30. Gilly
Gilly
For the first time in years, there’s no enemy at the gates. No war to plan. No battle to fight.
And yet, the silence feels just as dangerous.
Luca stands at the head of the long wooden table in the meeting room, his back to me as he stares at the men gathered before him.
These men who followed him into war, who killed and bled for him.
They sit stiff-backed, eyes sharp with expectation.
They’re waiting. They think they know what’s coming.
But they don’t.
I stand near the doorway, arms crossed over my chest, my heart pounding as I watch him. Even now, Luca commands a room without saying a word. His presence alone demands attention. But for the first time since I met him, there’s hesitation in his stance, a flicker of something I can’t quite name.
Then he speaks.
"We’re done."
The room shifts like a living thing, unease rippling through the air. A few men exchange glances. Some straighten in their seats as if they misheard him.
One of them clears his throat. Marco, one of Luca’s most trusted men, leans forward, his brows furrowing. “Done?” His voice is careful. “With what, Boss?”
Luca’s jaw tightens slightly. “With this.” He gestures vaguely around the room. “With all of it. The war. The retaliation. The bloodshed. It’s over.”
A heavier silence falls, thick and suffocating.
Another man shifts forward. “We won. So what’s next?”
Luca exhales, his fingers pressing into the table as he leans forward slightly. I see the war inside him, the way he’s forcing himself to say the words, to let this go.
He glances at me, just for a second.
Then he looks at them.
"Peace."
The word hangs between them like a foreign thing.
For a long moment, no one moves.
Then Marco leans back, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “You’re serious.”
Luca nods once.
Another man exhales sharply. “And what happens to us?”
It’s a valid question. These men have followed Luca for years. Some of them only know war. Just like him.
Luca doesn’t answer right away.
Then, finally, he straightens. His voice is quiet, firm. “You’ll do whatever you choose. But I won’t lead you into another war. I won’t keep building something that only takes.”
He looks around the room, his expression unreadable. “If you stay, I’ll take care of you. You’ll have jobs, homes, security. If you want to leave, you’re free to do that too.”
Another ripple of murmurs. Some nod, considering. Others still look uncertain.
But no one fights him on it.
Because they know.
The war isn’t just over.
Luca Marchesi is walking away.
I exhale slowly, my hands tightening at my sides. I didn’t know how today would go. If Luca would change his mind. If he’d let the ghosts of his past drag him under one more time.
But he didn’t.
He’s doing this.
He’s choosing this life, choosing us.
A knot in my chest loosens, just slightly.
But there’s still more to face.
As the men slowly begin to disperse, some clapping Luca on the back, others murmuring amongst themselves, I step forward. Luca’s shoulders drop slightly when he sees me, exhaustion seeping through the cracks in his armor.
I reach for his wrist, brushing my fingers against his skin. “You did it.”
His jaw tightens, but he nods. “Yeah.”
I tilt my head slightly. “So why do you still look like you’re carrying the weight of the world?”
A ghost of a smirk flickers across his lips, but it’s gone too fast. He exhales slowly, shifting his gaze toward the window. “Because I don’t know what comes next.”
I swallow hard, my chest tightening.
Because I know what comes next.
But I don’t say it yet.
Not yet.
Instead, I squeeze his wrist gently, grounding him. “Then let’s figure it out together.”
Luca’s eyes flick to mine, and for the first time, I see it.
Hope.
Just a flicker.
But it’s there.
And that’s enough.
For now.
---
The late afternoon light slants through the tall windows of the estate, casting long golden shadows across the marble floors. Outside, the world is quiet. Peaceful. A stark contrast to the war that once raged around us.
Inside, Luca stands by the window, his shoulders tense, his hands braced against the edge of the desk. The men have gone, leaving behind a silence that feels heavier than before.
I don’t move. I just watch him.
His whole life has been spent fighting, leading, surviving. And now, for the first time, there is nothing left to fight. Nothing left to kill.
Just us.
Just a life waiting to be lived.
Luca exhales, his head dipping slightly, and something about that simple motion makes my heart clench. He looks… lost. Like a soldier returning home from battle only to realize he doesn’t know how to live without the war.
The thought settles into my chest like a weight.
I step forward, my voice softer now. “You did the right thing.”
His jaw tightens. “Then why does it feel like I lost something?”
I reach for him, letting my fingers skim over his forearm before gripping his wrist, anchoring him. “Because endings feel like that. Even the ones we choose.”
Luca finally looks at me, his dark eyes unreadable. “Matteo should be here for this.”
I nod, my stomach tightening slightly. “Then let’s go find him.”
I find Matteo exactly where I expect him—on the balcony, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his long legs stretched out in front of him. The wind ruffles his dark hair, and for the first time since I met him, he looks… at peace.
He hears me coming before I speak. “You should know, Gilly, I don’t do heart-to-hearts.”
I scoff, leaning against the stone railing. “Good thing I don’t either.”
Matteo smirks, tilting his head toward me. His face is still too pale, his body still healing, but there’s something different about him now.
He lifts his glass slightly. “To being alive.”
I hesitate, then nod. “To being free.”
Matteo exhales, rolling the whiskey between his fingers. “Funny thing about war—you spend so much time trying to win, you don’t think about what happens when it’s over.”
I glance at him. “And now that it is?”
He huffs a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Now I don’t have anything to prove.”
The words are simple, but I know how much they mean.
Matteo has always been a man with something to prove. To Luca. To himself. To the world.
But now? He’s alive. He’s free.
And for the first time, that’s enough.
I swallow hard, my fingers curling against the stone railing. “I think Luca is struggling with that part.”
Matteo’s smirk fades slightly. He nods once, slow and knowing. “He’s spent his whole life fighting. He has been fighting since he was a boy. It will take a lot of time for him to stop”
I inhale, forcing the lump in my throat down. “Yeah. But I’m not going to let him drown in it.”
Matteo studies me for a long moment, then raises his glass slightly. “Good.”
I exhale slowly, glancing toward the horizon. The sky is painted in soft shades of pink and gold, the setting sun casting a warm glow over the estate.
It should feel like an ending.
But it doesn’t.
It feels like something else.
Something new.
And that’s when it hits me.
Luca and I were never truly married—not in a way that mattered.
Not in the way I want us to be.
The realization slams into me like a tidal wave, stealing my breath.
Because I don’t want to wait anymore.
Because we survived.
And now, I want more than just survival.
I push off the railing, my pulse hammering in my throat. Matteo arches a brow. “Where are you going?”
I don’t answer.
I just move.
Because there’s something I need to do.
I move fast, my breath tight in my chest as I step back inside. The house feels too big, too empty, but I know exactly where Luca is.
My heart pounds as I reach the bedroom doorway. He stands near the bed, one hand resting on the headboard, his shoulders rigid, his back to me.
I don’t hesitate.
“Luca.”
He stills. His fingers tighten slightly against the wood before he exhales and turns.
His green eyes lock onto mine, guarded, unreadable. He doesn’t speak.
But he doesn’t need to.
Because I see it—the uncertainty. The shift. The man who has spent his whole life walking through fire, finally standing in the aftermath, unsure of where to go next.
I step closer, my pulse thrumming. “You’re not that man anymore.”
His jaw tics. “Gilly—”
I shake my head. “Let me finish.”
I take another step, closing the distance between us. My voice softens. “We survived. We made it. And now, for the first time, we get to decide what happens next.”
His throat bobs slightly as he swallows, his gaze searching mine. “And what do you want to happen next?”
I inhale deeply, steadying my breath.
Then, I take his hand.
The same hand that has pulled me from danger. Held me through nightmares. Touched me with love and desperation.
I turn it over, pressing my fingers to the calloused skin of his palm.
And then, I say the words I’ve been holding in.
“We were never really married.”
Luca stiffens, his fingers twitching against mine.
His voice is low, rough. “Yes, we were.”
I shake my head, a soft smile touching my lips. “Not in the way that mattered.”
His chest rises with a deep breath. “Gilly—”
“I don’t want to wait anymore.” My voice is steady, sure. “I don’t want a marriage built on necessity. I don’t want something that started because of war, or power, or a contract.”
I squeeze his hand. “I want you. I want us.”
Luca stares at me, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.
For the first time since the war ended, he looks… undone.
I lift my chin, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Marry me.”
His lips part slightly, his grip tightening on mine.
I take another breath, forcing the words out. “For real this time.”
The silence stretches between us, heavy, weighted with everything we’ve been through.
Luca doesn’t look away.
And then—slowly, deliberately—his fingers curl around mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
His breath is unsteady as he exhales, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You want to marry me?”
I nod, my throat tightening. “Yes.”
His dark eyes flicker with something deep, something raw. “No contracts. No obligations. Just us?”
“Just us.”
Luca stares at me for a long moment, his grip firm, grounding.
Then—his lips twitch, the smallest hint of a smirk appearing.
His voice is rough, edged with something I can’t quite name.
“Then you better start planning a wedding, little hellcat.”
A shaky laugh escapes me, my chest tightening with emotion.
And for the first time in forever—
Luca finally breathes.