CHAPTER 69: THE BREAKING OATH

The night smelled like blood and betrayal. The air was damp, heavy with the metallic tang that always seemed to follow violence. Aria stood at the tall windows of the villa, staring out into the darkness, the distant hum of the city a faint echo beneath the pounding of her heart. Somewhere out there, Matteo was moving, plotting, aligning himself with men who wanted her gone. Somewhere out there, the oath that had once bound their fractured family together was cracking, piece by piece.

Luca’s footsteps were soft but certain as he approached her. He didn’t touch her right away, he knew better than to break the fragile bubble of thought she was lost in, but his presence alone was grounding. "They’re massing at the southern perimeter," he said quietly. "Matteo’s new allies. At least three families."

Aria didn’t turn. "Three families... all because of me."

"Not because of you," Luca said firmly. "Because of what you represent. Power they can’t control. Blood they can’t manipulate. You’re more than a pawn in their games, Aria. That terrifies them."

She let out a bitter breath, fogging the cold glass. "And it terrifies me too." Her fingers curled against the windowpane. "Every step I take feels like I’m walking into someone else’s destiny. My mother’s. My grandfather’s. Even yours. I’m not sure where I am in all of this anymore."

Luca moved closer then, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin lightly against her shoulder. "You’re here," he whispered. "With me. And that’s not fate or bloodlines, that’s choice. Every day you stay, every fight you face beside me... that’s you."

Her eyes fluttered closed, leaning into the warmth of his words even as the storm outside drew closer.

But the moment shattered with the shrill ring of Luca’s phone. He stiffened, pulling back just enough to glance at the screen. "It’s Enzo," he muttered, answering. "Talk."

Aria could hear the urgency in the reply, though she couldn’t make out the words. Luca’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked toward the window again, and for the first time tonight, she saw real fear flash there. "They’ve breached the gate," he said when he hung up. "We’re out of time."

The estate transformed into a fortress within minutes. Men loyal to Luca took positions along the hallways, their weapons gleaming beneath the low lights. Aria found herself guided toward the inner chamber, a fortified panic room disguised as a wine cellar, but she stopped at the threshold and shook her head.

"No," she said. "I’m not hiding."

Luca stared at her, frustration flashing in his dark eyes. "This isn’t a negotiation, Aria. They’re not here to talk, they’re here to kill or capture. I need you safe."

"And I need to stand," she shot back, stepping closer. "I’m not a bystander in my own life, Luca. Not anymore. If they want me, let them see exactly who I am."

He exhaled sharply, his hand brushing through his hair. "You’re going to be the death of me."

"Then we’ll die together," she murmured, and the fierce spark in her eyes left no room for argument.

A moment of silence stretched between them, then Luca nodded. "All right. Stay close. Don’t leave my side, no matter what happens."

The attack began like thunder, sudden, shattering, relentless. Gunfire cracked in the night, echoing through the estate as shadows poured over the walls. Luca’s men shouted orders, the heavy percussion of boots against marble thundering beneath Aria’s feet. She clutched the small pistol Enzo had pressed into her hand, her pulse hammering as adrenaline surged through her veins.

"Down!" Luca barked, pushing her behind an overturned table as bullets tore through the hallway. He fired back with deadly precision, his movements fluid and controlled despite the chaos.

From the corner of her eye, Aria saw faces she recognized, men from rival families, one of Matteo’s closest lieutenants and something inside her hardened. This is what they think I am worth. This is how little my life means to them.

A flash of movement drew her gaze. A masked figure crept along the wall, too close, too close to Luca. Without thinking, Aria rose from cover and fired. The man crumpled before he could aim.

Luca turned, eyes wide. "Nice shot," he breathed, pride and fear lacing his voice. "Stay sharp."

The firefight dragged on, relentless and brutal. The once-pristine halls of the villa were riddled with bullet holes, the air thick with gunpowder and smoke. But inch by inch, Luca’s people held the line.

Then, amid the chaos, a chilling voice cut through it all. "Enough!"

Matteo stepped into the corridor, flanked by armed men. His face was pale beneath the dim lights, but his smile was the same cold curve Aria had seen the day she first met him. "Little brother," he drawled. "Still playing house with the enemy?"

Luca stiffened, lowering his gun but keeping it ready. "This isn’t the way, Matteo."

"This is the only way," Matteo snarled, his mask of charm slipping. "You think you can protect her? You think you can defy the council and rewrite the old codes? She is the reason our father died. Her bloodline destroyed everything."

Aria’s breath caught. "What are you talking about?"

Matteo’s gaze swung to her, full of venom. "Didn’t Luca tell you? Our father struck a deal with your grandfather, one that would have united two empires. But your mother ran. She betrayed that pact. And when your bloodline resurfaced, our enemies followed. That’s why he’s dead. Because of you."

The words hit like a blade to the chest. Aria’s fingers trembled around the gun. "No..." she whispered. "That’s not true."

"Aria," Luca said quickly, stepping in front of her, "don’t listen to him. He’s twisting history. Father died because Matteo leaked his movements to our rivals. He’s trying to rewrite the past to justify his betrayal."

"Lies!" Matteo roared. "I did what I had to do for this family. You’re the one who betrayed us, for her."

The standoff stretched, the air crackling with hatred and heartbreak. Matteo raised his hand, and his men cocked their weapons. Luca’s soldiers did the same.

"Don’t make me do this," Luca said, voice raw. "We can still fix this, Matteo. We’re brothers."

"Not anymore," Matteo spat. "You broke the oath when you chose her over blood."

And then he fired.

The world exploded into chaos again. Luca lunged, pulling Aria down as bullets screamed overhead. Pain seared through his shoulder, but he barely felt it, his only thought to shield her. She screamed his name, hands pressing against the warm, wet stain spreading across his shirt.

"Luca! You’re hit!"

"I’m fine," he gritted out, forcing himself upright and returning fire with his uninjured arm. "Stay with me!"

Matteo’s men began to fall back as Luca’s soldiers pressed forward, fury driving them. But Matteo himself didn’t retreat. He stood in the center of the storm, hatred and grief etched into every line of his face.

"This ends tonight!" he shouted. "One way or another!"

Luca staggered forward, blood dripping from his arm. "You’re right," he said hoarsely. "It does."

The two brothers faced each other in the wreckage of their home, guns trained, years of loyalty and love hanging by a thread. Aria held her breath, tears blurring her vision. She could feel it, the weight of everything they were about to lose.

Then Matteo hesitated. Just for a heartbeat. And Luca took the shot.

The bullet tore through Matteo’s thigh, dropping him to the ground. He screamed in rage and agony as Luca’s men closed in, disarming and restraining the survivors.

Silence fell, heavy and suffocating. Aria stumbled toward Luca, her hands shaking as she touched his face. "You’re bleeding," she whispered.

"So are you," he murmured, brushing soot from her cheek. "But you’re here. That’s what matters."

Her chest heaved, the enormity of what just happened crashing over her. "We almost died," she said, voice breaking. "We almost died, Luca."

"But we didn’t." He pressed his forehead to hers, his breath shallow but steady. "We stood together. That’s what breaks them, Aria. Not bloodlines. Not power. Us."

Later, after Matteo had been taken away and the last echoes of violence faded into the night, Aria and Luca sat together on the cold marble floor of the ruined hallway. His arm was bandaged, her hands still trembling, but the world felt strangely still around them.

"Do you regret it?" she asked softly. "Choosing me... over him?"

Luca turned his head to look at her, his eyes tired but unwavering. "I didn’t choose against Matteo," he said. "I chose for us. For the life I want. The one where we fight together, even when everything falls apart."

Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. "I’m scared," she admitted. "Of what’s coming. Of who I have to become."

"So am I," he confessed. "But fear means it matters. And if it matters, it’s worth fighting for."

He reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers. "We’re going to face worse than this before it’s over. More betrayal. More blood. But I swear to you, Aria, I will stand beside you, no matter how dark it gets."

Her heart clenched at the vow. "Then I swear too," she whispered. "No more running. No more hiding. We fight. Together."

It wasn’t a dramatic moment. There were no fireworks, no triumphant music swelling in the background. Just two people, bruised and bloodied, holding on to each other in the aftermath of everything that had tried to tear them apart.

But in that quiet, broken space, something unshakable was forged, not the fragile hope of a love story, but the tempered steel of a bond that no betrayal could sever.

And as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, spilling gold over the scarred villa, Aria knew that the war for their future was far from over.

But whatever came next, they would face it side by side, and that made them unstoppable.