Chapter 6

6

LILA

" S weetheart, how are you?" Mom doesn't look at me. Instead, she's staring at the mirror beside her phone, applying her mascara.

"I'm fine, Mom."

Luca and I agreed not to tell them about the intruders until the matter was resolved. That's why it has taken only now to contact them via a video call. From the background noise and the way Mom tries to keep the phone steady, it seems like they're in the middle of the ocean.

"Is Luca there? Was Dalton taken care of?" Phillip calls out from behind her, buttoning a white shirt.

Luca is beside me in an instant, his eyes flooding with anger. "What do you mean? You knew it was Dalton who sent the men to your house this whole time?"

None of them are looking at us. Mom continues to swipe her lips with red lipstick while Phillip fumbles with his tie. "Ah, so he did come through with his threat."

"What do you mean?" Luca stresses each word, fury radiating off him in waves.

Phillip heaves a sigh and turns to us. "Why the hell do you think I ran like the devil was on my heels? The fucker sent me a death threat."

"And you didn't think to mention it before?"

Phillip taps Mom to make her scoot to the side so he can sit in front of the phone. "I know you make money off killing people, Luca, and that bodyguard gig was bullshit, and I knew if I asked for help, you wouldn't give it to me."

"You wanted me to kill someone you scammed?"

Phillip waves a hand. "That's not honest money anyway."

The tension builds in the air like a gathering storm. Luca's shoulders stiffen, his hands clenched into fists on the table, knuckles turning white from the pressure. Every breath is shallow and sharp like he's trying to hold back a tidal wave of anger. "So you left Lila alone in that house, knowing full well Dalton's going to come to collect?"

"I asked her to come with us."

"Mentioning the note would've changed her mind."

Phillip has the audacity to roll his eyes. "What does it matter? All is peachy."

Mom chooses that moment to insert herself into the conversation. "That's true. Everything's well and good."

Discomfort roils in my stomach. "You knew, Mom? You knew men were going to the house, and you didn't warn me?"

Phillip and Mom exchange a look that says, ‘Are you hearing this?' She fluffs her hair and takes one last glance at the mirror at her makeup before gazing back at me. "I told you it was dangerous."

"You said you would go on vacation. I only found out about the dangerous part when you were on the way to the airport."

"Like Phillip said, what does it matter? It's all resolved now."

I stare at her, trying to process what she just said. Disbelief washes over me, but the disappointment following it cuts so deep it almost feels physical.

I knew she was a shitty parent, but part of me still hoped she would come to her senses. I didn't need her to coddle me, shower me with praises, shop dresses together, or bake cookies with me. I just wanted her to be a mother. Yet, even in the face of danger, she couldn't do that.

"You're not even going to ask if I'm okay?" My voice breaks at the last word, and Luca turns to me, worry replacing his anger.

Phillip and her exchange another look. "Lila, you're not a child anymore. You can take care of yourself. You're twenty-four years old, and you have Luca."

"Damn right, she does," Luca says in a low, steely voice, turning the screen so it's facing him. "She'll have me forever. I'm going to marry her, and neither of you is invited."

If the attempt on my life didn't get a reaction, this little revelation does.

Mom raises his voice. "She's your stepsister!"

"Oh, now you care? I said what I said."

Phillip matches Mom's tone. "Are you trying to get back at me, Luca? Because this?—"

"This isn't about you. I love her."

My mind races to catch up with Luca's words. Did I hear him right? He loves me and wants to marry me? Shock floods my senses like a sudden jolt, and my heart thuds in my chest.

Luca ignores Mom and Phillip's protests and turns to me with a smile—a smile that seems only reserved for me. The shock dissolves, warmth spreading through me like sunshine breaking through clouds.

Despite the hurt I felt from Mom, a burst of joy fills me, and my lips curve upward.

"Luca, you stop this right now. Aren't you too old for rebellion? You're crazy. You can't—" Phillip is more riled at having his son fall for his stepdaughter than stealing money and letting thugs kill me. His priorities are skewed.

"Did I stutter?" Luca doesn't wait for a response. Instead, he pulls me to him and captures my mouth in a kiss that has me melting into him. Mom and Phillip's voices fade into the background, their words blurring into meaningless sounds.

Then, it's just me and Luca.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.