Chapter 8
Luca watched Ava walk down the hallway toward the elevator.
Every muscle in his body screamed to call out to her, to pull her back into his arms. But his desire for Ava wasn’t physical.
Well, it was. Absolutely! The thought of all of those lush curves, his hands exploring all those warm, soft places… his mind and body burned with need!
But it was more than just sex. Although, sex with Ava would never be “just” sex. Ava was so much more than the women he’d been with in the past.
After their negotiations, Luca lingered on her words, unsettled by the weight behind them.
There was something about Ava’s demands—something that felt less like bargaining and more like revelation.
He couldn’t quite name it, but the odd feeling tugged at him, as if her terms weren’t just conditions for an agreement…
they were glimpses into who she really was.
Luca wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her. He wanted to reassure her, to somehow promise her that their future life together would be fine. Better than fine! Wonderful even!
He wasn’t an ogre, despite how people saw him.
He wasn’t just some power-hungry ruler who controlled everything with brute force.
Luca could give Ava what she needed. He could provide for her.
Financially, of course—but it was more than that.
Couldn’t she see it? She had to know that he would do anything to take care of her.
Ava had made it clear with her words, with the depth of her convictions.
It wasn’t about the lavish gifts, the bank accounts, or even a house.
What she wanted went far beyond that. She needed presence.
Luca suspected that Ava longed for someone who would hold her when she was vulnerable, who would listen, who would share the responsibility of raising their children instead of leaving it all on her shoulders.
Luca felt the weight of those unspoken expectations press down on him, heavier than any business deal he’d ever negotiated.
He knew he could provide for her—money, security, a fortress against the world.
That was second nature to him. But this…
this was different. Emotional support wasn’t something he could throw money at or delegate to a trusted lieutenant.
For the first time, his thoughts drifted away from contracts and strategies toward something far more fragile. He’d have to protect her heart.
That was going to take some time to learn.
In the meantime, Luca turned and dialed his banker.
“Mark, set up an account for Ava Santos. She’ll need monthly transfers into the account,” he instructed, naming a sum that was more than most people earned in a year.
“She’ll also need a credit card. No, no limit,” Luca added, voice firm.
“Have that couriered over to her this afternoon.”
He hung up and immediately called his lawyer. “What’s up?” Bill asked moments later, walking into Luca’s office.
Luca was still seated, having just finished writing down the terms he and Ava had discussed. He handed the page to Bill. “I need a marriage contract written up with these terms.”
Bill skimmed the details, his eyebrows lifting at several of the conditions. When he reached the last one, he burst out laughing. “Are you serious?”
Luca didn’t even flinch. He nodded. “Absolutely. I need a contract written up with those terms. Get it back to me tomorrow and I’ll have her sign it.”
Bill nodded, though he still looked amused. “I’ll add prenup terms as well. Any amount you’d like to offer in the event of a termination of the marriage?”
Luca thought for a moment. His initial instinct was to tell Bill that he and Ava would never divorce, that he wouldn’t allow it to happen. But that wasn’t realistic. He was smart enough to know that life didn’t work on idealistic terms. People changed. Relationships changed.
“Make sure she’s set for life,” he decided after a long pause, his voice low and serious. “And she inherits everything if anything happens to me.”
Bill blinked in surprise, but he shrugged it off and nodded. “Got it, boss.” They discussed a few more issues before Bill left to write up the contract.
Luca was left alone in his office, the weight of the decisions he’d made settling in. His gaze wandered to the desk, the papers in front of him, the contracts and plans that would secure their future—her future.
But it wasn’t just about the material things.
This morning’s conversation had made that crystal clear.
With Ava, it had never been about gifts or money.
What she wanted—what she needed—was deeper.
She needed to feel cared for, emotionally supported, truly loved.
And Luca finally understood that being there for her meant more than buying her whatever she wanted or surrounding her with protection.
He had to show her that she mattered more than his power, more than his wealth, more than the empire he ruled.
There was something else he had to do now—something personal. He rose from his chair, the weight of the decision steadying him rather than dragging him down. Ava had let him glimpse her vulnerability this morning—in her hesitations, her silences, the fears she didn’t dare put into words.
And he would answer that vulnerability with action. He would prove to her that no matter what came, she could count on him—not only for money or protection, but for everything that truly mattered.