Chapter 49 Chapter 50

Chapter 49 Chapter 50
Luciano POV

I walked back into my office without saying a word, even though Damian was right behind me calling my name. I heard him clearly, but I chose to ignore him. I already knew what he wanted to say, and I wasn’t in the mood for it. My mind was made up, and nothing he said was going to change that. There was no point in listening when I had already decided how things were going to go.

Some decisions don’t need discussion, and this was one of them. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, the familiar space doing nothing to calm the thoughts running through my head. I moved toward the couch and sat down, leaning back slightly as I reached for a few files on the table. If I kept myself busy, maybe the noise in my head would quiet down, even if just for a moment.

Damian followed me in and shut the door behind him. I didn’t look at him. I didn’t need to. I could feel him standing there, waiting, unsure of how to begin. I opened one of the files and flipped through it slowly, my eyes scanning the pages even though I wasn’t really paying attention. Then I heard him clear his throat.

“Boss… I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I would like to have a word with you,” he said carefully.

I still didn’t look up. I kept my focus on the file in my hands, turning a page like what he said didn’t matter. When he didn’t continue, I finally spoke.

“Whatever you want to say, Damian, just say it,” I muttered. “You know I don’t like wasting time.”There was a short pause. I could tell he was choosing his words, trying not to cross a line he knew was already close.

“The thing is…” he started, then hesitated again. “I’m surprised by your sudden closeness with Leah. The last time I checked, you were deeply involved with Valerie. I just… I don’t understand what changed. And if things have changed, then maybe it’s better if she leaves the mansion.”

At that, I slowly lifted my head,For a moment, I just looked at him.Then a small scoff escaped my lips.The way he stood there, trying to act calm but clearly tense, almost made me laugh. He knew he had said too much. I could see it in his eyes.

“Damian,” I said quietly, my gaze fixed on him, “what I do with my life is not your concern.”He didn’t move.“If I decide to go out with Leah, that is my business. If I decide to spend time with her, that is still my business.” I leaned forward slightly, my voice dropping. “And whatever else I choose to do with her… is none of your concern either.”He lowered his head a little, but I wasn’t done.

“You are here to do your job,” I continued. “So focus on that. Don’t try to advise me on things that have nothing to do with you. I don’t want to repeat myself on this again.”The room went quiet after that.He nodded slowly.

"Yes, boss.”He turned to leave, but before he could reach the door, I spoke again.

“Damian.”He stopped immediately.
“Your attention should be on Valerie,” I said, my tone calm but firm. “Watch her every move. Do not let her out of your sight.”

He didn’t turn around, but I knew he was listening closely.“If I hear that she escaped again,” I added, my voice low, “there will be consequences.”He swallowed slightly before answering,

“Understood.”

“Good.”He opened the door and left.
The moment he was gone, the silence in the room returned, heavier than before. I leaned back into the couch and let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair. A small smile formed on my lips, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. Everything was moving exactly how I wanted it to. Every piece was falling into place, even if others couldn’t see it yet. They thought I was distracted. They thought I was making careless choices. Let them think that.

It made things easier,Valerie thought she was close to leaving.That was the part that almost made me laugh.She had no idea.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, remembering the way she spoke earlier, the certainty in her voice when she said she would be gone soon. She believed it. She believed she could just walk away and everything would end. But she didn’t understand something very simple.There was no end.

My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I picked it up and glanced at the screen.

Leah.

A message,I opened it and read through her words slowly. It didn’t take much to understand her mood. She was excited. Happy. She thought today meant something more than it actually did. She believed I had chosen her, that taking her out, giving her attention, meant she had won.

Another small smile appeared on my lips.
People always see what they want to see.
I set the phone down on the table and leaned back again, staring at the ceiling for a moment. Leah was playing her own game, but she didn’t realize she was already part of mine. Every move she made, every step she took, it all worked in my favor. She thought she was getting closer. In reality, she was exactly where I needed her to be.

And Valerie I opened my eyes again, my expression hardening slightly.Everything I was doing, every decision, every move it all led back to her. She might not see it now, but she would. Soon enough, she would understand that leaving was never an option. Not because she couldn’t try, but because I wouldn’t let it happen.

I reached for the file again and forced myself to focus, even though my mind kept drifting. Work was the only thing keeping everything steady on the surface. Beneath it, things were shifting quickly. There were too many moving parts now, Noah, Leah, Valerie, the pressure building from all sides. But I wasn’t worried.

I had already made my choice, and once I decide something, I don’t change it.

I picked up my phone again for a second, glancing at Leah’s message one more time before locking the screen and tossing it aside. Then I returned to the files in front of me, acting like everything was normal, like nothing had changed, But everything had. And soon, they would all realize it.