Chapter 12
After another sleepless night, Ava trudged into her office, aching with exhaustion.
She slumped into her chair, barely registering the comfortable leather beneath her.
“It’s going to be a long week,” she mumbled, her voice heavy with fatigue.
The puppies, still unnamed, hurried over to greet her, their soft paws padding against the floor as they gazed up at her with their dark, adoring eyes.
“I know, guys,” she murmured, reaching down with a tired smile to scoop them up onto her lap.
They immediately began snuggling against her, washing her face in their usual enthusiastic way.
Ava laughed, the sound light and genuine despite the exhaustion weighing her down.
She didn’t know why, but having them close seemed to help, even when sleep had been a distant dream the last few nights.
They were her comfort now, her little constant companions.
Since the moment she’d brought them home yesterday, they had been at her side—curled up in bed with her, on her lap as she worked, following her around wherever she went.
It didn’t matter how tired she was, the puppies were there, providing unconditional affection she hadn’t known she needed.
Sandy, with her usual perkiness and a mildly irritating bounce to her step, walked into the room, her smile wide and infectious.
The puppies immediately leapt off Ava’s lap, rushing over to greet her like a long lost loved one.
Sandy giggled, squatting down to give them the attention they demanded.
“Well, hello!” she said, greeting each fluffball personally. “Where did you guys come from?”
“They’re my new puppies,” Ava announced with a tired smile. “A…uh…friend gave them to me.” Ava wasn’t ready to tell her assistant more about her relationship with Luca. Not yet, although she wasn’t sure why. She and Luca had a contract. That was real. Wasn’t it?
Sandy stood up and the puppies trotted back to Ava’s side, but they picked up one of the toys Ava had brought with her this morning. Seconds later, the puppies were engaged in a tug-of-war at opposite ends of a knotted rope.
With a chuckle, Sandy pulled her attention away from the puppies. “You have a busy day today,” Sandy announced, already scanning the papers on Ava’s desk. “Should I set up that video call with…?”
Sandy turned her head abruptly when Luca burst into Ava’s office, his massive frame filling the doorway, his presence commanding. His eyes blazed with fury, waves of anger rolling off him.
“Who the hell is sending you silk scarves, Ava?” he demanded.
Sandy took an instinctive step back, startled by the raw fury radiating from him.
She flinched slightly, her body stiffening as she realized just how out of her depth she was.
“I’ll just…,” she stammered, pointing a shaky finger at the doorway, her pen almost falling from her hand.
“I’ll go,” she finished, her voice higher than usual, and with that, she fled the office.
The door closed with a soft snick, and the air in the room felt heavier as Ava turned to glare at Luca, her patience running thin. “Excuse me?”
“Scarf!” Luca snarled, tossing the box she’d handed him yesterday onto her desk.
The object landed with a harsh thud. “That’s an eight hundred dollar scarf, Ava.
” His voice grew quieter with each word, his tone becoming more menacing as he moved closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “Give me a name.”
Ava’s eyebrows shot up, not because of the price of the scarf.
Now that she looked at it, really noticed the detailed design, she gasped in shock.
Hermès scarves were ridiculously overpriced, but Luca’s jealousy didn’t make sense.
And Ava definitely didn’t appreciate the underlying threat of violence that seemed to drip from his words.
“Luca,” she said slowly, her voice filled with exasperation, “are you seriously demanding I tell you who sent me the box yesterday? The box I didn’t even want to open, which is why I gave it to you to investigate?”
For a moment, Luca seemed stumped, a brief pause hanging between them. He stood still, his jaw tightening as he processed her words. But then he snapped back to attention, his anger only deepening.
“Give me a name, Ava.”
“I can’t do that, Luca,” she replied, her voice taking on a sarcastic tone, pleased that she had finally gotten under his skin. She would’ve liked it if that emotion was something more—concern, maybe? Or dare she even hope for love?
“Why the hell not?” Luca barked, his fury mounting.
As she drew breath to respond, a knock at the door interrupted her. Luca turned sharply, his eyes darkening as Sandy stepped back in, carrying another box.
“This was just delivered for you,” Sandy said, her voice unsteady, her eyes darting nervously between Luca and Ava. She set the box down on Ava’s desk, then quickly turned and fled, casting a wary glance at Luca before disappearing out the door.
As the door clicked shut behind Sandy, the puppies, who had been happily playing with their rope, abandoned it as they looked around, trying to make sense of what was going on.
Their little heads tilted to the side, worried by the growing tension in the room, as if they could sense the human emotions swirling between Ava and Luca.
The puppies looked at one another, unsure of what to make of the heavy atmosphere, but then they scampered off to grab another toy.
Ava couldn't help but smile slightly at their innocence, but the moment quickly passed as Luca’s intense presence refocused her.
Luca’s voice broke through the silence, commanding her attention once again. “Ava!”
Ava felt her frustration building, her body language betraying her clear intimidation by Luca. It seemed the man had no idea how much fear he instilled in the people around him.
She’d like to berate him for that, but then again, he terrified her too—though for completely different reasons.
“Ava!” Luca’s voice snapped her back to the moment.
“What?” she snapped back, irritation giving her voice a sharp edge.
He scowled, waving the colorful silk scarf at her. “Tell me who sent this,” he growled, his voice deliberate as he enunciated each word carefully. “I want a name.”
Ava let out a sigh, rubbing her temples, the tension mounting with each passing second.
She closed her eyes for a moment, collecting herself before opening them to frown up at him.
“I have no idea, Luca,” she replied back firmly, the exhaustion of dealing with the situation clear in her voice.
“That’s why I brought the package to you.
” She nudged the new package closer to him.
“Why don’t you take this one too? Tell me who my latest admirer is, because he’s a pathetic coward. ”
She slumped down into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “I hate cowards. If someone doesn’t have the courage to face me, then they should stay the hell away.”
“I have the courage,” Luca retorted, leaning forward, his hands braced on the desk in front of her, his eyes darkening with the weight of his words.
“Yeah, but you think I know who is sending these packages,” she shot back, her frustration now bubbling over.
“I think someone’s trying to tempt you away from me.” Luca’s voice was low and dangerous now, the jealousy he had been suppressing bubbling up to the surface.
Ava paused, the words hanging in the air between them. Then, with a resigned nod, she said, “That’s possible. But I don’t see how I could be encouraging anyone since I have no idea who it is.”
“Think, Ava! Who have you flirted with recently?” Luca’s voice sliced through the air, demanding an answer. His frustration was palpable, his jaw clenched, his posture rigid with intensity.
Ava’s patience snapped. She pushed out of her chair, her body stiff with outrage.
“I don’t flirt!” she enunciated carefully, her fists tightening at her sides.
“Hell, I barely get out of here in time to have dinner! Most nights, I just make something easy and eat alone in front of the television.” Her voice dropped, tinged with frustration.
“I haven’t even had the time or energy to go out and meet people lately, Luca.
So no, I haven’t flirted with anyone and I have no idea who’s sending mysterious presents to me. ”
She straightened and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes flashing as she stared him down. The tension between them crackled in the air like static.
Before either of them could say another word, there was a timid knock at the door. Sandy poked her head through the crack, hesitating for a moment as she took in the scene—Ava standing, arms crossed, fury in her eyes, and Luca, jaw tight with frustration.
“Sorry to interrupt, but…,” Sandy began, her voice tentative, “well, you’re yelling really loud and everyone can hear.”
Ava blinked, her anger still simmering. She exhaled sharply and sat back down, reaching for the newest delivery with a mix of irritation and resignation. She flipped it over, and sure enough, there was an envelope taped to the back.
“Don’t touch it,” Luca warned, his tone sharp, though he couldn’t suppress his curiosity. He stood at the edge of the desk, watching her intently.
Ava rolled her eyes, her body language dripping with sarcasm. “How am I supposed to defend myself against your accusations when we don’t even know who’s doing this?” she muttered, ripping the envelope off with an exaggerated flourish. She tore it open, scanning the note quickly.
She frowned and glanced up at Luca. She turned the note around in her hands, offering it to him with a mix of disbelief and unease. “Do you know someone named Max?”
Luca froze as he took the note, his eyes narrowing. The name hung in the air, thick with tension. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This wasn’t just some random admirer. There was something more to it—something dangerous.
Luca’s stomach muscles tightened as he read the message:
In shadows deep, the vows may break,A fragile thread, a life to take.The clockwork moves, the dancers sway,One foot wrong — he'll slip away.
Lace will tear, and steel will bend,Unless a voice from rain's descent.A whispered name, a northern call,Can halt the groom before the fall.
One path, one choice, a fate to seal,Max steps forth — or darkness kneels.
Ava blinked at the poem, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What does it mean?” she asked, glancing up at Luca.
Luca’s eyes narrowed as he re-read the note, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of it. “No idea,” he muttered. “But I have a friend in Seattle who…” He trailed off, then turned back to Ava. For a moment, he didn’t speak, his jaw tight as he weighed the situation in his mind.
Ava waited, her confusion palpable, but Luca simply picked up the package with the poem, his movements deliberate. He turned and started toward the door. “I’ll call you later. I’ll have a driver bring you to me for dinner!”
Before she could respond, Luca was already gone, striding out of Ava’s office with the package in hand. Ava was left standing there, the faint click of the door closing behind him the only sound filling the air. The question hung in her mind, unanswered: what did it all mean?