Chapter 7 #2
Luca’s eyes narrowed, the warmth in his gaze vanishing completely.
His voice dropped to a more serious tone, sharp and unwavering.
“My staff knows exactly where the line is, and I don’t hesitate to enforce it.
I expect results. If they can’t meet my standards, there are consequences.
” He grunted like the alpha male he was.
“Our children will be just as disciplined.”
Ava paused, a bit taken aback by the cold intensity in his tone. It was clear he didn’t tolerate failure or excuses.
“So, you think that’ll work with our kids?” she asked.
Luca didn’t flinch. “With kids? Absolutely. They’ll respect me because I’ll demand the best from them, and they’ll know exactly what will happen if they don’t deliver. No compromises.”
Ava considered his words, trying to picture the future. “You’re serious about this,” she said softly.
Luca met her gaze. “I don’t do anything halfway. If they want my respect, they’ll have to earn it.” He nodded firmly, as if the conversation was final.
“Diapers!” Ava blurted, taking a step back as she changed the subject.
Thankfully, her exclamation was so unexpected that it stopped Luca in his tracks. He tilted his head, looking down at her with genuine curiosity. “What about diapers?”
“You have to change diapers,” she blurted, the words escaping before she could stop them. It reminded her of a ridiculous argument she’d had with a college acquaintance years ago.
Luca raised an eyebrow, his voice dipping into that sexy chuckle she couldn't ignore. “I do? And why is that?”
Ava lifted her chin, trying to keep some semblance of authority. “You think I’m being silly, but if I’m going to nurse a baby, you need skin in the game too. So, yeah, you get to change the diapers.”
Luca paused, an exaggerated frown forming on his lips. “Can’t I just hire a nanny to do that for us?”
“No,” Ava replied, her hand slicing through the air as if she were cutting through his nonsense.
“Nursing is natural and healthy for the baby. But it’s sometimes painful and takes a great deal of time and effort,” she continued, unaware of how intensely her chin trembled with her convictions.
“I don’t want to be the sole provider of care for our children. ”
“Our children will never want for anything,” Luca said, looking at her with what she thought was reassurance.
“You’re thinking of financial needs, Luca,” she shot back, stepping forward as if trying to physically push her point across.
“But babies, children—they need more than just someone to pay the bills. They need someone to hold them when they’re sad, someone to laugh with them, and cheer them on at choir performances.
They need someone to be there for them when they’re upset, someone to come to when the world is too much. ”
She swallowed past the rising lump in her throat.
“If you aren’t willing to do that, if you’re not there, every single time, for your child, they won’t—” she paused, taking a deep breath, “They won’t trust you when something’s wrong.
They won’t come to you when they’re hurting.
They won’t trust you with the tough stuff. ”
Her voice wavered a bit, but she pushed on.
“Kids need so much more than just money. You have to promise that... that... that you’ll hug them, and talk to them, not just be controlling about what they eat.
You’ll help them with their math homework, and not make them feel like idiots because they don’t understand algebra or ridicule them if they don’t memorize the chemistry chart fast enough. ”
There was a long, poignant silence. Ava kept her gaze fixed on his hands, unwilling to look up.
She was afraid of what she might see. But the silence stretched on, with no movement, no laughter, no teasing remark.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ava lifted her eyes to find Luca watching her with a different expression—understanding, compassion.
“I guarantee that I will hug our children until they get annoyed and push me away. I will be at every soccer game, every choir recital, every piano performance.” Sincerity rang through every word.
Ava nodded. “Okay,” she whispered back, then bit her lips to stop herself from saying more. Something humiliating like, “I could use a hug right now.” It was true, but she couldn’t ask him for that. She would look silly and needy.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“A puppy!” The words came out before she could think better of them. Ava froze, surprised by her own outburst. Where had that thought come from? She hadn't even realized she’d been thinking about it.
“A puppy,” Luca repeated curiously. “That can be arranged. Any specific kind of puppy?” He tilted his head, as though the request had been just as unexpected for him.
She shook her head, still processing what she'd just blurted out. “No. I just… wasn’t ever allowed to have a puppy. Or a cat. No pets.” She paused, her voice softening as she allowed herself to be more vulnerable. “We couldn’t... afford a pet when I was a kid.”
Luca’s expression softened, his earlier amusement fading into something more thoughtful. “Okay. We’ll get a dog.”
Ava nodded, the longing she hadn’t realized was there now washing over her in full force.
The thought of a puppy, of caring for something that would be her own, was an unexpected but welcome idea.
She hadn’t had the luxury of that as a child.
Her mother had been too unreliable, too consumed with her own issues to care for anything beyond her own fleeting whims. The idea of a pet, something that needed attention and nurturing, had been out of the question.
More often than not, Ava hadn’t been sure if there would even be food for her that week, much less for an animal.
But now, the idea of a puppy was tied to something deeper—a sense of stability she craved.
A sense of care that went beyond the material.
A dog would be a living thing to love and be loved by in return.
It represented the kind of home she’d always wanted but never had.
A pet that wasn’t just a luxury, but a sign that things could be different—safer, more nurturing.
She swallowed hard, unsure how to follow up.
The admission had slipped out before she realized it, and now she wasn’t sure if she should have said anything.
Should she really want to raise a child and a puppy in such an uncertain world?
Wouldn’t it be better to keep things simple and focus on their future without adding to the complexity?
But she knew deep down that she wanted something more—a family with the possibility of giving love in a way she’d never received.
“I should go,” she blurted, trying to regain some semblance of control. “I have meetings this afternoon.”
Ava turned quickly toward the sofa where she’d left her purse, grabbing it and pressing it to her chest as if it could shield her from the overwhelming wash of emotions swirling inside her.
She turned halfway back to him. Luca stood by the desk, his hands relaxed by his sides.
But there was something different in his eyes now.
Something that wasn’t the usual calculating coldness.
It was… tenderness? Could it be? The mafia king showing tenderness?
Ridiculous. Ava shook her head slightly, pushing the thought aside as she left his office, unaware that her head was slightly bowed, as if carrying a weight she hadn’t expected. The idea of a puppy, of a family, felt like a heavy thing to ask for—too much to hope for, too much to trust in.
But maybe, just maybe, it was the beginning of something new.