Haunting Echoes

The Phantom.

Mira.

The night was weighing heavily on my shoulders as I entered the penthouse. As I looked through the tall glass windows, I saw the city below—a pulsating metropolis of lights that stood in stark contrast to the storm raging within me. 

I crossed to the bar, pouring myself a generous serving of wine, taking slow, measured sips. My fingers found the locket hidden beneath my blouse, a relic of a life I had fought to bury.

And yet, the past had sharp teeth. Tonight, it bit deep.

Luca.

His face lingered in my mind— he grew into something I didn't expect- but still unmistakably him.

The boy I once trusted.

The boy I never thought I'd see again.

I let out a sharp exhale, gripping the glass tighter.

"Of all the people in this godforsaken city," I muttered under my breath, "it had to be him."

The creak of the door pulled me from my thoughts. Roman stepped inside, his usual calm intact, but I knew better. That calm was deceptive, a quiet before the storm.

"You're back early," he said, setting a folder on the sleek black coffee table. His arms folded across his chest. "I take it things didn't go as planned?"

I placed the glass down with deliberate care. "Luca Moretti was there."

Roman's expression darkened. "Are you sure?"

I glanced at him. "I'd never forget his face. Trust me."

He sank onto the couch, leaning forward. "Then we have a problem. He's been asking around. His men have been sniffing through the old neighborhood, trying to piece together who you are and where you came from."

My jaw tightened as I paced the room, heels clicking against the hardwood. "He's getting too close. If he finds out—" I stopped, inhaling deeply to steady myself.

Roman leaned back, "You want me to handle it? Send a message, make him back off?"

"No," I said sharply, turning to face him. "Not yet. I'm not ready to tip my hand."

He arched a brow. "Are you sure that's wise? He's not exactly the forgiving type."

A dry laugh escaped my lips. "Forgiveness?" I scoffed. "Roman, his parents killed mine. They took everything—our home, our name, our legacy—and built their empire on our graves. If he finds out the truth, there's no coming back from that."

I reached for my glass again, watching the wine swirl as if the answer lay somewhere in its depths. "Even if there was a chance for us to… reconcile, it's gone now. He'd never forgive me for the things I've done to survive. And I'll never forgive him for the blood on his family's hands."

Roman studied me carefully. "Do you think he knows?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. But he's persistent. He always was been. If he keeps digging, he'll find something. And when he does…" I trailed off, gripping the glass tighter.

Roman's voice softened. "It doesn't have to be this way. You could just walk away."

I snapped my gaze to him, cold and unwavering. "Walk away? From the empire I built with my own two hands? From the legacy my parents died for? No, Roman. I'm not walking away from anything. If Luca Moretti thinks he can take what's mine, he's got another thing coming."

Roman nodded, but concern flickered in his eyes. "And what if he's not trying to take anything? What if he's just… curious about you?"

A strange, twisting sensation curled in my chest, but I forced it down. "Curiosity doesn't matter. We're not kids anymore, Roman. We're not friends. We're rulers of two different worlds, and those worlds are destined to collide."

I turned to the window, my reflection staring back at me like a ghost. "The boy I knew wouldn't recognize the woman I've become. And even if he did, he wouldn't accept me. Not now. Not ever."

Roman stood, a steady presence in the storm of my thoughts. "So, what's the plan?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I reached up and unclasped the locket. The cool metal sat in my palm, heavier than it should have been. My fingers curled around it before I tucked it into my pocket.

"The plan is the same," I said finally. "Stay ahead of him. Keep him at arm's length. And if he gets too close…" My voice hardened. "I'll do what needs to be done."

Roman gave a curt nod, his respect for me unshaken. "Understood."

As the door clicked shut behind him, I stayed by the window, the city lights blurring through the mist of my unshed tears. I told myself it was for the best.

Luca was no longer the boy I once trusted, and I was no longer the girl who could afford to trust anyone.

But no matter how much I tried to leave the past behind, the weight of the locket in my pocket was a silent reminder that I could never truly look away.

"Goodbye, Luca," I whispered to the empty room, my words swallowed by the endless hum of the city. "Wherever you are, I hope you never find me. Because if you do… I'll have no choice but to destroy you."

The locket felt heavier with every breath, an anchor tethering me to a past I had fought so hard to bury. I pressed my palm against the cold glass, scanning the skyline. Somewhere out there, Luca was no doubt doing the same—piecing together fragments of a past best left untouched, connecting dots I wished he'd let fade into oblivion.

A sharp knock shattered my thoughts.

I turned as Cain stepped inside, his usual cocky smirk absent, replaced by something graver. That alone made my spine stiffen.

"Boss," he started, his voice filled with caution. "We've got a situation."

I narrowed my eyes. "What kind of situation?"

Cain hesitated, gaze flicking to the floor before meeting mine again. "One of Moretti's men was spotted at the docks. Asking questions about our shipments. Looks like they're trying to trace our supply routes."

I inhaled slowly, anger curling through me like smoke beneath the surface. "And did your men handle it?"

He nodded. "We sent a message. He won't be talking to anyone anytime soon. But it's only a matter of time before they send someone else—or worse, Luca himself."

My grip tightened around the edge of the bar.

Luca wasn't just searching for answers.

He was searching for me.

"Double the security on all shipments," I ordered. "I want eyes on every corner of the docks, every alleyway, every contact. If they so much as breathe in our direction, I want to know about it." my voice low and menacing

Cain nodded, but something still lingered in his expression. Hesitation.

"And what about Moretti?" he asked carefully. "If he shows up himself…"

A slow, razor-sharp smile curved my lips.

"If Luca Moretti wants to play with fire," I murmured, "he'll learn how quickly it burns."

Cain smirked, but I didn't miss the flicker of unease in his eyes as he turned to leave.

Alone again, I faced the window. The reflection staring back at me was fractured by the glow of the city, the woman in the glass a stranger to the girl I used to be.

Something dark and dangerous coiled in my chest at the thought of seeing Luca again. Anger, yes—but something else, something I couldn't afford to feel.

I slipped a hand into my pocket, fingers closing around the locket.

Let him keep looking.

If he found me… he'd wish he never had.