Chapter 9: The Last Chance
The sun had barely risen when the chaos resumed. Asher and Janet's parents had gathered once again outside Luca's mansion, this time in desperation. The rage in their eyes was evident, boiling over from the night before. Clad in dark clothes and moving like predators in the shadows, they crept toward the gates, certain this time that their plan to end Janet's life would be completed.
Asher, holding a loaded revolver in his coat pocket, whispered to Janet's father, "This is it. We finish what we started. She's not going to be anyone's savior. She was supposed to make us rich, not ruin everything."
Janet's mother clenched her fists tightly. "She brought shame. She turned her back on us. If we don't end her, he will end us."
But Luca had anticipated this. From his study window, he'd seen their shadows moving across the lawn in the early morning fog. The security system buzzed softly, alerting him of their presence. Luca stood slowly, his tall frame filled with tension. His expression shifted from calm to steely determination as he made his way toward the entrance, grabbing the gun from the drawer.
The guards stood ready by the doors as Luca exited. The chilly morning wind stirred his coat as he approached them. He didn't wait for explanations this time.
"Drop your weapons," he ordered coldly.
But Asher, reckless and furious, pulled out his gun and aimed. "She was never yours to protect! She was ours to control!"
Luca didn't flinch. With a sudden move, he knocked the gun out of Asher's hand with a swift kick and tackled him to the ground. The guards rushed in, surrounding Janet's parents, pulling their hands behind their backs. The revolver slid across the path, landing by Luca's feet.
He picked it up.
Janet had just woken up in her room. She wandered to the window, still dressed in her soft nightgown, eyes half-lidded from sleep. But when she looked down and saw Luca standing in the courtyard, pointing a gun directly at her parents, her blood ran cold.
She gasped. Her heart pounded against her chest. She pressed her hands to the glass. "No... No... Please!" she screamed. "Luca! Stop! Please, don't do this!"
Her voice cut through the silence like a blade. Luca froze, the weapon steady in his hand. He turned slowly, his eyes lifting to the window where Janet stood—her hair tousled, her eyes wide and full of tears.
Their eyes met.
Luca's finger hovered over the trigger. For a moment, the world held its breath. His anger, his thirst for justice, clashed with her cry for mercy.
And then—he dropped the gun to the ground.
His shoulders lowered. The fire in his eyes dimmed slightly.
He raised a hand to his guards. "Stand down."
The guards, stunned but obedient, stepped back from Janet's parents and Asher.
Luca walked toward the trembling trio. "You're lucky she still sees the light in people," he said through clenched teeth. "One more step in my direction and I swear, the mercy you've received today will be the last."
Janet's parents fell to their knees, panting. Asher sat frozen on the stone path, his pride shattered.
Luca's voice became darker. "I know everything. The man you were selling her to? He's already watching you. He won't stop. And now you've made me your enemy. Be smart—run while you still can."
Janet's mother tried to speak, but no words came. Luca motioned to his guards. "Throw them out. This time, don't be gentle."
The guards grabbed them, roughly dragging them across the courtyard and toward the gates.
From above, Janet watched silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't know if they deserved this mercy. Part of her wanted them to feel her pain. But another part—perhaps the part that still hoped for kindness in a cruel world—was relieved.
Luca stood below, not looking back at her. His face was unreadable. The gun still lay on the ground, cold and untouched.
The gates slammed shut.
The mansion was quiet again.
Luca turned and slowly walked back inside. When he reached his room, he found Janet standing at the door, her face pale and red from crying.
"You were going to kill them," she whispered.
He nodded. "They deserved it."
"But you didn't... because I asked you not to."
Luca looked at her. "Only for you, Janet."
She didn't speak. She couldn't. Her emotions were too tangled—grief, fear, gratitude, confusion. Luca looked worn, as if a piece of his soul had just been carved out and discarded. He looked at her as if she was the last soft thing in his world.
"I'll protect you, even if it means becoming a monster," he said. "But for now, you need rest. This world doesn't deserve your tears."
Janet stared at him, torn between everything. But she nodded slowly.
She returned to her room, her heart still heavy. But something had changed. In the darkness of the world, Luca had chosen mercy—for her. Even if it came wrapped in blood and violence.
And somewhere deep inside her heart, she wondered: could a monster be made from love?
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