll talk soon.”
Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd.
Alessia exhaled sharply, willing her heart to slow.
But before she could regain her composure, a sharp cry pierced the air.
The party was silenced.
A thud.
Gasps.
She turned toward the commotion just in time to see a man collapse to the floor—his throat slashed open, blood pooling beneath
him.
And standing above him, completely calm, was Luca.
A bloody knife in his hand.
The room held its breath.
Then Luca lifted his gaze—straight towards her.
Unapologetic. Unbothered.
As if daring her to look away.
As if testing how much of his world she could stomach.
Her stomach twisted, but she refused to look away.
Because if she did, she’d be showing weakness.
And in this world, weakness was death.
The body was dragged away. Conversation resumed.
As if nothing had happened.
And Alessia realized something with startling clarity.
Luca DeLuca wasn’t just a man she despised.
He was a man capable of anything.
And now, he was hers.
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As she tries to process the murder she just witnessed, Luca appears behind her and whispers, “Still thinking about running, bella?”
She doesn’t answer.
Because for the first time… she’s not sure if she can.
- Writer
