Chapter 6

The moment Gianna steps inside the warehouse, she feels the temperature drop. The shadows seem to stretch, swallowing the room whole. The place is dimly lit, the smell of old wood and metal filling the air. Her heart races in her chest as she takes tentative steps forward, the echoes of her footsteps bouncing off the concrete walls.

A voice calls out from the darkness.

"You came."

Gianna flinches, her eyes scanning the room. She can barely make out the figure of Antonio Ricci, standing in the far corner, his silhouette barely visible in the dim light.

"What do you want from me?" Gianna asks, her voice steady but filled with uncertainty.

Antonio steps forward, his grin dark and knowing. "What I want is simple, Gianna. I want you to see the truth about Luca. I want you to understand the kind of man you're married to."

Gianna's breath catches in her throat. "I know who Luca is."

Antonio laughs softly, a sound laced with mockery. "Do you really? Or have you been blinded by love? There's much you don't know about him, much he's kept from you."

He moves toward a table, his hand brushing over a stack of files and photos. "These are just the beginning."

Antonio picks up a file and hands it to her, his fingers lingering a moment too long on the edge of the paper. Gianna hesitates before taking it, her fingers trembling slightly as she flips it open. The first photo that greets her is of Luca—much younger, wearing the confident, dangerous smile she's become all too familiar with—but this time, there's something else in his eyes. Something darker.

She looks up at Antonio, her voice cold. "What is this?"

Antonio leans against the table, his arms crossed as he watches her intently. "These are photos from Luca's past. His dealings with the Moretti family. The same family that is now looking for a way to take him down."

Gianna's mind races. She remembers the name from the meeting Luca had earlier—the dangerous alliance he's trying to control. But this, this is something deeper, something more sinister than she could have imagined.

Antonio continues, his tone measured but filled with a twisted satisfaction. "Luca's not just a businessman, Gianna. He's a monster who's buried his past, buried the bodies he's left behind. The people he's betrayed. And the people he's killed to build his empire."

Gianna's heart stops. "No. He's not like that."

Antonio smirks, sensing her resistance. "You still believe in the good in him. But tell me, Gianna, do you think he'll hesitate to make you a pawn in his game when it's necessary?"

Gianna takes a step back, the weight of his words pressing down on her. "You're lying."

"I'm not," Antonio replies, his voice chilling. "Every action Luca has taken has been calculated, every relationship he's formed, including his marriage to you, has been strategic. You were never just his wife. You were a part of his plan. The only question is, how much are you willing to sacrifice for him?"

Gianna drops the file, her fingers trembling as the truth gnaws at her. The images and papers before her are like daggers, each one striking deeper than the last. She can feel the walls closing in. The life she thought she knew—her marriage, her trust in Luca—feels like a lie unraveling before her eyes.

She doesn't wait to hear more. She can't. She grabs her phone, ready to leave, but Antonio steps in front of her, blocking her path. His smile falters, a more dangerous glint flickering in his eyes.

"Going somewhere, Gianna?"

She meets his gaze, her heart pounding. "I'm done with this."

Antonio's grin returns, but it's no longer friendly. "You can't run from the truth, sweetheart. It's already a part of you. And whether you like it or not, you're in this world now. There's no escaping it."

Gianna's pulse quickens, but she doesn't back down. "I'm not afraid of you."

He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You should be."

Before he can say anything more, she pushes past him, determined to leave the warehouse and the dark truth behind. But just as she's about to reach the door, her phone buzzes. It's a message from Luca.

"Where are you?"

Her fingers hover over the screen as she stares at the message. She can feel the weight of his words pressing against her chest. And as much as she wants to run, to hide from the monster she's just learned her husband to be, a part of her still loves him. A part of her still wants to believe that the man she married can change—that he's capable of being the person she thought he was.

But as she turns to leave the warehouse, Antonio's voice rings in her ears one last time.

"You won't be able to hide from Luca forever, Gianna. And when he's done with you, you'll be nothing but another casualty."

Gianna doesn't wait to hear more. She leaves the warehouse in a daze, her mind spinning as she races through the streets back to their penthouse. She doesn't know what to believe anymore. Everything she's ever known has been shattered in one night.

When she arrives home, Luca is already there. His expression is unreadable, a mix of concern and frustration. He stands in the doorway as she enters, his eyes scanning her for any sign of what's happened.

"Where were you?" His voice is calm, but there's an edge to it.

Gianna doesn't speak at first, her mind too clouded by everything Antonio revealed. She steps past him, ignoring his gaze.

"Luca, we need to talk."

He doesn't respond immediately but follows her into the living room. "About what?"

"About everything," she says, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "About what you've been hiding from me."

Luca's jaw tightens. "Gianna—"

"I know, Luca," she interrupts, her voice breaking. "I know about your past. About the things you've done. About who you really are."

The silence between them stretches thick and heavy. Luca's face hardens, but there's a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

"You spoke to Antonio," he says softly.

Gianna nods, her hands shaking. "I know everything."

Luca takes a deep breath, his gaze softening with regret. "Gianna… I never wanted you to know any of this. I never wanted to pull you into this world. But it's too late for us to go back now."

Gianna stands there, her heart torn between the love she once had for Luca and the horrifying truths that now hang over her. She knows there's no turning back from what she's learned—but she's not sure if she can live with the consequences.

"I don't know if I can forgive you, Luca," she whispers.

His eyes darken, the weight of her words sinking in. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Gianna. I'm asking for your trust. Please. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right."