Chapter 43: The Line Between Loyalty and Betrayal

The silence in the room was suffocating. Marco leaned against the door, arms crossed, his dark eyes fixed on Anna. The confident smirk he usually wore was nowhere to be seen—this was Marco without his mask, raw and conflicted.

Anna sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Marco exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. "I meant what I said back there."

She frowned. "About your loyalty to Luca?"

He nodded, but something flickered in his eyes—hesitation.

"But that doesn't mean I trust him," he added, his voice low.

Anna's stomach clenched. "Marco, if he finds out—"

"I know," Marco interrupted, his tone sharper than before. "You think I don't know what happens to traitors?"

Anna swallowed hard, images of the dead man in Luca's office flashing through her mind. The way the blood had seeped into the hardwood, staining it. The emptiness in the man's lifeless eyes.

"He's watching us," Marco continued, his voice softer now. "Watching you."

A chill ran down Anna's spine. "Why?"

Marco hesitated, stepping closer. "Because he thinks you're a weakness."

Anna's breath hitched. "A weakness?"

Marco nodded. "Luca doesn't trust anyone. Now that there was a rat in the family, he's more paranoid than ever. He's looking for cracks, for any sign that someone isn't fully with him."

Anna clenched her jaw. "And he thinks I might be one of those cracks?"

Marco didn't answer right away, but his silence was enough.

She felt a sudden tightness in her chest.

Luca had killed that man so effortlessly. If he even suspected she was a liability, she wouldn't be spared.

Before she could respond, a sharp knock at the door made both of them freeze.

Marco's eyes darkened, and within an instant, his finger was pressed against his lips, signaling for her to stay silent.

Anna nodded, stepping away just as the door creaked open.

Luca.

The air shifted.

His dark gaze swept over the room, lingering on Marco, then Anna. He took in the space between them, the tension still thick in the air.

Then, he smirked.

"Am I interrupting something?" Luca's voice was smooth, casual—too casual.

Anna forced herself to stay calm. "No."

Luca stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. His presence was overwhelming, filling the room like a storm cloud about to break.

His attention flicked to Marco first. "We have business to discuss."

Marco's jaw tightened. "Right."

Luca's gaze shifted back to Anna, his smirk fading slightly. "We'll talk later."

The way he said it made Anna's stomach drop.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out, expecting Marco to follow.

Marco lingered for a fraction of a second, his eyes locking onto Anna's. A silent warning passed between them.

Then, he was gone.

Anna let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest.

She sat back down, staring at the window, at the city beyond it—so unaware of the chaos unfolding inside these walls.

Luca knew something.

Maybe not everything, but enough.

And now, it was only a matter of time before he made his move.

She needed a plan.

Fast.

---

An Hour Later – Luca's Private Lounge

Marco stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the glowing city skyline. He could feel Luca watching him, studying his every move.

"You hesitated today," Luca said, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

Marco didn't turn around. "I was processing."

Luca chuckled, low and dark. "Since when do you need time to process?"

Marco finally turned to face him. "You killed one of our own, Luca."

"He was a rat."

Marco's jaw clenched. "And what if he wasn't?"

Luca's smirk didn't waver. "Then he was still weak."

A muscle ticked in Marco's jaw.

He had followed Luca for years, believed in him, fought for him. But now, with Anna in the picture, things weren't so black and white.

And Luca could sense it.

"I need to know you're still with me, Marco," Luca said, his voice softer now, but no less dangerous.

Marco met his gaze. "I am."

Luca studied him for a long moment, as if searching for the lie.

Then, he smiled.

"Good."

But Marco knew this was far from over.

Because if there was one thing Luca hated more than betrayal—

It was doubt.