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Luca had never cared for power. He never wanted it.

But the moment Damien put him beside the throne, things changed.

He wasn't just Luca, Damien's partner.

He was now Luca, the person the mafia had to acknowledge.

And whether he liked it or not, that came with responsibilities.

It started with decisions.

Small ones at first.

Vincent would come to him, asking, "Luca, should we handle this meeting at headquarters or neutral ground?"

Luca, without thinking, responded, "Neutral ground. Less risk of it being a trap."

He had expected Vincent to question him.

Instead, Vincent had nodded and left to make arrangements.

And then there were the reports.

Damien had always kept Luca away from the more dangerous parts of his work.

But now?

Now, Luca found documents on their dining table. Summaries of deals. Names he should know. People he should be wary of.

At first, he ignored them.

But then, one evening, Luca found himself flipping through them.

Not because Damien asked.

But because he wanted to.

One night, Damien caught him reading.

"Luca," he drawled, plucking the paper from his hands, "when did you start caring about all this?"

Luca rolled his eyes, snatching it back. "Since I realized I should know what's happening around me."

Damien grinned. "Look at you. So responsible."

"Shut up."

"Should I start calling you 'boss' too?"

Luca kicked him.

But Damien only laughed, leaning in to kiss the side of his head.

"You're doing good, sweetheart," he murmured. "Better than I expected."

Luca hesitated.

"...You expected me to fail?"

"No," Damien said, voice softer now. "I just didn't expect you to try."

Luca didn't respond.

Because, deep down, he hadn't expected it either.

But the moment Luca stepped forward, the world took notice.

And not everyone was happy.

"Luca," Vincent said one day, his voice grimmer than usual. "There's been...talk."

Luca looked up. "Talk?"

Vincent nodded.

"Some of the older families don't like the fact that you're getting involved. They see it as a weakness on Damien's part."

Luca felt his stomach tighten.

Weakness.

He wasn't stupid.

In the mafia world, weakness was an invitation.

"Do you think they'll act on it?" Luca asked.

Vincent's silence was answer enough.

When Damien found out, he was furious.

Luca had never seen him like this.

His usual amusement was gone.

The golden glow in his eyes turned sharp. Dangerous.

"They think Luca is a weakness?" Damien repeated, voice low.

No one dared to respond.

Then—

A slow, dangerous smile stretched across his face.

"Let's remind them who I am."

Two nights later, Damien gathered them.

The leaders of the older families. The men who thought they could question Luca's place.

Luca stood beside Damien, keeping his expression neutral.

And Damien?

Damien sat on his throne like a king before executioners.

"I've heard," Damien began, voice cold, "that some of you have concerns."

No one spoke.

Damien leaned forward. "Allow me to be clear—"

His eyes flicked to Luca.

Luca's breath caught.

Then Damien smirked.

"Luca is not a weakness. But if you think otherwise, you're free to test that theory."

Silence.

Tension thickened in the room.

But no one dared to challenge him.

And that was all Damien needed.

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