The mansion pulsed with unease. Guards filled the halls, shadows lingered at every doorway, and whispers of threats traveled faster than the flicker of candlelight. She could feel it pressing down on her chest, the danger wasn’t abstract anymore. It had a face, a name, and it wanted her.
Aria stood near the grand windows, arms folded tightly, watching the night stretch endlessly over the gardens. He came in without a word at first, his presence filling the room like a storm. She didn’t turn to look at him, not immediately.
"You’ve been avoiding me," Luca said, his voice low, steady.
"I’ve been thinking," she replied, keeping her gaze on the darkness outside.
"Dangerous habit." He came closer, the soft sound of his shoes against marble echoing in the silence.
Her chest rose sharply. "They said I belong to them. That I’m theirs by blood."
"You’re not theirs." His reply was immediate, fierce.
She spun, eyes flashing. "And what am I, then? Yours?"
"Yes." The word was absolute, unflinching.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. He closed the distance, his steel-gray eyes drilling into hers.
"You are mine, Aria. Not because of a contract. Not because of bloodlines or debts. You’re mine because I’ve claimed you. And tonight, the whole world will know it."
She swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"
He stepped back just enough to straighten his suit jacket, his every movement precise, lethal. "I’ve called a gathering. Representatives from every family, allies and enemies alike. They’re circling you like wolves, and I intend to end their games in one stroke."
Her stomach tightened. "You’re going to parade me in front of them?"
"I’m going to protect you in front of them." His voice softened only slightly. "There’s a difference."
Her fists clenched at her sides. "Do you even hear yourself? I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask to be anyone’s heiress, anyone’s pawn..."
"And yet here you are." His interruption was sharp, but his eyes held something raw, something human. "You didn’t choose it, Aria. But neither did I. You think I wanted a wife? A stranger under my roof, under my skin?"
Her breath caught. "Then why keep me?"
"Because I can’t let anyone else have you."
The room fell silent, thick with the weight of his confession. Her heart thundered painfully in her chest. She wanted to call him arrogant, controlling, unbearable, but the truth was, a part of her felt safer in his claim than she wanted to admit.
Finally, she whispered, "What if they don’t accept it? What if they challenge you?"
A dangerous smile curved his lips. "Then they’ll die trying."
Before she could respond, one of his men entered quickly. "Boss, they’ve arrived. The hall is ready."
Luca gave a curt nod, then extended his hand toward her. "Come."
She hesitated. "If I walk out there with you, I’ll never be invisible again."
"You were never invisible, Aria." His gaze softened. "Not to me."
Her throat tightened as she slid her hand into his. His grip was firm, grounding. He led her down the hall, past lines of guards who bowed their heads as they passed. The deeper they went, the louder the voices became, men and women of power, gathered like predators around a kill.
The great hall doors opened, and silence fell. All eyes turned to them.
Aria’s steps faltered, but his hand held steady, pulling her forward. He didn’t release her, not once, as they reached the head of the long table.
Luca’s voice rang out, cold and commanding. "You all came for answers. You’ll have them."
Murmurs rippled through the room. A man at the far end sneered. "We only came to see if the rumors were true. That the Valencia girl lives. That she is heiress by blood."
Another voice followed, sharp and mocking. "If so, then she belongs to us. She should be claimed properly."
Aria stiffened. Luca’s grip tightened around her hand. His steel gaze swept the room, silencing them before he spoke again.
"You speak as though she’s a piece of property. She is not. She is under my name, my roof, and my protection. That makes her untouchable."
A woman’s laugh rang out from the crowd. Isabella’s voice. "Oh, how romantic. The Don staking his claim. Tell me, Luca, is she your queen, or just another pawn to parade until she breaks?"
Aria flinched at the venom, but Luca didn’t so much as blink. His voice cut through the hall like a blade. "Say what you like, Isabella. The truth doesn’t bend to your jealousy. Aria Valencia is mine. And if any of you think to test that, I will remind you why the DeLuca name commands fear."
The tension in the hall spiked, whispers darting between families. One man leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You can’t protect her forever. If she truly is heiress, blood law dictates...."
"Blood law bends to power," Luca interrupted coldly. "And my power is absolute."
Aria’s breath caught. He wasn’t just declaring it to them, he was declaring it to her.
The murmurs grew until one of the elders finally stood. "Very well, Don. We hear your claim. But understand this: if you fail to keep her safe, if your protection falters for even a moment, she will be taken. And when she is, no declaration will save her."
Luca’s smile was cruel. "Then I suggest you start praying for your own safety instead of hers."
The hall fell silent again. No one dared push further.
When the gathering finally dispersed, Aria released a shaky breath. "That was... insane."
He led her back down the hall, his hand never leaving hers. "It was necessary."
She shook her head. "You just painted a target on both of us."
"There was already a target. Now they know what happens if they aim at it."
She stopped in the corridor, forcing him to turn and face her. "Do you really mean it? That I’m yours?"
His jaw flexed, his eyes burning into hers. "Every word."
Her lips parted, her chest rising with unsteady breaths. For a moment, she forgot the hall, the guards, the danger. There was only him, raw and unyielding.
"You terrify me," she whispered.
"Good," he replied softly, stepping closer. "Because the thought of losing you terrifies me even more."
And for the first time, she didn’t pull away. Thıs content belongs to 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍