Array
(
[text] =>

The return to home turf was less dramatic than their chaotic Swiss adventures, but the moment they stepped off the private jet, reality slapped Damien right in the face.

His phone had been blowing up nonstop.

Luca could tell—just by the tightness in Damien's jaw, the way his fingers hovered over his phone—that something was brewing.

The mafia never rested, and Damien's temporary escape had only delayed the inevitable.

"Don't even think about disappearing on me," Luca said, adjusting the carry-on bag on his shoulder. "Or I will drag you back from wherever you run off to."

Damien smirked. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, I will."

A single text popped up on Damien's phone, the name flashing across the screen.

Vincent.

Luca saw it.

He didn't ask, but Damien sighed. "Looks like I have to deal with a few things."

Luca raised a brow. "Serious things?"

Damien gave him a look—the kind that meant 'yes, but I don't want you to worry about it.'

Luca rolled his eyes. "Fine, go. But I expect a full report later."

Damien leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to Luca's forehead. "Noted."

And just like that, Damien disappeared into the storm of his world—black cars, men in suits, and a business that never slept.

Luca let out a long breath before heading home.

He had a feeling things were about to get messy.

Luca wasn't worried. Not yet.

Damien had his hands full with the mess his men had undoubtedly let pile up in his absence, and Luca?

He wasn't about to sit around like some helpless house spouse.

Instead, he spent the next two days catching up on his own work, sorting through business emails, clothing orders, and product shipments. Mochi, the traitor, spent half his time curled up on Luca's laptop, making things ten times harder.

But Damien?

Damien hadn't come home.

Luca noticed. Of course he did.

The first day, he shrugged it off. The second day? He texted.

Luca: You still alive or do I need to start looking for a replacement boyfriend?

No response.

Luca frowned. That wasn't normal.

Then came the third day.

Still nothing.

No texts. No calls. No signs of life.

And that's when the irritation turned into something far worse.

Panic.

Luca had two choices:

Wait. (Yeah, right.)

March down to HQ and demand answers.

Guess which one he picked?

Luca pulled on a jacket, grabbed his keys, and stormed out.

The drive to Damien's main headquarters felt longer than usual. By the time he pulled up, something felt off.

The guards at the gate stiffened when they saw him, like they were debating whether to let him through.

Luca narrowed his eyes. "Open the damn gate."

One of them hesitated. "Sir, we were given orders—"

"From who?" Luca snapped.

"...The Boss."

Luca froze.

The Boss?

Damien?

Since when did Damien ban him from the headquarters?

Something wasn't right.

Luca's voice was dangerously calm. "If you think for one second that I'm leaving without seeing Damien, you've got another thing coming."

The guards shared a look. But they knew better than to outright refuse Luca.

The gate opened.

And Luca walked straight into enemy territory.

The moment Luca stepped inside, he noticed it.

The tension.

Damien's men were whispering, avoiding his gaze, clearing out of his way like they'd seen a ghost.

Luca hated it.

He spotted Vincent—one of Damien's closest men—and grabbed his wrist before he could escape.

Vincent winced. "Luca—"

"Where. Is. He?" Luca gritted out.

Vincent hesitated. That alone set off alarm bells.

Luca's patience snapped.

"You either tell me," he said, voice dangerously low, "or I start tearing this place apart until I find him myself."

Vincent sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Look, Luca... it's complicated."

Luca's grip tightened. "I don't care. Take me to him."

Vincent hesitated for one second too long.

So Luca did the only logical thing.

He marched past him and headed straight for Damien's office.

And when he slammed open the doors, he finally found him.

Damien sat behind his desk, looking untouched, unharmed... but not himself.

His usual sharp grin? Gone.

His easy confidence? Gone.

He looked tired.

Like the weight of his empire had finally caught up with him.

But the moment his golden eyes met Luca's, something flashed through them.

Relief.

Regret.

Luca wasn't having it.

"What the hell, Damien?"

Damien's expression shuttered. "You shouldn't be here."

Luca slammed his hands down on the desk. "Try and stop me."

Silence.

Damien sighed. "Luca—"

"No. No 'Luca.' You don't get to ignore me for three days, lock me out, and then tell me I 'shouldn't be here.' What the hell is going on?"

Damien rubbed his temples. "It's not something you need to worry about."

Luca laughed. Actually laughed.

Then he leaned forward, hands braced on the desk, staring Damien dead in the eye.

"Listen here, Mr. Mafia King," he said sweetly, "you do not get to decide that for me."

Damien stared at him.

Then, finally, he caved.

"The meeting with the other families didn't go well," Damien admitted. "Some of them think I've gotten... soft."

Luca blinked. "Because you took a vacation?"

"Because I'm with you."

The words hit.

Hard.

Luca stilled. "What?"

Damien leaned back in his chair, exhaustion written all over his face. "They think you're a weakness."

Luca's stomach dropped.

"But they wouldn't—"

"They wouldn't try anything yet," Damien said, dead serious. "But that doesn't mean they won't."

Luca swallowed. "So... what? You decided to push me away?"

Damien's jaw clenched. He didn't answer.

Which meant yes.

Luca felt something hot and ugly coil in his chest.

"You absolute idiot," he muttered.

Damien raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Luca grabbed Damien by the collar, yanking him forward until their noses almost brushed.

"You don't get to make that decision for me," Luca gritted out. "You don't get to decide to keep me 'safe' by locking me out. We're in this together, Damien. You and me."

Damien stared at him.

Then—finally—he smiled.

That slow, mischievous, dangerous smile Luca hadn't seen in days.

His fingers brushed against Luca's chin. "You're really something, sweetheart."

Luca huffed. "Damn right, I am."

Damien chuckled, leaning in—until their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, Luca exhaled.

"So, are you done being an idiot now?"

Damien smirked. "No promises."

Luca rolled his eyes. "Fine. But next time? Talk to me first."

Damien nodded. "Deal."

[text_hash] => 7887f809
)