Elegbede_Habeeb

The first time they met, it felt like fate. The second time, it felt like a warning.

She was running from a past that refused to die. He was chasing a future that seemed just out of reach. When their worlds collided, it was more than just love—it was an obsession, a wildfire that threatened to burn them both alive.

But love isn’t always salvation. Sometimes, it’s destruction in disguise.

Bound by Fire: Ashes of Desire

Luca didn't trust easily. He never had. And standing before Alessandro DeLuca, he knew instinctively that this man was dangerous. Not in the way Rafael was—reckless, hungry, volatile. No, DeLuca was a different kind of threat. The kind that smiled while he slit your throat.

The private lounge was dimly lit, thick with the scent of expensive cigars and aged whiskey. Rafael lounged in the corner, his usual arrogance on full display, while DeLuca sat across from Luca, his fingers tapping lazily against the armrest of his chair.

"I've kept an eye on you for a while, Romano," DeLuca said, his voice smooth, deliberate. "Your rise has been… impressive."

Luca leaned back in his chair, unaffected. "I'm not interested in compliments."

DeLuca chuckled. "Good. Because I didn't come here to give them."

Sofia sat beside Luca, her posture poised, unreadable. But he could feel the tension in her body, the way her fingers curled slightly against her thigh. She was listening carefully. Watching.

DeLuca exhaled slowly, flicking ash from his cigar. "You've built an empire, but empires are fragile, Luca. One wrong move, and everything crumbles." He glanced at Sofia. "And you've already made one."

Luca's jaw tightened. "Is that so?"

DeLuca nodded toward Sofia. "She doesn't belong to you."

Sofia stilled, but her expression remained neutral.

Rafael smirked. "You took something that isn't yours, Luca." He swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "And that's a problem."

Luca's fingers twitched, the urge to shatter Rafael's smug expression barely restrained.

"She makes her own choices," Luca said, his voice cold. "And I don't answer to you."

DeLuca hummed, amused. "Ah, but you will." He leaned forward, placing his cigar in the crystal ashtray. "Here's the deal, Romano. Walk away. Leave her. And in return, I'll ensure that your operations remain untouched. No interference, no bloodshed."

Sofia's breath caught, just for a moment.

Luca didn't even hesitate. "Not happening."

DeLuca's lips curved, but his eyes remained cold. "Then you've chosen war."

A silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

Rafael set his drink down with a sharp clink. "You can't protect her forever, Luca." His voice was laced with something sinister. "And when she falls, it'll be on you."

He moved faster than anyone expected, grabbing Rafael by the collar and slamming him against the wall. Glass shattered somewhere in the background, but Luca didn't care. His forearm pressed against Rafael's throat, his voice low, lethal.

"If you so much as breathe near her the wrong way, I will end you."

Rafael only grinned, even as he struggled for air. "You already lost, Romano."

Luca's grip tightened before he finally released him, letting Rafael stumble forward, coughing.

DeLuca watched with mild interest, as if he'd seen this all before. He stood, adjusting the cuffs of his expensive suit. "A shame." He turned toward Sofia. "I expected more from you."

She met his gaze, unflinching. "That's your mistake, then."

With a final glance at Luca, he walked out, Rafael following with one last smirk.

As the door shut behind them, silence settled over the room.

Sofia exhaled slowly, her fingers grazing over her wrist. "That could've gone worse."

Luca ran a hand through his hair, his pulse still hammering. "It's not over."

Sofia nodded. "No. It's just beginning."

And they both knew—war was coming.

Next Chapter: The First Strike – Luca makes the first move, and Sofia realizes just how much danger she's truly in.

Blood and Betrayal