CHAPTER THREE — “THE ROOM WITH NO ESCAPE”

Aria didn’t sleep.

The bed they put her in was soft, the room warm, the lamps dimmed to golden glow—but her mind ran like it was being chased. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Luca. His stare. His nearness. His hands hovering at her throat like he was always one breath away from either claiming her or destroying her.

By morning, her body felt tight and restless.

She bathed in a marble bathroom that felt larger than her entire apartment. She tied her hair back. She collected herself.

But nothing prepared her for the knock.

The door opened before she answered.

A tall woman stepped in—probably in her late thirties, sharp jaw, professional posture. She wore black like the rest of the staff.

“I am Elena,” she said in a clipped voice. “The Alpha assigned me to oversee your activities today.”

“Oversee,” Aria repeated. “You mean… watch me.”

“Yes.”

“No offense,” Aria muttered, “but I didn’t commit a crime.”

Elena didn’t blink. “You entered a restricted mafia zone. That alone can cost a stranger their life. You are fortunate the Alpha took interest in you.”

Aria’s stomach tightened. She forced a shrug. “Lucky me.”

Elena ignored her sarcasm. “Come. Breakfast is ready.”

The hallway outside her room was long and quiet. Guards stood at intervals, watching her with the blank expressions of men trained to shoot without hesitation. She kept her head high, refusing to look intimidated even though her knees felt soft.

Elena led her into a massive dining hall. A long polished table stretched from one end to the other, set with silverware and fruit arranged like art. But the room was empty.

“Sit.”

Aria sat.

Moments later, the door opened.

Luca walked in.

He was dressed for command—black shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, veins visible along his forearms. His presence filled the room like heat from a furnace. His eyes locked on her instantly, and something in his stare flicked between hunger and annoyance.

“You didn’t sleep,” he said.

Aria narrowed her eyes. “How would you know?”

“I hear your heartbeat when I walk near your door.”

Her mouth went dry. She looked away, pretending to focus on her plate even though her pulse thudded in her throat.

Luca took the seat at the head of the table—not beside her, but close enough that she felt the weight of his attention. Elena served fruits, tea, and bread, then bowed and left.

Silence stretched.

Aria cut a piece of fruit, avoiding his gaze. “So what’s the plan? You watch me all day? Make sure I don’t run out the window?”

Luca leaned back in his chair, studying her. “If you wanted to run, you would have tried already.”

“My room has no balcony,” Aria muttered. “Or windows that open.”

“That’s intentional.”

She glared at him. “This is kidnapping.”

“This,” he corrected quietly, “is protection.”

“For who? Me or you?”

A faint smirk tugged his lips. “Both.”

Her heart tripped. She hated that it did.

He stood suddenly. “Come with me.”

Aria hesitated. But two guards appeared behind her instantly. She sighed and followed Luca through a series of hallways until they reached a glass-walled room overlooking the estate grounds.

He opened the door for her.

The room was empty except for a long wooden table, several files, and a tray of weapons laid out like an exhibition.

Aria froze.

Luca watched her reaction. “This is my strategy room.”

“Why bring me here?”

He stepped closer—not enough to touch, but close enough that she felt the shift in his energy. “Because I want to see how you react when you’re near danger. Your body tells the truth before your tongue does.”

“I’m not a spy,” she said sharply.

“No,” he murmured. “I’m starting to believe you’re something far more troublesome.”

Her breath caught. “What does that even mean?”

Luca walked toward the table and picked up a file. “Come here.”

She hesitated. His eyes hardened—a warning. She moved.

He opened the file and laid out photographs—blurred men in alleys, burning warehouses, maps with red circles. “These are the people hunting me. The ones who attacked two of my businesses last week.”

“And what does that have to do with me?”

“Everything.”

Luca’s voice dropped. “The night you walked into that building, one of these men was stationed nearby. My wolf reacted to you before I even saw your face.”

“Your wolf doesn’t interest me,” she snapped.

“Liar,” he whispered.

Heat flashed beneath her skin.

He leaned closer, his breath brushing her cheek. “Something about you disrupts my instincts. That is dangerous.”

Aria’s heartbeat quickened. She stepped back—only for her back to hit the cold glass wall.

Luca followed, caging her in with one hand braced beside her head. “And I need to know why.”

The air between them thickened until it hummed.

“Maybe,” she whispered, “your instincts are simply broken.”

His eyes flashed gold—the wolf’s color.

“Don’t provoke me, Aria.”

She held her breath. “Then stop trapping me.”

For a moment, neither of them moved. His stare burned into her as though he was trying to peel the truth from her skin.