Chapter 7

The Rooftop Meeting

The city skyline stretched endlessly beneath them, glittering with a deceptive sense of peace.

Elena stood beside Luca on the rooftop of the Bellagio Hotel, the night air crisp against her skin. A private rooftop bar lay abandoned, its tables and chairs eerily silent, as if even the city itself held its breath for what was about to unfold.

Luca's stance was relaxed, but Elena knew better. His muscles were tense beneath his tailored suit, his hand resting near the gun at his hip. Every inch of him screamed control, but the storm in his silver eyes told her he was ready to unleash hell if necessary.

"Stay close to me," he murmured, voice low.

Elena nodded, resisting the urge to reach for the blade strapped to her thigh. Her nerves hummed with anticipation, but she forced herself to appear unbothered. If she had learned anything from Luca, it was that power was as much about perception as it was about action.

A set of double doors creaked open.

Footsteps echoed against the marble floor.

A man emerged, guarded by two of his guards in dark suits. He was older, late fifties, his salt and pepper hair slicked back. His presence speaks authority, but his sharp brown eyes held something else, calculated amusement.

Elena had seen enough men like him to recognize it instantly.

A man who enjoyed the game of power.

He stopped a few feet away, slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Luca DeLuca," he drawled, his Italian accent smooth as silk. "And the lovely Elena Ricci. I must admit, I wasn't sure you'd come."

Luca tilted his head, smirking. "You left an invitation. It would've been rude to ignore it."

The man chuckled, nodding approvingly. "You've always been bold, Luca. That's why I wanted to meet you personally." His gaze flicked to Elena. "And you… you're full of surprises, my dear."

Elena kept her expression neutral, though her fingers itched to reach for her knife.

Luca's smirk didn't waver. "You have a name, or do we keep calling you 'old bastard?"

The man laughed, a deep, rich sound. "Ah, yes. Forgive me." He stepped closer, unbothered by the deadly tension in the air. "My name is Enzo Moretti. I represent the syndicate."

Elena's stomach tightened.

Luca's smirk disappeared. "So, you're the one who's been pulling strings."

Enzo's smile didn't falter. "Let's just say… I have influence."

Elena studied him carefully. If this man was connected to her father's death, she needed to know how deep his involvement ran.

Luca's voice was casual, but there was an edge to it. "You wanted a meeting. We're here. Talk, I don't have all the time in the world to waste."

Enzo exhaled, as if slightly disappointed. "So impatient. But very well." He clasped his hands together. "I'll be direct, Luca. The syndicate doesn't like chaos. And right now, you're causing too much of it."

Luca arched his brow. "That so?"

Enzo nodded. "You're a businessman. You know how things work. The Ricci and DeLuca families uniting was never part of the plan. Your little marriage deal threw everything off balance."

Elena clenched her fists, but Luca remained unreadable.

"And?" Luca asked.

Enzo's smile widened. "And we're willing to offer you a solution. One that benefits us all."

He paused for effect before continuing.

"Give up the Ricci territory. Step down from the fight, In return, the syndicate will grant you full control over your existing empire, untouched. You'll be richer than you ever dreamed."

Elena's blood ran cold.

He wanted them to surrender?

Luca let out a slow, amused chuckle, shaking his head. "You came all this way to tell me to roll over?"

Enzo sighed, as if he had expected this. "Luca, you're young, ambitious, But you're fighting a battle you don't understand and you won't win." He glanced at Elena. "And you, my dear… You're playing in a world far darker than you can ever realize."

Elena's jaw tightened, but she forced herself to smile sweetly. "Funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you."

A flicker of amusement crossed Enzo's face.

But Luca was done playing.

He stepped forward, his entire demeanor shifting. His presence, already commanding, became something sharper. Lethal.

"I don't take orders from men who hide in the shadows," he said, voice low, deadly. "You want my empire? Come and get it."

The air crackled with tension.

For the first time, Enzo's smile faltered, just slightly. He studied Luca for a long moment before nodding, as if coming to a conclusion.

"A shame," he murmured. "I had hoped you'd be smarter than your father."

Elena's breath caught.

Luca's eyes darkened. "What the hell did you just say?"

Enzo's smile returned, but this time, it was cold. "You think your father was some untouchable king? He was playing in a world too big for him. And when he stopped being useful, he was… removed."

Luca's fists clenched, his entire body vibrating with barely restrained fury.

Elena could feel the rage radiating off him, the dangerous storm rising behind his silver eyes.

"Careful," Luca warned, his voice deadly calm. "You're one sentence away from your last breath."

Enzo smirked. "And yet, you won't kill me. Not here. Not now."

Luca's jaw tensed, but Enzo took a step back, satisfied.

"You have a choice, Luca," he said. "Take the deal, or prepare for a war you can never win."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, his guards followed closely behind.

The moment the doors shut behind them, Elena released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Luca remained frozen, his hands curled into fists. The air around him crackled with barely contained fury.

Elena stepped closer, voice gentle. "Luca…"

He didn't move.

Didn't speak.

And then, in one violent motion, he grabbed the nearest table and flipped it over, sending glasses shattering all over the place.

The sound echoed into the night, but Luca barely noticed. His breathing was ragged, his jaw tight with rage.

Elena hesitated before reaching out, placing a hand on his arm.

"Luca," she whispered.

His muscles tensed beneath her touch, but slowly, his breathing steadied.

Finally, he turned to her, and for the first time since she met him, she saw something other than control in his gaze.

Raw, unfiltered rage.

And beneath it, was something far more dangerous than anyone could imagine.