Elena reluctantly got up from the bed, still feeling a bit dazed from the night of passion with Luca. She had yet to put away her clothes in the wardrobe, and the thought of sharing a bed with him again made her grudgingly sigh. After dinner, they were definitely going to have a talk about getting separate rooms. She didn't care what Luca's father thought anymore. It was clear that he was taking advantage of the situation for more than just the inheritance.
As she changed into comfortable clothes, Elena made her way to the dining area. The mansion was so large that it was difficult to locate, but she managed to find her way. As she walked into the dining room, she couldn't help but admire the immaculate table setting before her. The white tablecloth was perfectly laid out, with silver cutlery neatly arranged beside the exquisite china plates. The centerpiece of the table was a stunning floral arrangement that added a touch of elegance to the already impressive display.
Her eyes then fell upon the plates, where an array of Italian delicacies had been carefully placed. The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air, and her mouth watered at the sight of the deliciously prepared dishes. A bowl of al dente spaghetti sat beside a plate of creamy risotto, both dishes cooked to perfection. As she scanned the table, her eyes landed on a plate of succulent meatballs, made with the freshest ingredients and served in a rich tomato sauce. Beside it sat a platter of golden brown chicken Parmesan, smothered in melted mozzarella cheese and garnished with fresh basil.
Luca and his father were already seated and appeared to be deep in conversation. Luca noticed Elena's arrival first, smiling at her as she approached. However, she refused to meet his gaze. Andrea noticed her afterward and welcomed her to the table.
“Come on, join us," he said with a smile.
Elena smiled and nodded, taking her seat next to Luca without sparing him a glance. Andrea noticed the tension between them but chose not to say anything, instead watching the interaction between the two.
After finishing their meal, Luca made to excuse himself, but his dad stopped him. "There's dessert. Won't you wait?" Andrea raised a brow, hoping to catch evidence to prove that their relationship was a sham.
"You know I don't eat dessert, Father," Luca replied curtly, eying his father.
"Oh, I know that well, son," Andrea responded, with a sly smile. "But the lady here might be interested. Don't tell me you don't eat dessert too. I'll be bored all by myself."
Elena wanted to leave that place as soon as possible, but she didn't want to give Andrea the satisfaction of thinking that their relationship was fake. "I'll oblige, Mr. Romano," she said.
"Good!" Andrea exclaimed. "You can leave now, son. I now have company," he smiled at Luca.
"You wish," Luca said, knowing exactly what his father wanted. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of being alone with Elena. "You're going to have dessert now?" Andrea chuckled.
"Probably," Luca replied curtly and folded his arms. His father wanted to play this game, so it was game on!
"While we wait, I want to hear an interesting story from you, Elena," Andrea said, facing her while ignoring his sulking son.
"Dad..." Luca interjected.
"I wasn't talking to you, boy," Andrea snapped.
"She's tired. You can talk tomorrow," Luca said, trying to protect Elena.
"She didn't say that," Andrea countered. "And it's just a few questions. She'll have to give little or no answer."
Elena could feel the tension between father and son, and she understood what was at stake. Andrea was determined to prove that their relationship was fake, while Luca wasn't ready to reveal the truth. Elena knew that if she was going to remain part of the family, she had to help Luca navigate this situation.
"Babe," Elena placed her hand on Luca's to calm him. "Your dad just wants to get to know me. It's fine," she said, smiling sweetly at him. Luca just stared at her, trying to gather his thoughts. But before he could speak, Elena interrupted him by placing her fingers on his lips.
"I got this," she communicated silently, facing him away from Andrea's sight.
"Now that's it," Andrea said with a triumphant laugh as Elena turned her attention towards him. She knew Andrea well, having spent enough time with the family. But this man, she knew more than anyone else.
"So, Mr. Romano, what would you like to know?" Elena smiled sweetly, dreading what was to come.
Andrea's lips curved into a smile as he leaned forward. "Let's start with when you just met. How did you two meet?" he asked.
Elena looked from Andrea to Luca, knowing that she had to be careful. "We met on a rainy day," she said quickly with a smile.
Luca closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. Elena had messed up. "A rainy day, ugh?" Andrea asked, his tone teasing as he looked from Elena to Luca.
"Don't look at me like that, father," Luca hissed.
"I should, son. You have always hated rain. You never go out on a rainy day since your mother died," Andrea stated, pausing to watch their reactions.
Elena bit her lip, realizing she had messed up. She should have listened to Andrea and kept her mouth shut. But it was too late now.
“That was a different day," Luca spoke up, breaking the silence. His father, Andrea, looked at him curiously, waiting for him to continue. "I had this strong urge to go out, and then I met her," Luca forced a smile.
"I was talking to the lady, son," Andrea smiled at him.
"Well, what's the difference if I tell you or her?" Luca hissed.
"Well…" Andrea began to respond, but his phone rang, interrupting him. Luca had a triumphant look on his face. "We'll have to retire now, father," he said as he turned to Elena.
"Let's go, Babe," he said sweetly to her, and she obediently followed him like a puppy.
"Good night, Mr. Romano," Elena said to Andrea, who just nodded in response. "We'll talk some other time. We have plenty of time, Elena," Andrea smiled charmingly, his smile just like his son's - charming and breathtaking.
"Sure," Elena nodded, trailing after Luca.
As soon as they got to their room, Luca berated her. "What the fuck was that all about?!" he exclaimed.
"I was just trying to help," Elena replied, already irritated.
"And look where that got us," Luca hissed. "If you continue like this, we won't last in our so-called one-year marriage."
"Like I want it to last," Elena muttered in anger, even though she didn't mean it.
"What was that?" Luca asked.
"Nothing important for your ears," Elena said, walking away from him. But Luca caught her and pulled her to him. He wrapped his hands around her waist and stared down at her, their breath fanning each other.
"You are mine forever, Amora," he whispered. "Don't you ever forget that."
Elena just watched him, torn between her anger and desire for this man. Her heart wanted to pull away from his grip, but her body was telling her otherwise. She wanted this man now, even though she felt a burning sensation of anger.
"Kiss me, Amora," Luca whispered, and Elena did without a second thought. She was indeed crazy. Crazy over Luca, as much as he was over her.
Luca and Elena's lips met in a fiery kiss, igniting a passion that had been simmering for days. Luca's hands found their way beneath Elena's top, caressing her breasts, until Elena drew back."I can't stay in the same room as you," she said, trying to catch her breath.Luca chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Scared you won't be able to get your hands off me?" he teased.Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "I'll sleep on the couch," she stated, trying to distance herself from the temptation."You can't," Luca said seriously."What?" Elena asked, confused."We can make a compromise that suits both of us," Luca proposed, and Elena eyed him suspiciously."And what is that?" she asked, unsure of where this was going."We can both stay on the bed, let's just divide it with a pillow. You on one side, and I'll stay far away from you," Luca suggested, his eyes twinkling with mischief.Elena hesitated, wondering whether she should trust him. "What if you try to...," she trailed off, not sure how t
Rio turned to look at Elena with a raised brow. “Ah…Luca. He has been my only friend since childhood. And I…” He started his last statement with a cocky smile. “…have been his confidant, his only one.” He completed, as if trying to claim ownership of something. Elena nodded knowingly. “You both make a great duo.” She forced a smile while Rio narrowed his eyes at her and turned to look at Luca, who was shining on stage while giving his speech. “Yeah, I know, right. But he still married you,” he said. “We aren’t married yet,” Elena corrected. “You will be. Soon. To my distaste,” Rio added unknowingly. Then he realized what he had said and quickly forced a smile. “I mean, it feels like my best friend will be taken away from me.” He said. “Something like that,” he added while Elena chuckled nervously. She couldn’t figure out what game Rio was playing. As her phone rang, she checked her caller ID, it was her spy at Romano group. They had an agreement not to call each other except on ce
Elena let out a sigh and wriggled out of Luca's grip. "I'm tired. I had a long day," she said as she walked up to the bed and laid down in her usual position. Luca stood there for a moment, brushing his hands through his hair in frustration before heading into the bathroom to wash up.As soon as Elena was sure he was out of the room, she turned onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. "Is it worth it?" she muttered, her mind wandering back to the memory of her and Luca's first meeting. His intense gaze and the way he touched her cheeks flooded her thoughts, causing her heart to race."It must have been lonely for him," she muttered again, turning her gaze in the direction of the bathroom before quickly looking away. Elena wanted to do something for someone, for Luca, even though he was the son of her enemy."He doesn't love you, Elena. He's just obsessed with your body," she berated herself, biting her lip as she tried to give herself a reason not to give up on her revenge. "Even i
Rio watched as Luca smiled sheepishly, oblivious to his friend's presence. The smile on Luca's face was one Rio had never seen before. It was the smile of a high school kid in love. Rio swallowed, preparing to ask the question he dreaded."Are you in love with her?" Rio asked, finally gathering the courage to confront his friend.Luca's dazed expression turned into a scowl as he turned to face Rio."Do you love Elena? Or is she just a pawn in your games?" Rio asked slowly, carefully choosing his words."Love?" Luca chuckled, raising an eyebrow in amusement."So?" Rio pestered, anxious for an answer."Maybe," Luca said, a mischievous glint in his eye.Rio sighed, frustrated by his friend's lack of commitment."Maybe not," Luca added quickly.Rio watched him intently, waiting for an explanation."Well, the thing is that I've never been in love before, and I don't know what it means to be in love," Luca said innocently.Rio shook his head in disbelief. "Who would believe this grown, fine
Elena ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding with fear as she heard the sound of footsteps pounding the pavement behind her. She didn't know who the man chasing her was or why he was after her, but she knew she had to keep running if she wanted to stay alive.The streets were dark and empty, the only sounds the echoing of her own footsteps and the ragged breaths she was taking as she tried to keep up her pace. She was wearing high heels, and they made it difficult for her to run fast, but she was determined not to let the man catch her.She turned a corner, and her heart leaped with hope as she saw the lights of a convenience store up ahead. Maybe she could run inside and call for help. But as she got closer, she saw that the store was closed and dark. Her hope turned to despair as she realized she was still alone and being chased.Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her arm, and she stumbled, almost falling to the ground. The man had caught up to her, and he was much stronger than s
Luca stepped into the grand mansion, the opulent décor reminding him of how far he had come. He was relieved to finally be in the safety of his room, but as he reached for the doorknob, his phone rang. The Caller ID displayed Rio's name."Hey man," Rio greeted him from the other end."Hey," Luca replied, his voice lacking its usual enthusiasm.Rio sensed something was wrong. "What is it, Luca? You don't sound good."Luca took a deep breath before revealing the terrible news. "Someone attacked Elena last night. She's been admitted to the hospital.""What?" Rio exclaimed. "Did you catch the attacker yet?"Luca shook his head, even though Rio couldn't see him. "No, I'll head to the police station later to file a complaint. Talk to you later, Rio. I need to be with Elena now." Luca hung up and let out a heavy sigh.The thought of losing Elena made him shudder. Last night had been a nightmare. He had planned to surprise her by visiting her studio and taking her out to dinner, but instead,
Elena forced herself off the bed and got to the phone on the couch before Luca. She grabbed it and turned it off quickly as the ringing stopped. She turned to look up at a surprised Luca.“What…..” he asked with a shocked expression.Then he realized Elena stood up from the bed…” I told you to fucking stay put!” He berated while Elena gave a sheepish smile. He eyed her and carried her in a bridal style and placed her back on the bed.“Luca, I’m fine. I can walk on my own,” Elena protested.“I don’t care. You could have hurt yourself,” he replied.Elena still held onto the phone like her life depended on it.Luca stood and looked down at her while Elena tried her best to avoid his gaze.“What was that about?” He asked. Elena looked at him pretending she didn’t know what he was pointing at.“Why did you rush like that to pick the phone?” He asked while Elena bit her lips.“Ugh….I didn’t want you doing things for me. It feels weird.” She chuckled nervously. From the look on Luca’s face,
Elena's phone rang, and she picked it up with a heavy heart. It was Ryan on the other end, his voice laced with concern. "What happened, Elena?" he asked.Elena let out a deep sigh before answering. "I got into an accident recently. Someone tried to kill me, Ryan," she said, her voice shaking with fear.Ryan was incredulous. "Jeez! And you're just telling me?! What are we? Strangers? How could you…"Elena cut him off. "It's fine now. I'm recovering," she said, hoping to calm him down.But Ryan wasn't having it. "Do you think someone knows our plan and is trying to kill you?" he asked after a long pause.Elena didn't think so. "The police are yet to catch the attacker. Plus, Luca promised he's going to get to the bottom of it all. I trust him," she said, trying to reassure Ryan.Ryan was furious. "What? You trust him now? What the fuck, Elena!" he yelled.Elena sighed again, feeling the weight of Ryan's anger. "He's not a bad person. Maybe his family is, but not him, Ryan."Ryan didn't