A Choice of the Heart

Luca stormed into the hotel suite, his pulse a raging storm. Sofia stood by the window, watching the city lights as if she could sense what was coming.

She turned slowly, her face unreadable. "You saw her."

Luca's jaw tightened. "You lied to me."

Sofia didn't flinch. "I never lied."

He threw Mira's note onto the table. "Then explain this."

Sofia sighed, her fingers grazing the paper but not picking it up. "I knew this moment would come."

Luca's patience snapped. "Tell me the truth, Sofia. Were you the one who betrayed us?"

She looked up at him then, something almost… sad in her eyes. "I did what I had to do."

Silence. Heavy. Cracking.

Luca took a step back, shaking his head. "So it's true."

Sofia swallowed hard. "It's not that simple."

—

The Truth Unfolds

Sofia's voice was steady but low. "That night in Rome, we were being hunted. If I didn't make a deal, we all would have died."

Luca's fists clenched. "You gave us up."

Sofia shook her head. "I gave them just enough. I made them think Mira was the target, not you. If I hadn't—" She hesitated, eyes darkening. "They wanted you dead, Luca. I bought you time."

Luca's chest burned. "You should have told me."

Sofia's lips parted, but she didn't answer.

Because she knew.

She knew he would never have forgiven her.

—

A Breaking Point

Luca's voice was cold. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

Sofia stepped closer. "Believe this—I was never your enemy."

He looked at her, searching for the woman he had trusted with his life.

But the truth was a sharp blade.

He turned toward the door. "I need time."

Sofia's voice wavered. "And if you walk away?"

Luca hesitated. "Then I don't know if I'm coming back."

—

Next Chapter: Shadows of the Past – Luca searches for Mira, but is he ready to face what he's truly running from—his own heart?