The room was dimly lit, filled with the aroma of aged wine and blooming orchids. Seraphina sat poised on a velvet settee in her penthouse suite, her long black gown cascading like liquid ink, a slit running dangerously up her thigh. Her fingers traced the rim of a crystal glass, the red wine within catching the dim chandelier glow like blood caught mid-spill.
Her phone rang, slicing through the thick silence.
She hesitated, lips curling in distaste. Whoever it was, they were either desperate or stupid.
Finally, she picked up, voice like ice cracking over fire.
Bianca’s voice crackled through the speaker, fast, nervous.
Seraphina raised an unimpressed brow. "And who," she said dryly, "is this porcelain doll pretending to call me with purpose?"
"It’s Bianca," came the quiet reply.
Then Seraphina’s expression shifted—mild intrigue blooming into wicked delight.
"Ooh..." she purred, swirling her wine slowly. "Hi, Luca’s old mistress."
Bianca’s jaw twitched. "I didn’t call for games."
"Oh, darling. Life is a game. And right now, you’re playing on my board."
Bianca took a breath, steel edging into her tone. "I want to make a deal."
That got Seraphina’s full attention. She sat up slightly, her smile sharpening like a blade.
"You want access to the Morano properties," Bianca began, measured and clear. "You’ve tried through officials, failed bribes, and forgotten surnames. You’re stuck. I can get you in. I still have legal leverage buried in estate documentation. Give me one week."
Seraphina’s wine glass froze mid-air.
"I’ll unlock the doors," Bianca continued, "but I want something in return."
"And here it is," Seraphina murmured, a predator sensing blood.
"I want Luca and Alessia destroyed."
Seraphina tilted her head, interest igniting in her dark eyes. "Destroyed how?"
"I want women," Bianca said coldly. "Seductive. Strategic. Ones who will get close to Luca—make him doubt, make Alessia wonder. I want mistrust planted like a virus. I want chaos."
Seraphina stood, sauntering toward the fireplace, her heels echoing with deadly rhythm.
"You want Luca broken by seduction and doubt. Let him start questioning what’s real, who to trust. Until Alessia walks away—or worse, stays, but hollowed."
Bianca’s voice was crisp. "Exactly."
A smirk tugged at Seraphina’s lips.
"Jealousy is the sharpest poison. I’ve wielded it well. Fine. Let’s call it a deal."
She tossed her wine into the flames—orange fire roared higher.
Then she turned, walking as though each step sealed fate.
"You have one week, Bianca. Get me those documents. Fail... and I won’t come for Alessia." She leaned close to the phone, voice silky and lethal. "I’ll come for you."
Bianca didn’t flinch. "I never fail."
Seraphina’s eyes glinted. "Good girl."
But a war had just begun.
Luca sat at the edge of their bed, shirtless, tense, muscles tight beneath golden skin that glistened faintly under the bedroom’s soft lighting. His phone lay cold in his hand, screen dark.
His thumb hovered over Donato’s contact.
"The number you’re trying to reach is currently switched off..."
The robotic voice made his blood simmer.
"Dammit," Luca muttered, flinging the phone onto the nightstand. "Why won’t he pick up?"
Alessia walked in quietly, her soft white robe hugging her curves, her hair falling in gentle waves. She carried two steaming mugs and placed one beside him without a word.
"He always keeps his phone on," Luca said, frustration cracking through. "Even when he’s overseas. Something’s wrong."
She sat beside him, placing her warm hand over his tense thigh.
"He’s smart," she whispered. "If he’s off the grid, he’s got a reason."
Luca leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fists clenched. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios. Kidnapped. Betrayed. Dead.
Alessia shifted closer and wrapped her arms around him from behind, her cheek pressing gently against his spine.
"I know it’s eating at you," she said softly. "But you don’t have to face this storm alone. I’m your anchor, Luca. I’m not going anywhere."
Her voice—so sure, so calm—cut through the panic.
Luca turned slowly, his hands coming up to frame her face. Her eyes met his with unwavering devotion.
In a world where bloodlines meant war and love came at a cost, she was his home.
"I don’t know what I did to deserve you," he whispered, voice cracking.
Alessia blinked through the sting of tears. "You let me in—even when your walls were made of steel and secrets."
He leaned in and kissed her.
It was a kiss that didn’t beg for forgiveness or promise forever—it was a vow of presence. Of breath. Of now.
When they parted, Luca rested his forehead against hers.
"If anything happens to Donato..." he began.
"We’ll find him," she interrupted softly, tracing his jaw. "Together. Nothing will happen to him."
"I have to go to the office. Vultures need taming, rumors need smothering, and enemies need reminding why the name Morano still makes them shiver."
He grabbed his coffee, took a long sip, and smirked. "Perfect. Just like you."
Alessia folded her arms on the doorframe, eyes dancing. "Come back safe."
He winked. "Only if you’re waiting."
And then he was gone.
The afternoon sun glinted off polished tiles as the front gate buzzed. Alessia, in the middle of folding laundry, frowned and walked over to the intercom.
The screen lit up—Daisy waved furiously from a cab, wild curls bouncing.
"Daisy?" Alessia said aloud, surprised.
Moments later, they sat in the living room, cups of coffee steaming between them.
"I went to the hospital," Daisy began, her voice urgent. "To see Grandpa."
Alessia nodded. "Is he alright?"
"Yeah. But that’s not the shocker." Daisy leaned in. "You remember Lorenzo? Your ex who tried to drag you off with the Atlans?"
Alessia’s face stiffened. "He died. Shot in the head."
Daisy’s eyes widened. "Wrong. He’s alive."
Alessia’s breath stopped.
"He’s been in a coma," Daisy said. "Hidden. Quiet. But today, when I walked in—he opened his eyes."
"No..." Alessia whispered.
"Yes," Daisy confirmed. "He looked straight past the nurse and said: ’Where’s my Alessia? Luca took her away...’"
Alessia’s heart thundered, a chill racing down her spine.
"Whatever it means—it’s huge. And we’re right in the middle of it.".....