𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

60

Kailani's life had become a maze of confusion. In her isolation, there was only Salvatore, his silent, oppressive presence like a shadow that never left her side. She had learned to find a strange comfort in it. His touches, his gestures-they were all she knew, all that tethered her to reality in this surreal, gilded prison he had created for her.

But Luca... Luca was different. He wasn't like the other bodyguards who moved like ghosts, always lingering in the background but never speaking to her. Luca had approached her, his presence more tangible, more human, in a way that made her feel seen. At first, she thought it was kindness-he was always nearby, asking if she needed anything, offering quiet reassurances when Salvatore was out of sight. His voice had a softness to it, a warmth that contrasted sharply with the cold silence Salvatore surrounded her with.

It wasn't until Luca started planting doubts in her mind that she realized how dangerous he truly was.

❀

"You know, you don't have to live like this, Kailani." His voice was low, almost a murmur, as he stood beside her in the grand hallway. They were alone, the other guards stationed far enough away to give them privacy. Kailani blinked, unsure of what he meant.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly and hesitantly, her small fingers nervously twisting the edge of her short sundress.

Luca's eyes, dark and intense, bore into hers. "This... being trapped here. Him keeping you locked up like you're some kind of possession. You deserve freedom, Kailani. You deserve to make your own choices."

His words made her heart pound. The confusion she'd been feeling for weeks-months-bubbled to the surface. She had tried to make sense of her life with Salvatore, to understand why he had taken her, why he cared for her in the obsessive way that he did. But Luca's words only added to the storm inside her.

"Salvatore... he loves me," she whispered, as if saying it out loud would make it true. But the doubt was there, lurking just beneath the surface.

Luca's lip curled in what could almost be mistaken for pity. "Love? That's not love, Kailani. That's control. He keeps you locked away like some fragile doll, feeding you lies and making you dependent on him. He doesn't want you to be strong-he wants you to be weak, so you'll never leave."

Kailani's breath hitched. Was that true? Was Salvatore really keeping her weak, sick, and isolated so she could never escape him? The thought terrified her, but a part of her clung to the certainty that Salvatore had always been there for her, even in his silent, terrifying way.

Luca moved closer, his hand brushing against her arm, the touch lingering too long. "I care about you, Kailani. I've been watching you. You're special, and you deserve more than this prison. I can help you, get you out of here. We could run away together. I could protect you, love you in a way Salvatore never can."

Kailani recoiled slightly, her back pressing against the wall. The sincerity in Luca's voice was almost overwhelming, but something felt off. His words made sense, but the way his gaze lingered on her, the way his hand gripped her arm-it was suffocating, possessive, not unlike Salvatore's.

She shook her head, pulling away from his touch. "No... I can't. I-Salvatore will find us. He'll-"

Luca's eyes darkened, his grip tightening. "Salvatore can't touch us if we disappear. You're not safe with him, Kailani. You'll never be free."

For a moment, doubt clouded her mind. Could Luca be right? Could she truly escape this twisted, obsessive life with Salvatore? But before she could respond, a figure appeared at the end of the hallway, and the air seemed to freeze.

Salvatore stood there, motionless, his broad frame casting a long shadow down the hall. His black mask obscured the lower half of his face, but his eyes-those dark, penetrating eyes-were locked onto Luca with a gaze that could kill.