LUCA 20
The next morning, Phoenix wakes up feeling unsettled. Luca has already left for a meeting with Miguel, leaving her alone in the penthouse. She had told him she was fine, that she needed time to herself, but the truth was that being alone with her thoughts was the last thing she wanted. It only made the doubts louder.
As she wanders into the kitchen, her phone buzzes on the counter. Phoenix frowns as she glances at the screen, her stomach twisting when she sees an unknown number. Hesitating for a moment, she picks it up and opens the message.
You think you can keep him, but you don’t belong in his world. He’ll come back to me in the end. They always do.
Phoenix’s blood runs cold as she reads the message, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t need to guess who had sent it. Bianca. The words were cruel and taunting, and they struck right at the heart of Phoenix’s deepest fear: that she wasn’t enough for Luca, that eventually, he would realize it too.
Her hands tremble as she stares at the message, anger and hurt mixing in her chest. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, but she blinks them away, refusing to let Bianca get to her. But no matter how hard she tries, the words burrowed deep into her mind, planting seeds of doubt that she couldn’t shake.
Phoenix sits down at the kitchen table, her hands gripping the edge as she tries to breathe through the flood of emotions overwhelming her. Bianca is playing mind games, trying to push her out of Luca’s life, and Phoenix is starting to wonder if maybe she was right.
What if she really didn’t belong here?
Later that day, when Luca returns from his meeting, he immediately senses something is off. Phoenix is quiet, her movements stiff, and she avoids his gaze whenever he tries to talk to her. Luca has been on edge ever since the Bianca situation had escalated, but now, seeing Phoenix like this, he feels a gnawing fear that Bianca’s interference was doing more damage than he had anticipated.
“Phoenix,” Luca calls softly as he approaches her, his voice filled with concern. “What’s going on?”
Phoenix doesn’t look up at him, her heart racing as she holds the phone in her hands, the message from Bianca still glaring at her from the screen. She felt the tears building again, and she hates herself for being so emotional, so vulnerable. But she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was?” she whispers, her voice trembling.
Luca frowns, taking a step closer. “What do you mean?”
Phoenix finally meets his gaze, her eyes filled with hurt and anger. “She sent me a message.” Her voice breaks as she speaks, as if saying it out loud makes everything worse. “She’s trying to push me out, Luca. She’s making me feel like I don’t belong.”
Luca’s expression darkens immediately, a mixture of fury and protectiveness flashing in his eyes. “What did she say?”
Phoenix hands him the phone, her heart heavy as she watches him read the message. Luca’s jaw tightens, his fists clenching as he reads Bianca’s taunting words. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, but Phoenix can see the storm brewing inside him, the anger building as he realizes just how far Bianca is willing to go.
“She’s wrong,” Luca says firmly, his voice low and filled with intensity as he looks up at Phoenix. “She’s doing this because she’s scared, because she knows she’s lost. You belong here, with me.”
Phoenix shakes her head, “But what if she’s right, Luca? What if I’m not strong enough for this? I’m not like her. I’m not like you.”
Luca steps closer, his hands cupping her face as he forces her to look at him. “You don’t have to be like her. I don’t want you to be like her.” His voice softens, filled with emotion. “You’re strong in ways she could never be. Bianca is just trying to tear you down because she knows she can’t get to me.”
Phoenix’s heart swells at his words, but the doubt still lingers. “I just… I don’t know how to fight this, Luca. She’s always there, always trying to undermine us.”
Luca’s grip on her tightens, his eyes filled with determination. “I’m handling it. She won’t come between us; I promise you that.”
Phoenix looks up at him, her heart aching with a mixture of love and fear. She wants to believe him, wants to trust that he could protect their relationship from the darkness that seems to surround them. But Bianca’s words had struck deep, and Phoenix wasn’t sure how to shake the feeling that no matter what she did, she would always be an outsider in Luca’s world.
Luca’s heart clenches as he pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he can shield her from everything. “She won’t win,” he promises, his voice raw with emotion. “I won’t let her.”
Luca’s arms snake around Phoenix’s waist pulling her hard against him, his hands sliding down, over her ass to pick her up against him. Phoenix gasps, just before his lips take hers in a blistering kiss that has all thought rushing out of her mind.
“No one compares to you Bella, no one can ever compare.” Luca states as he steps towards the wall, leaning her against it he lifts one of his hands to slide his fingers into the collar of the dark blue silk shirt she is wearing, Luca tugs forcefully, the sound of the buttons popping, and the fabric tearing is loud in the silent room. Her breasts tumble out, the dark blue bra also torn in the middle allowing for his eyes to gorge on the perfection of her body.
“Beautiful” he rasps as his head lowers to take a nipple into his mouth. His tongue flickering over the pebbled nipple. “Ohhh,” Phoenix murmurs in pleasure just as his hand slides up her thigh, the black skirt has ridden up around Phoenix’s waist when Luca picked her up. This allows for him to pull urgently at her thong which resists, but it’s no match for his strength.
“Luca” Phoenix gasps as his thumb rotates over her hungry clit, her body vibrating with a hunger that only Luca can ease, “Please.”
“Tell me, what you want?” Luca asks, his eyes opening to look deep into hers.
“You,” Phoenix’s voice is husky with lust as Luca slides one finger into her depths, her legs tremble as they tighten around his hips pulling him closer, trying to feel his hard cock against her hungry pussy.
Luca suddenly growls as he pulls his hand away, “Lu…ca” Phoenix cries as her body tenses with the need to orgasm. His hand urgently unzips his trousers, pulling his engorged cock out, and in one motion he is plunging deep into her depths.
“Fuck,” he groans, “you make me so horny.”
He rides Phoenix hard against the wall, one hand behind her back to keep her back protected while the other holds her hips as he thrusts hard into heaven. Her gasps grow louder as her body rushes to hights that they have never been before.
As they both climax, their breathing harsh, their bodies vibrating with the aftermath of their passion. “You’re mine, only mine, only you.” Luca’s husky voice whispers against Phoenix’s ear, appeasing, calming, Phoenix’s turbulent sole.
***
Later, Phoenix is sleeping calmly as Luca slips out of the room sending Miguel a text to meet him.
Miguel steps into the room, his expression tense as he approaches Luca. He can see the storm brewing in Luca’s eyes, the barely controlled fury simmering just below the surface.
“She’s gone too far,” Luca says, his voice low but filled with unmistakable rage. “Sending that message to Phoenix? Trying to push her out of my life? It’s time to end this.”
Miguel nods, his jaw tightening. “I’ve got the men ready. Just say the word, and we’ll take care of it.”
Luca turns from the window, his eyes cold and determined. “I don’t want any loose ends. We’re cutting Bianca off completely—her businesses, her connections, everything. She’ll be left with nothing.”
Miguel raises an eyebrow. “You sure you want to go that far? She’s still got a few powerful friends.”
Luca’s expression doesn’t waver. “Not for long.”
He had already taken control of Bianca’s clubs, cutting off a significant portion of her income, but now he was moving to dismantle the rest of her operations.
First, he went after her contacts. Bianca had built her power through careful alliances with other mafia families, using her charm and manipulation to secure their loyalty. But Luca had no intention of letting those relationships stand.
He made calls, arranging private meetings with key players—people who had once been loyal to Bianca. He reminded them, in no uncertain terms, that Bianca was no longer under the protection of the Tempo family. Aligning with her was a risk they couldn’t afford to take.
And, one by one, they fell in line.
It wasn’t difficult. Most of them had already seen the writing on the wall. With Luca’s control of Palermo solidified after his truce with the Romero’s, no one wanted to be on the wrong side of the conflict. By the end of the week, Bianca’s support system had crumbled.
Miguel updated Luca with each new development, his satisfaction evident. “She’s running out of places to turn,” Miguel updates with a smirk. “No one wants to touch her anymore. It’s only a matter of time before she realizes she’s finished.”
Luca nods, though his expression remains hard. “Good. But we’re not done.”
Bianca was nothing if not resilient. When she realized that Luca was systematically dismantling everything she had built, she went on the offensive, desperate to maintain some semblance of control. She reached out to her few remaining allies, trying to rally support, but it was clear that her influence had all but vanished.
It wasn’t long before she showed up at Luca’s penthouse once again, this time with a different energy. Gone was the seductive charm she had used so many times before. Now, there was a wild, desperate edge to her movements, her eyes blazing with fury as she storms inside.
Luca was waiting for her.
“You think you can do this to me?” Bianca spat, her voice shaking with rage. “You think you can take everything I’ve built and just erase me?”
Luca stands, his arms cross over his chest, his expression cold and unyielding. “I didn’t take anything from you, Bianca. You brought this on yourself.”
Bianca’s eyes narrow, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “This is about her, isn’t it? You’re doing all of this because of Phoenix.”
Luca’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t deny it. “Phoenix is my future. You need to accept that.”
Bianca let’s out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “She’s nothing, Luca! She doesn’t belong in this world. You’re throwing everything away for someone who can’t even handle what you are.”
Luca’s fists clench, but he keeps his voice calm, even as his anger simmers beneath the surface. “You’re wrong. Phoenix is stronger than you’ll ever be. And this isn’t about her. This is about you refusing to accept that it’s over.”
Bianca’s face twists with fury, she takes a step closer to him, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You’ll regret this, Luca. You’ll regret pushing me aside. I’ve done more for you than you realize.”
Luca’s eyes darken, he takes a step toward her, his presence intimidating and final. “I won’t regret a damn thing,” he growls. “You’ve tried to manipulate me, hurt Phoenix, and make this about your ego. But it ends now.”
Bianca’s breath hitches, her eyes widening slightly as she realizes just how serious Luca is. For the first time, her confidence wavers, and she takes a step back.
“You think you’re untouchable,” she whispers, her voice shaking. “But you don’t know how deep this goes.”
Luca’s expression doesn’t falter. “I know exactly how deep it goes, Bianca. And I’m telling you now—if you come after me or Phoenix again, I’ll make sure you disappear for good.”
There is a long, heavy silence between them, the weight of Luca’s words settling over the room like a dark cloud. Bianca stares at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger, fear, and something else—something almost vulnerable.
But Luca doesn’t care. He has made his decision, and nothing she says will change it.
Finally, Bianca turns on her heel and storms out of the penthouse, slamming the door behind her. Luca watches her go, his heart pounding with a mixture of relief and tension. He knows she isn’t gone yet, but the message has been sent.
She has lost.