CHAPTER 85: THE STORM RETURNS

The morning after felt heavier than most, though the sun shone bright against the glass walls. It should have been an ordinary day, with breakfast shared, quiet laughter, and a few stolen kisses before Luca disappeared into meetings. But the tension in his shoulders as he dressed told Aria that the peace they had built was already slipping through his fingers.

She stood by the bed, watching him knot his tie. "You’re leaving early."

He met her eyes in the mirror. "Something came up."

"Something... or someone?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light but failing.

Luca turned, the tie still hanging loose around his neck. "You know I’d tell you if I could."

"That’s what you said before everything fell apart the first time," she said softly.

The memory hung between them like smoke, the lies, the kidnapping, the blood. She didn’t want to revisit it, but she couldn’t pretend it didn’t shape the way she looked at him now.

He stepped closer, his fingers brushing her chin. "I made you a promise, Aria. No more secrets. But I also promised to protect you. Sometimes those two things don’t fit together."

She met his gaze steadily. "Then maybe you need to find a way to make them fit. Because I can’t live half in the dark anymore."

He studied her for a long moment, then exhaled and reached into his jacket pocket. He handed her a small black phone, one that wasn’t hers. "If anything happens, you use this. It’s encrypted. It connects directly to me."

Her heart sank. "Luca..."

"It’s just precaution," he said quickly, trying to calm her. "Matteo’s men have been seen near the old docks. I don’t want you leaving the house without security."

She shook her head. "You said he was gone."

"I said he disappeared," Luca corrected, voice low and edged with warning. "There’s a difference."

Aria’s stomach twisted. "You think he’s coming back?"

Luca tightened his tie, his eyes darkening. "I think men like Matteo don’t disappear without a reason. He’s planning something. And until I know what, you stay here. Promise me."

"I can’t just hide while you walk into danger."

"Yes, you can," he said sharply, his voice breaking the morning calm. Then, softer, "Please, Aria. Just this once, listen."

She looked at him, really looked and saw the exhaustion beneath the armor. The shadows under his eyes, the silent war raging in his mind. He was scared, though he’d never admit it. Not of dying, but of losing her again.

She swallowed hard. "Come back to me, Luca."

He brushed a thumb across her cheek. "Always."

And then he was gone, leaving the echo of his promise behind him.

The hours stretched endlessly. Aria tried to distract herself, reading, pacing, making tea she didn’t drink. Every sound from the hallway made her heart jump. Every vibration of her phone sent a tremor of hope that it might be him.

But silence lingered, heavy and suffocating.

When she finally heard the knock at the door, she froze. It wasn’t the pattern Luca used, two short, one long. This one was hesitant. Too cautious.

She went to the door anyway, her heart thudding. "Who is it?"

"Eli," came the reply. "It’s me."

She opened the door to find Luca’s right-hand man standing there, tension etched across his face. "Where’s Luca?"

Eli stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "He’s fine. For now. But there’s something you need to know."

Aria’s throat went dry. "What happened?"

"He met with a contact this morning. The meeting didn’t go as planned. There was an ambush, someone tipped Matteo off."

Her breath hitched. "Is he hurt?"

"Not physically," Eli said carefully. "But he’s furious. He’s convinced there’s a mole in his circle. He told me to get you out of the city until things settle."

She shook her head immediately. "No. I’m not leaving him."

"Aria, listen"

"No," she said firmly, her voice shaking with emotion. "Every time I leave, something worse happens. I’m not doing it again."

Eli hesitated, torn between duty and understanding. "He’s trying to protect you."

"Then let me protect him," she said. "Take me to him."

He stared at her for a long moment before sighing. "He’s not going to like this."

"I don’t care."

The warehouse smelled of metal and gasoline. Men moved quietly, tension thick in the air. When Aria stepped out of the car, every head turned, some with surprise, others with wariness.

Luca stood near the center, his white shirt streaked faintly with dust and blood. He was barking orders, fury burning in every motion. But the moment he saw her, everything stopped.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, striding toward her.

Eli muttered something about her refusing to stay put, but Luca barely heard him. His eyes locked on Aria, sharp and furious and afraid all at once.

"I told you to stay home."

"I couldn’t," she said quietly. "Not when I didn’t know if you were alive."

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping in front of her again. "You don’t understand how dangerous this is"

"Then explain it to me," she interrupted. "Because standing at home wondering if you’re bleeding out somewhere feels worse than any danger."

Luca’s jaw tightened. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, finally, he exhaled, his anger collapsing into exhaustion.

"Matteo’s back," he said simply. "And he’s not alone this time."

Aria’s blood ran cold. "What does that mean?"

"It means he’s building alliances," Luca said grimly. "Old enemies, new money. Someone inside gave him our supply routes. He’s been hitting every weak point we have."

"Do you know who betrayed you?"

"Not yet."

She reached for his hand, but he flinched, not away from her, but from the thought. "Whoever it is," she said, "we’ll find them."

He looked at her, the steel returning to his eyes. "We won’t do anything. I will handle it."

"And I’ll be beside you," she said, refusing to back down.

Luca’s expression softened just slightly, his resolve cracking. "You really don’t know how to walk away, do you?"

"Not from you," she whispered.

He pulled her close then, his forehead pressing against hers. "You’re going to be the death of me."

"Then at least you’ll die loved."

A ghost of a smile crossed his face, but it didn’t last. One of the guards rushed in, whispering something in Luca’s ear. His entire body went still.

"What is it?" Aria asked.

"They found Matteo," Luca said quietly. "He’s here."

Before she could react, the warehouse doors exploded open. Men in black poured in, gunfire echoing off steel walls.

Luca shoved Aria behind a stack of crates. "Stay down!" he shouted, pulling his weapon.

Her heart pounded, the chaos blurring around her. Eli and the others fired back, but the enemy kept advancing. The air smelled of smoke and fear.

Then she saw him, Matteo, stepping through the haze, calm as ever, his smile cold.

"Luca," Matteo called out, his voice echoing across the chaos. "Still playing king, I see."

Luca stepped forward, gun raised. "You should’ve stayed dead."

"Death’s boring," Matteo replied, eyes glinting. "Besides, you have something that belongs to me."

Luca didn’t respond, but Aria knew what he meant. Her.

Matteo’s gaze slid to her, crouched behind the crates. "Ah. There she is. The queen that tamed the monster."

Before Luca could move, Matteo fired, not at her, but at the guards beside her. Aria screamed as bullets tore through the air. Luca lunged, tackling her to the ground, shielding her with his body.

When the noise finally died down, Matteo was gone. Only smoke and blood remained.

Luca’s breathing was ragged as he lifted his head. "Are you hurt?"

Aria shook her head, tears streaking her face. "No, but Luca, you’re bleeding."

He glanced down at his arm, where a thin red line stretched across his sleeve. "It’s nothing."

She pressed her hands against the wound anyway. "Don’t say that."

He caught her wrist gently. "You’re shaking."

"You could’ve died," she whispered.

"But I didn’t," he said softly. "Because I had a reason not to."

Her eyes met his, wet and terrified. "He’s not going to stop, is he?"

Luca shook his head. "No. But neither will I."

Outside, sirens wailed in the distance. Inside, among the smoke and ruin, Aria realized something with chilling clarity, this wasn’t the end.

It was the beginning of the final war.

And this time, love alone might not be enough to save them.

The aftermath was a blur of medics and questions, with Luca’s wound stitched in the back of an ambulance while Aria refused to leave his side. His men swept the warehouse, cataloging losses, securing perimeters. Matteo had vanished again, a ghost in the machine.

Dawn found Luca and Aria on the terrace, bloodied but whole. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

"We will win this war," he whispered.

She nodded, tears falling. "We will."

Their love, forged in fractures, tempered in flames, emerged unbreakable. Not perfect, but theirs.