23. Luca

The house feels empty with Aria gone. I fill my time with work that needs to be done, but I"m using it as a distraction more than my job.

Roberta and the other staff seem to feel it as well. I can hear them talking about how they miss Aria's attempts to speak Italian.

At night, with nothing to occupy my mind, is the worst. The silence echoes through the house, accentuating her absence.

Tonight, I'm at my desk, feeling lonely. I call Aria, needing to hear her voice, but then I remember the time in New York and realize she's at her baby shower. I scrape my hands over my face and prepare for another long night of missing her.

My phone rings, and I grab it, hoping she's calling me back.

"Don Conte?" a guard at the gate greets.

"Yes."

"The woman… the one we're not to let in is at the gate."

So send her away, I think. "What does she want?"

"It has to do with the child." His voice is tentative. He knows he risks my anger by interrupting me with this when my order was to keep her away. I suspect it's that she's pregnant that has them calling.

"Keep her there. I'll come out." I make my way outside, bracing myself for the confrontation.

Electra stands there, her eyes pleading. "Luca, please, you have to listen to me. The baby is yours, I know it is."

I cross my arms, my jaw tightening. "We"ve been through this. I"ve told you, I won"t be a part of your games."

"But it"s the truth!" she insists, her voice rising. "The child is yours, I swear it."

I raise a hand, silencing her. "What about Bruno?"

Electra waves a dismissive hand. "It doesn"t matter. Bruno means nothing to me. You"re the one I want, Luca. We belong together."

"You'd really take his child from him?" I'm not surprised. "Why would I want a woman who'd do such a thing?"

She scoffs. "You're no saint."

I shake my head. "No. I don't care about earning wings. You should keep that in mind when dealing with me." It's a veiled threat. One that I wouldn't be able to carry out, but she doesn't know that.

She steps back, telling me she understands.

"Bruno is making you a good offer. I suggest you take it. We both know the truth. You don"t want me. You want my money and the lifestyle I can provide. That"s all this has ever been about."

She moves toward me again, her hand reaching out to touch me. "That"s not true, Luca. I love you. I"ve always loved you. This child is ours, I swear it."

I shake my head, unwilling to be drawn in by her manipulations. "Spare me the lies. This has nothing to do with me." I think of Aria. How she looks at me like I'm a superhero. Except for that time she saw me kill Sabini's man. It gutted me that I'd fallen in her estimation. But since then, I feel that she sees me as who I am, wants me as who I am, not my power or influence or money.

Electra"s expression hardens, her desperation giving way to anger. "How dare you! I"ve given you everything, Luca. My body, my loyalty, my heart. And you repay me by throwing me aside for some American whore?"

My jaw tightens, and it takes all my effort not to strike out. "Watch yourself, Electra. You're precariously close to stepping over the line. You will not talk about her to me… or to anyone. Do you understand?"

She must see the lethalness inside me as she again steps back.

"If you're smart, you'll take Bruno's offer. It gets you what you want."

She crosses her arms. "Bruno is a sap."

I narrow my eyes at her as I realize the truth. "Is he even the father?"

She looks away and shrugs.

"Is he!" I demand.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Maybe? Who else could it be?"

"You—"

"Not me. Don't bullshit me. Who else?"

"Rocco."

"Rocco, as in Rocco Perotta?" Rocco works for me near Gioia Tauro. He makes regular trips to Rome for business. In my mind, this is a good thing. Perhaps I can keep Bruno here and still send her away.

"Yes." She gives me a look of disdain. "He's got a bigger dick than you."

I ignore the jab at my manhood. She's lucky I can. I know plenty of men who'd strike her for that.

"Good, then you should be happy with him."

She realizes her mistake. "Luca, please?—"

"I'm done with this conversation. Here's what can happen. I'll talk to Rocco. You'll move south. Marry him or not, I don't care. But either way, I'll make sure you have a nice home and a lavish lifestyle. Your other option is that you continue the way you do now, working while trying to raise a child on your own."

She stares at me, her eyes narrowed. "So that"s it, then? I either accept your terms and disappear, or I get nothing? What kind of choice is that?"

"The only one I"m willing to give you," I reply, my voice unwavering. "You can have a lavish life with all the comforts and luxuries you crave. Or you can have nothing. The choice is yours."

Her shoulders slump in defeat. But just as quickly, it"s replaced by a steely determination. "I won"t give up on you, Luca. You and I, we"re meant to be together. I"ll fight for you, no matter what."

I sigh, knowing this conversation is going nowhere. "Then you"ve made your choice. I expect you to continue your work at the club. Note that if you come back here ever again, if you go near Aria, there will be consequences."

She lets out a frustrated growl. "Fine. I'll go with Rocco."

I nod, unsurprised by her decision. "Very well. I"ll have my men handle the situation. You"ll be taken care of as long as you leave and never come back."

With that, I turn and head back inside, the weight of the evening"s events dragging me down. But it's Aria's absence that is the worst. It's a constant ache, and I long for her return.

The next day, I"m restless at breakfast. Roberta must notice as she asks whether Aria is coming back soon.

"Of course," I state with a certainty that I don't feel. I start to question if sending Aria away was necessary, considering how I"ve gotten rid of Electra. Perhaps Electra wasn"t such a threat, after all.

It"s worse that I haven"t heard from Aria. Our calls keep missing each other. Or maybe she's ignoring them. Perhaps she's decided she wants to stay in New York. Hell, maybe Niko has taken her phone and forced her to stay. Texts from Bruno don't indicate that, but they've been too brief to know for sure what's going on.

I pace my office, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I know Aria is safe with Bruno by her side, but the distance between us feels like an uncrossable chasm. It's unbearable.

I grab my phone and call Paolo. "I've got to leave the country. You're in charge until I or Bruno return." It's an impulsive decision. But at this point, I care less about how my business might implode than I do about seeing Aria.

"Is everything alright?" Paolo asks, his voice laced with concern.

"I need to check on Aria. Can you handle this responsibility?"

"Of course." His voice hints at nervousness at the weight of what I've just bestowed on him. I hope he can manage it.

When I end the call, I rush upstairs and pack a bag. I arrange for a plane during the drive to the airport. Before takeoff, I attempt to call Aria again, but she doesn"t answer. I can"t bring myself to leave a message, the fear that she"s ghosting me too heavy to put into words. I don"t call Bruno for the same reason. I"m too worried that he"ll confirm my worst fear. That she's staying in New York.

As the plane ascends, I gaze out the window, my mind consumed by thoughts of Aria. I feel a tightness in my chest, a longing that I haven"t experienced since the first time I had to leave her. Aria has become more than just a prize to be won. She"s seeped into my heart, my soul.

I reflect on our time together, the way her laughter lights up a room. The way she interacts with my staff, who delight in her and her efforts to speak to them. The way her touch sets my soul on fire. I"ve never felt this way about anyone before, and the thought of her choosing to stay in New York, away from me, fills me with a sense of dread.

I"ve always prided myself on my ability to get what I want, but with Aria, it"s different. She"s not just some pawn in my game of power and influence. She"s a woman I"ve come to care for deeply, a woman I want by my side, not just as my wife, but as my partner.

I think about the lessons my father taught me. He told me to find a wife to be my other half. To be the source of my power. Aria is that woman. Unfortunately, my father failed to tell me how to make this woman mine. Regret seeps in as I realize I may not have done enough to show her the depth of my feelings. I"ve been so focused on claiming her. Not that I haven't been kind or conceding in many cases, but I haven't told her how I feel. How she is my source of power.

As the plane soars higher, I make a silent vow that when I see Aria again, I"ll pour my heart out to her. I"ll show her the side of me that I"ve kept hidden, the side that yearns for her affection, her trust, her love. I"ll do whatever it takes to prove my commitment to her, to convince her that her place is by my side, not back in New York.

The minutes on the flight tick by, each one feeling like an eternity. I can"t sit still, my leg bouncing with nervous energy. I need to see her, to hold her, to reassure myself that she hasn"t slipped through my fingers. The thought of losing her, of her choosing a life without me, is too much to bear.