Chapter 12: Truth in the Shadows
The roaring engine of Luca's black SUV echoed against the narrow road as he drove swiftly, bringing both Janet and Lisa back to his mansion. Lisa was still shaking, her tear-streaked face pale as a ghost, while Janet sat in silence, her thoughts spiraling.
Luca didn't say a single word until the mansion gates closed behind them. The guards quickly cleared the area, and the maid stood waiting near the door with towels and warm clothes, clearly informed in advance.
As soon as they stepped inside, Luca's face twisted with anger. He turned toward Janet, his eyes blazing.
"How dare you leave the house when I wasn't even there?" he shouted, his voice thunderous in the silent hall.
Janet flinched. She couldn't even meet his eyes. "I… I just wanted to see Lisa. I didn't know…"
"You didn't know?" Luca snapped, pacing the floor. "I told everyone to make sure you were safe. And yet, you sneak out through the hidden door?"
Lisa stepped forward, guilt carved deep into her expression. "I'm sorry, Luca. This was my fault. They forced me to call her. I never wanted this to happen. Please forgive me."
Luca's gaze softened slightly. He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "The maid will bring you both some clothes. Lisa, you can stay here tonight."
Lisa nodded gratefully. "Thank you."
Janet looked up at Luca, her lips trembling, her eyes pleading for understanding. But he said nothing more. Instead, he gave her one final look, turned around, and walked toward his room, his heavy footsteps echoing into the silence.
Janet didn't follow. She knew she had broken his trust, and even though she wanted to speak, she couldn't. Not now.
—
The clock struck 2 a.m.
Luca was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, still fully dressed. He couldn't sleep. Something kept tugging at his instincts. A strange gut feeling, as though danger was still lurking.
His phone buzzed.
It was a call from one of his informants. He answered immediately.
"Sir… we've overheard conversations. Janet's parents—they're planning another attempt to kill her. They were seen in a bar downtown, talking openly while drunk."
Luca didn't respond. He ended the call, his eyes darkening.
He stood up, threw on his coat, and walked out without making a sound. The mansion was silent except for the faint ticking of the wall clock. The guards at the gate immediately followed his command and started the car.
—
At the bar on the far edge of town, the neon lights flickered like a dying pulse. Inside, Janet's so-called parents were drunk and loud, the stench of cheap whiskey in the air. They laughed bitterly, mocking her name with no remorse.
"She thinks she's safe with that mafia boy," her uncle scoffed, slamming his glass on the table.
Her aunt giggled, intoxicated. "Just wait until we finish her. That pretty little face won't bring her anything but a grave."
A tall shadow loomed behind them.
Luca.
He was dressed in all black, a dark coat fluttering behind him. His face was unreadable, but his eyes burned with rage.
Before either of them could react, his guards surrounded them. He gave a simple nod. Without hesitation, they dragged the drunk couple outside.
They struggled, cursed, but were powerless against the armed guards.
—
A few hours later…
In a cold, dimly lit underground chamber—the walls concrete, the air filled with tension—Janet's uncle and aunt were tied to metal chairs. Their wrists bound, mouths taped, eyes filled with confusion and fear.
Luca stood in front of them, slowly removing the tape from their mouths. His gun was strapped to his side, clearly visible. Two guards flanked him.
He stepped forward, his voice cold as ice.
"Why don't you love your daughter?"
Her uncle let out a snide laugh, clearly still drunk. "Love? That girl isn't even our daughter."
Luca's brows furrowed. "What?"
"She's not ours," her aunt hissed. "Her real parents died in a car accident when she was a baby. We—her uncle and aunt—were forced to take her in. She was nothing but a burden. A waste of space. A pretty face we could cash out one day."
Luca's fists clenched.
"She always tried to make you both happy. Do you know what she's been through? Do you even care?"
"We never cared," her uncle spat. "She's a bitch. Just like her mother."
Before another word could be uttered, the sharp crack of a gunshot filled the room.
Luca had pulled the trigger.
Her uncle slumped in the chair, lifeless.
Her aunt screamed, trying to move, but the chair didn't budge.
"She's nothing! She's useless! We only wanted money!" she shrieked.
Luca walked over, raising the gun again. "You never deserved her."
One more shot.
Silence.
The guards stood still. Luca turned his back to the scene and walked out of the chamber, his heart burning.
This wasn't just about love anymore. This was about justice.
—
Back at the mansion, Janet stirred in her sleep, sensing the tension in the air. She couldn't tell why, but something deep inside her felt… lighter. As though a storm had passed.
She turned on her side, pulling the blanket around her tightly. Little did she know, the truth of her past had finally been laid bare.
And Luca… had taken another burden onto his own soul to protect the woman he had always loved.
End of Chapter 13