That thought made her heart flutter a little.Luca was different.Luca made her feel things she hadn’t felt in years.And she couldn’t help but wonder—was it worth the risk?Was she ready to open up to someone again, someone who was already so much more than she could’ve expected?
She snapped herself out of her thoughts, her hand still resting on the manila envelope."Would you mind calling Mr.Bernardi back to let him know I'll meet him for lunch?"
Sandy, ever the professional, nodded without further comment, but her eyes lingered with a hint of curiosity.
Ava felt the weight of the moment pressing down on her as she turned back to the box, still unsure what she was supposed to do with the emotions that were tangled up in her chest.For the first time in a long time, she was faced with something she couldn’t control.And she wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
“Ava?”Sandy’s voice was soft, breaking through Ava’s thoughts.
Ava turned her head, startled that she’d lost track of time.The box was still on her desk and the envelope in her hand, while Sandy stood there, waiting expectantly.
“Yes?”Ava replied, shaking off her mental fog.She had been lost in thought, trying to process everything that had been happening lately.Sandy’s question had reminded her of something she had been avoiding.She had been asking herself the same thing: What exactly was Luca’s role in all of this?
“Are you okay?”
Ava saw the concern in her assistant’s eyes and smiled, trying to reassure her.“Yes, Mr.Bernardi is assisting me with some issues,” she said, her voice steady.
Sandy looked horrified.“So, you’re going to solve the vandalism problems coming from one gang by hiring another gang?”
Ava snorted, unable to help herself.“Luca isn’t in a gang.”
Technically, he was the head of a gang, she silently corrected.Or rather, the head of an entire mafia empire.She was pretty sure that was worse.But...was Luca really allthatbad?Ava didn’t know.Maybe.But she didn’t want to know what he’d had to do to get to where he was—on top of that empire.It was a line of thought she didn’t want to entertain.She had her own battles to fight.
Most corporate leaders were just as unethical as the head of a crime syndicate, weren’t they?That was an interesting mental dilemma she didn’t have the energy to explore right now.
“What’s in the box?”Sandy’s voice pulled Ava back to the present.
Ava blinked, then glanced down at the box still in her hand.She was cautious now, wary of whatever might be inside.After the vandalism and the mess that had been made of her life lately, she wasn’t about to let herself get caught off guard again.
“I don’t know,” she replied.She set the box down on the corner of her desk, her fingers lingering for a moment.
“Aren’t you going to open it?”Sandy asked, leaning forward with curiosity burning in her eyes.
Ava considered that question briefly before shaking her head.“No.I think I’ll leave it alone for now.I didn’t order anything, there’s no return address on it so it’s not from one of our vendors, and it’s not my birthday.”She rested a finger on the box, eyeing it as if it were a vicious serpent, waiting to snap at her.“I saw a video once where someone sent bugs to someone as a prank,” she said, tapping the box with her finger.“I think I’ll leave this alone for now.Maybe I’ll open it outside.”
Her caution was the main thing driving her actions today.She couldn’t let herself be reckless, not with so much hanging in the balance.She’d bring the box when she went to see Luca later.
The thought of seeing him again sent a rush of excitement through her, a nervous flutter in her stomach.That wasn’t good.Not at all.Ava needed to keep her head clear.She had to treat this marriage as she would any other business arrangement—cold, calculated, and cautious.She couldn’t afford to let her heart get involved.Not with him.Not yet.
Chapter 11
Lucahadbeenpacingin his office, irritation simmering just beneath the surface.The puppies were restless—pent up energy making them tumble over one another, yipping and whining until even he was running out of patience.They needed to be released, needed someone soft to absorb their chaos, and Luca knew exactly who that someone was.
But it wasn’t just about the dogs.Ava had agreed to lunch, and though he told himself this was merely the practical moment to let the puppies out, the truth pressed harder against his chest.He needed to see her.He needed her to walk through that door and look at him—not as a man demanding obedience, not as a mafia king—but as the one she might finally choose.
When the door to his office opened, Luca braced himself.But instead of her stepping in with her usual sharp gaze and cool composure, a soft gasp escaped her lips as she was immediately swarmed by two small, exuberant German Shepherd puppies.They barreled toward her with a playful urgency, tumbling over one another in a blur of fluff and paws.Even Luca couldn’t deny it—their timing was perfect.Ava, caught off guard, looked disarmed in the most irresistible way.
“Wha—?”Ava exclaimed, her question melting into laughter as she dropped her bag carelessly.She knelt down to greet the puppies’ exuberant advances, her expression breaking into an unguarded, delighted smile as she petted them.
Luca couldn’t help the half-grimace, half-smirk that formed on his lips.He had known she would fall for them.It was impossible not to.But he wasn’t in the mood for puppy antics right now.He was trying to keep his distance, to give her space...yet here she was, clearly losing herself to the fluff balls at her feet and, somehow, looking even more beautiful than ever.
“Choose one,” Luca ordered gruffly, standing back and crossing his arms, trying and failing utterly to look stern.The puppies were relentless, rolling onto their backs for belly rubs, jumping up on her knees, trying to lick her face.
“Choose one?”she repeated, laughing as one pup managed to climb into her lap and start licking her face with an enthusiasm that made her giggle.
Luca frowned.“Yes, choose one.The other one goes back.”
Ava blinked, still laughing but now with an edge of confusion.“Where did they come from?”
