Chapter 5 - The Secret Hidden Inside Luca’s Own House
Darkness.
A gunshot.
Mila screamed.
Someone hit the ground.
Then Luca’s hand closed around her wrist.
“Move.”
She didn’t know whether he was injured.
She didn’t ask.
She ran.
Michael followed.
Another gunshot exploded behind them.
Concrete chipped from the wall.
Luca dragged Mila through a narrow side passage.
“Where are we going?”
“Out.”
“How do you know?”
“I studied the plans before we came.”
Of course he had.
Even while arguing with her.
Even while pretending he had simply decided to follow her.
Luca Romano never walked into danger without mapping the exits.
They emerged behind the cemetery.
A black SUV raced toward them.
Adrian drove.
Still bandaged from the warehouse.
“Get in!”
Everyone climbed inside.
Only then did Mila notice blood on Luca’s sleeve.
“You’re hurt.”
“Not mine.”
She stared.
“Whose?”
“Samuel’s.”
“Did you—”
“He’s alive.”
Luca looked out the window.
“For now.”
Michael sat opposite him.
The tension between them was immediate.
“You knew Victor was alive,” Luca said.
“I suspected.”
“You could have told someone.”
“I trusted your father.”
“And after he died?”
“I trusted no Romano.”
Luca’s eyes hardened.
“My father died believing you were dead.”
Michael’s face changed.
“What?”
“He blamed himself.”
“For what?”
“For failing to protect you.”
Michael looked away.
The SUV sped through the outskirts.
Mila sat between two worlds.
Her father.
Alive after nine years.
Luca.
The man who had arrived ten minutes after one reckless text and somehow become the center of everything.
Adrian glanced through the rearview mirror.
“We can’t go back to the estate.”
“Why?” Mila asked.
Luca answered.
“If Samuel controlled security, he had access to everything.”
“The cameras?”
“Yes.”
“The gates?”
“Yes.”
“Your private office?”
“Yes.”
Mila suddenly understood.
“He could have seen the investigation.”
“He could have seen you arrive.”
“And my phone?”
“Possibly.”
Michael leaned forward.
“You need to disappear.”
Luca looked at him.
“I don’t disappear.”
“You should learn.”
“We’re not hiding.”
“Then you’ll die.”
Luca’s gaze sharpened.
“People have been predicting that for years.”
Mila snapped.
“Can both of you stop?”
Silence.
She looked at her father first.
“You don’t get to reappear after nine years and start ordering everyone around.”
Michael’s face tightened.
Then she looked at Luca.
“And you don’t get to act immortal.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Luca glanced at him.
“Something funny?”
“Not remotely.”
They relocated to a safe apartment downtown.
No staff.
No permanent security system.
No connection to Romano Holdings.
Just four walls, locked doors, and exhaustion.
Michael showered.
Adrian began contacting trusted people.
Luca stood at the window.
Mila approached.
“Show me your arm.”
“I’m fine.”
“Show me.”
He looked at her.
She held out her hand.
After a moment, he removed his jacket.
A shallow cut ran along his forearm.
Mila found the medical kit.
“You were hit.”
“Grazed.”
“That counts as hit.”
“No.”
She cleaned the wound.
Luca watched her.
“You’re angry.”
“Yes.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
“What did I do?”
“You followed me.”
“You’re welcome.”
She looked up.
“You could have died.”
“So could you.”
“That is exactly my point.”
They held each other’s gaze.
Mila’s hand remained around his wrist.
Neither moved.
Something had changed.
Maybe in the rain.
Maybe in the church.
Maybe the moment he stepped between her and Victor without hesitation.
Mila lowered her eyes.
“Adrian said you would burn the city down for me.”
“He exaggerates.”
“You walked into an ambush.”
“I would have done that for any employee.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Would you?”
“No.”
The answer slipped out.
Luca’s expression changed.
Mila stopped breathing.
He looked away.
“Luca.”
“No.”
“You cannot say that and then ‘no’ me.”
“I can.”
“Why did you come that night?”
“You asked.”
“That’s not the whole reason.”
Luca was silent.
Mila’s heart beat faster.
“Tell me.”
He turned toward her.
For once, there was no cold mask.
No intimidating executive.
Just a man who seemed tired of fighting himself.
“I came because the thought of you needing someone and choosing me…”
He stopped.
“What?”
“It mattered.”
Mila swallowed.
“How much?”
His eyes dropped briefly to her lips.
Then returned to her eyes.
“More than it should.”
The room became very quiet.
Mila’s fingers loosened around the bandage.
Luca stepped closer.
He did not touch her.
He never touched her first.
That realization made her chest ache.
He always waited.
Always gave her the choice.
Mila rose onto her toes.
Then Michael entered the room.
“Mila.”
She jumped backward.
Luca stepped away.
Michael looked between them.
His expression darkened.
“No.”
Mila blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You and him?”
“There is no ‘me and him.’”
“There looked like one.”
Luca’s expression became unreadable.
Michael turned toward him.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
Mila closed her eyes.
“Dad.”
“I mean it.”
“So do I. Stop.”
Michael looked at her.
“You don’t know what his family is.”
“I know what Luca is.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“After two years scheduling his meetings?”
Mila stiffened.
Michael continued.
“You think he’s different because he speaks softly? Because he protects you?”
“He has done more for me in two days than you did in nine years.”
The words landed hard.
Michael went pale.
Mila immediately regretted them.
But she didn’t take them back.
Michael left.
Luca said quietly:
“That was cruel.”
“I know.”
“He deserved some of it.”
“I know.”
She sat down.
“Everything is a mess.”
Luca remained beside her.
“Most important things are.”
She looked at him.
“That almost sounded wise.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Hours later, Adrian discovered Samuel’s connection to Victor.
Payments.
Fake companies.
Encrypted communications.
But one detail mattered more than the rest.
Samuel had entered Luca’s private vault three nights earlier.
“What’s in the vault?” Mila asked.
Luca became still.
“Documents.”
“What kind?”
“Old family records.”
Michael entered.
“Your father’s files?”
“Yes.”
Michael frowned.
“Victor wants something from them.”
Luca looked at Adrian.
“Inventory.”
“Already checking.”
Ten minutes later, Adrian returned.
“One file is missing.”
“Which?”
“Your father’s death records.”
Silence.
Luca’s eyes sharpened.
“My father died in a hospital.”
“Yes.”
“Why steal the records?”
Adrian held up a second folder.
“Because he didn’t die from a heart attack.”
Luca stared.
“What?”
“The autopsy was altered.”
Michael slowly sat down.
“I knew it.”
“What killed him?” Mila asked.
Adrian looked at Luca.
“Poison.”
Nobody spoke.
Luca’s father had been murdered.
Like Michael had almost been.
Victor hadn’t simply stolen money.
He had dismantled everyone who could expose him.
Mila suddenly remembered something.
“My dad.”
Everyone turned.
“If Victor needed him dead, why let him survive?”
Michael’s expression changed.
Luca noticed.
“You know.”
Michael looked away.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
Mila stood.
“Why are you alive?”
Michael’s face tightened.
“Because Victor didn’t spare me.”
“What does that mean?”
“He needed me.”
“For what?”
Michael closed his eyes.
“To keep the accounts moving.”
Mila stared.
“You worked for him?”
“I had no choice.”
“You had nine years.”
“He threatened you and your mother.”
“You still worked for him.”
“Yes.”
Luca watched silently.
Mila’s voice cracked.
“Did you help move the forty million?”
Michael didn’t answer.
Her stomach dropped.
“You did.”
“I thought I was keeping you alive.”
“You helped him.”
“I survived for you.”
“No.”
Mila backed away.
“You survived.”
Michael flinched.
Then Adrian’s laptop chimed.
Everyone turned.
He frowned at the screen.
“What?”
Adrian looked at Luca.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“The stolen money is moving.”
“How much?”
“All of it.”
“Where?”
Adrian typed.
His face went pale.
“Into an account registered under Mila Bennett.”
Mila froze.
“What?”
Luca moved behind Adrian.
On the screen:
BENNETT, MILA J.
Forty million dollars.
Transferred minutes ago.
Mila’s phone rang.
Victor.
She knew before answering.
Luca shook his head.
She answered anyway.
Victor’s voice came through.
“Hello, Mila.”
“What did you do?”
“I gave you a gift.”
“You framed me.”
“I gave law enforcement a reason to believe you stole forty million dollars from Romano Holdings.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
Victor continued.
“And Luca now has exactly one hour to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“His empire.”
A pause.
“Or you.”
The line disconnected.
Seconds later, sirens sounded below the building.
Adrian looked out the window.
“Federal agents.”
Mila’s face drained.
Luca reached for her hand.
“What do we do?”
Mila expected an order.
A plan.
A command.
Instead, Luca looked directly into her eyes.
And said:
May you like
“We find out whether Victor is right about what I’m willing to lose.”
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