Chapter 3
1232 Words
The Game Begins
Alessia didn’t sleep.
Not after what she had seen.
Not after watching Luca kill a man in the middle of a crowded room, then look at her as if daring her to react.
She knew he was dangerous.
But last night, he made sure she understood it.
And the worst part?
She wasn’t sure if it was a warning… or an invitation.
*********************************************************
By morning, the house was quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
When Alessia tried to leave her room, she found the door locked from the outside.
Her pulse spiked.
She banged her fist against the heavy wood. “Open the door.”
Silence.
Her jaw clenched as she tried again. “Damn it, open the—”
The lock clicked.
The door swung open.
And Luca stood on the other side.
Alessia inhaled sharply, instinctively stepping back.
He leaned lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her with a look that sent a chill down her spine.
“You locked me in?” she accused.
“Technically, my men locked you in.”
She glared. “And why, exactly, did you feel the need to imprison me in my own home?”
Luca smirked. “Because I don’t trust you.”
She folded her arms. “I’m touched.”
His eyes flickered with amusement, but his voice was pure steel when he said, “I meant what I said last night, bella. If you try to run,
I will find you.”
Alessia lifted her chin. “And if I try to kill you?”
Luca chuckled. “Then I’d be very disappointed in your survival instincts.”
She hated how effortlessly he dismissed her.
Hated how his presence filled the entire doorway, making her feel trapped even though she was standing in the open.
“Get dressed,” he said.
Her brows furrowed. “Why?”
“Because I have something to show you.”
Something in his voice made her stomach twist.
But she didn’t argue.
Because refusing Luca DeLuca wasn’t an option.
Not yet.
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The drive was silent.
Alessia sat stiffly in the backseat of the sleek black car, Luca beside her, his attention on the city streets passing by.
She wanted to ask where they were going.
But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting she was curious.
Finally, the car pulled up in front of a massive waterfront estate.
Luca stepped out first, then turned to her. “Come.”
She hesitated.
Then, with a steadying breath, she followed.
Inside, the house was a vision of luxury—marble floors, high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the water.
Luca led her through the grand hall, then pushed open a set of double doors.
Inside was a large office, where a group of men stood waiting.
Powerful men.
Men she recognized.
And the second she stepped inside, every single one of them turned to her.
Alessia froze.
She wasn’t supposed to be in a room like that.
This was where deals were made, where blood was spilled, where power was exchanged between men who ruled the underworld.
Her father had always kept her on the outside.
But now…
Luca gestured for her to step forward.
“This,” he said, his voice smooth and commanding, “is your new world.”
Her pulse pounded.
He was showing her something her father never had.
Giving her a seat at the table she was never supposed to have.
And she didn’t know if it was a gift…
Or a trap.
*********************************************************
The meeting was brutal.
The men spoke in clipped tones about shipments, betrayals, and debts paid in blood.
Alessia listened in silence, feeling the weight of every word.
Then Luca turned to her.
“What would you do?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.
She blinked. “What?”
He smirked. “If someone stole from you—if they disrespected you—what would you do?”
The room went silent.
Every eye was on her.
Waiting.
Testing.
She could feel Luca watching her closely, waiting to see if she would flinch.
She didn’t.
She met his gaze, lifted her chin, and said, “Make an example out of them.”
A slow smile spread across his face.
“Good answer,” he murmured.
She wasn’t sure if it was a compliment… or a warning.
********************************************************
As the meeting ended, Luca leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear.
“You want to survive in this world, bella?” he whispered.
She swallowed hard.
“Then stop waiting for permission to take power.”
Alessia turned her head, their faces mere inches apart.
“And if I take it from you?” she challenged, her voice low.
Luca’s smirk didn’t falter. If anything, something dark flickered in his gaze—interest, amusement… maybe even approval.
“I’d like to see you try,” he murmured.
The way he said it sent a shiver down her spine, not out of fear, but something far more dangerous.
Excitement.
Challenge.
He was inviting her into the game.
Daring her to play.
And Alessia never backed down from a dare.
*********************************************************
The ride back was even quieter than before.
Luca didn’t speak. He simply sat beside her in the dimly lit car, his presence filling the space like a force she couldn’t ignore.
She didn’t want to think about what had just happened.
The way those men had looked at her.
Like she mattered.
Like she wasn’t just some pawn to be married off, but a piece of the empire in her own right.
And Luca…
He had let her have that moment.
Why?
Because he wanted to see if she would break under the weight of it?
Or because he wanted something else?
She didn’t know.
But she would find out.
As the car pulled up to the Moretti estate, Luca finally turned to her.
“I meant what I said, bella,” he murmured.
She arched her brow. “Which part?”
He smirked. “All of it.”
Then, before she could respond, he reached out—slowly and deliberately—and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
A soft, intimate gesture.
Completely at odds with the ruthless man who had slit a man’s throat the night before.
And yet, the way his fingers brushed against her skin sent heat curling through her.
Luca held her gaze for a fraction too long.
Then he was gone, slipping out of the car and disappearing into the shadows.
Leaving Alessia with a racing pulse…
And the terrifying realization that she had just stepped into a game far more dangerous than she’d ever imagined.
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Later that night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, a soft tap sounded against her window.
She sat up, heart hammering.
Another tap.
Slowly, she crossed the room and pulled back the curtain.
A knife was embedded in the wood of her balcony railing.
A sleek, silver blade.
A note pinned beneath it.
Her breath caught as she pulled it free.
Three simple words were scrawled in elegant, slanted handwriting.
Don’t test me.
Luca.
Her fingers tightened around the note.
She should have been afraid.
She should have been furious.
But instead…
She smiled.
Because he had just made one mistake.
He had underestimated her.
And that?
Would be his downfall.
- Writer
