Chapter 11 Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Chapter 11
Luciano POV
I tried to focus on work, but my mind refused to obey me,No matter how hard I stared at the documents on my desk, Valeria’s face kept breaking through my thoughts. It was like she lived inside my head now, breathing there, watching me. I had waited too long for her. Too many years. Too many sacrifices.

I did not build my empire by accident.
Every deal I made, every enemy I crushed, every night I worked until my hands shook,I did it to stand close to her in the business world. I became her strongest rival on purpose. I wanted her to notice me. I wanted her to look at me and see me as her equal. Or better, But what started as strategy slowly turned into something darker,Something dangerous.

My desire for her grew every second. Every minute. It wrapped itself around my chest and squeezed until breathing felt hard. I hated how powerless it made me feel. I hated that she controlled my thoughts without even trying.

I wanted her near me. I wanted her presence. I wanted to hear her voice say my name. I wanted her to belong in my world, where no one could touch her without my permission.
My eyes drifted to the framed photograph on my desk,Valeria.

She was standing in the picture, calm and beautiful, her lips slightly parted as if she was about to speak. I reached out and traced the edge of the frame with my fingers, my touch slow and possessive.
“Mine,” I whispered, my voice low and firm.
The word felt like a promise. Or a warning.
A soft knock broke the silence.

The door opened, and Damien stepped in. He moved carefully, as if he could sense the storm inside me. In his hands was a sealed envelope. He walked forward and placed it neatly on my desk before bowing his head.

“Boss,” he said quietly, “you’ve been invited to a round table meeting.”
I lifted my gaze from the photograph and looked at him. Then my eyes slid down to the envelope. The moment I saw the seal, a slow smile formed on my lips,I already knew who it was from,Valeria’s father.

I picked up the envelope and opened it with calm precision, reading every word even though I didn’t need to. I had been expecting this. A man like him never stayed silent for long not when power was shifting,And power was shifting.

I closed the letter and leaned back in my chair. Fate was finally moving in my direction.

“Get the car ready,” I said.

Damien nodded and left the room without another word.

I stood up and straightened my jacket. Before leaving, I turned back to the desk and looked at Valeria’s picture one last time. My chest tightened, but my expression remained cold and controlled.
Soon, I thought,Very soon.

I walked out of my study, down the long halls of my mansion, my footsteps steady and sure. Outside, the car waited. As I got in and the engine started, the city lights stretched ahead of me like a battlefield.
This meeting wasn’t just business.
It was the beginning of something inevitable, And Valeria, whether she knew it or not, was already at the center of it all.

The moment we arrived at the destination, a cold smile curled on my lips. It wasn’t admiration. It was disappointing.
I shook my head slowly as I stepped out of the car.

“You could have done better, Stephen,” I muttered under my breath.

The mansion stood tall and proud, expensive and carefully guarded, but it meant nothing to me. I had seen greater places fall. As I walked inside, the staff lined up to greet me, their heads bowed, their voices polite. I barely noticed them.
My eyes were already searching.
Stephen,Valeria’s father.

The man who had once tried to end my life.

I wanted to see his face when our eyes finally met. I wanted to see if guilt lived there, or fear. Or if he was still foolish enough to believe he could stand against me and survive.

I followed the hallway into the meeting room. The doors opened wide, revealing a long white table surrounded by twelve chairs. The room was silent. Heavy. Dangerous.

I took my seat beside my uncle without a word.

The moment I sat down, I felt the weight of every gaze in the room pressed on me. No one spoke. No one dared to. They watched me carefully, measuring my mood, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
They should be afraid.

I was not in the mood for games.
I was ready to burn anyone who tried to protect Stephen or take his side. I had buried men for less.

“Keeping the elders waiting isn’t the best impression, Luciano,” Matteo said, his voice low but firm.

I turned my head slowly to look at him. My face was calm, but the anger inside me burned hot and steady.

“I don’t see a problem with my timing,” I replied evenly. “Whether I arrived early or late doesn’t change why we are here.”
My gaze shifted across the table,straight to Stephen.

He sat there stiffly, pretending to be composed, but I saw it the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers tightened against the table. He knew exactly why I was here.

“And the real issue,” I continued, my voice still calm, “is why this meeting was called. And why I was summoned.”
Every word carried a warning. Every breath I took was controlled. I wanted to tear him apart, expose him, make him beg. But I haven't acted yet. Acting too fast was a mistake.

I leaned back in my chair, my eyes never leaving Stephen. Memories flashed through my mind the betrayal, the attempt on my life, the blood that could have been mine. The man sitting across from me had signed his own death sentence that day.

This meeting wasn’t about peace.
It was about power,Stephen had made his move in the shadows. Now I was here, in the open, standing where no one could touch me.

And when the time was right, I would remind them exactly who I
was and why crossing Luciano was the worst mistake any man could ever make.