Chapter 164 LOVESICK PUPPY.
\~~~TALIA.
“Don’t worry about me,” I said into the phone, pacing slowly across the bedroom floor. The video call showed his face lit by a single bulb, shadows carving deep lines into his skin. He looked exhausted, but his eyes burned with that same ruthless fire I knew so well.
Raina was trussed up somewhere behind him, out of frame, probably gagged and blindfolded after yesterday’s rough handling.
"He won't stop until he finds her, though" I said, keeping my voice low and steady. "Just get her as far away as you can. I will keep doing my thing here and stalling."
Marco nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "If he finds her, it is game over. So he certainly can't." He paused, glancing off-screen like he was checking on her. "I have been on the move since daybreak. We're heading north, and I have switched vehicles twice already. There will be no traces.”
"Good. Keep it that way." I ended the call with a swipe, the screen going dark. My heart raced a bit, but I shoved the nerves down.
This was my play, months of planning, spying, and waiting for the right moment to strike at the Morettis.
I tossed the phone onto the bed and started moving around the room, humming a soft tune under my breath. It was some old lullaby my mother used to sing before everything went to hell, but I twisted it into something mocking, light, and carefree.
The room smelled like Luciano, and a little like my darling sister, Raina. I trailed my fingers over the dresser, picking up a bottle of Raina's perfume and spritzing it on my wrist. It was cloying, floral, nothing like the sharp scents I preferred, but it helped the illusion. I needed to blend in and act like her until I could solidify my grip.
Humming louder, I stepped into the walk-in closet, the door creaking slightly as I pushed it open. Rows of dresses and blouses hung neatly, all Raina's doing prim, professional, and boring as hell. But they were tools now.
It was a new day, and I was damn well going to act like everything was normal. No frantic searches, no breakdowns. Just me, slipping into her skin a little deeper. I rifled through the hangers, pulling out a crisp white shirt and a fitted black dress that hugged the curves we both shared.
Perfect for the office, professional enough to fool the board, and sexy enough to remind everyone who was in charge.
Just then, the bedroom door opened with a soft click. I grabbed the shirt and dress, draping them over my arm, and stepped out of the closet, the robe loose around my body. There he was, Luciano, standing in the doorway like a storm cloud ready to burst. His broad shoulders filled the frame, but his face... God, he looked wrecked. Dark circles under his eyes, swollen and red from lack of sleep, probably staring at maps and screens all night.
"God, I missed you overnight," I teased, forcing a playful lilt into my voice, the kind Raina would have used if she wanted to soften him. "I thought you couldn't sleep without me."
He hadn't set foot in this room since storming out last night, his threats hanging in the air like smoke. I watched him closely, noting the tension in his jaw, the way his fists clenched at his sides.
How the hell had Raina done it? Wrapped this almighty Don around her little finger, turned a man who crushed empires into a lovesick puppy? It must have been her wide-eyed innocence, that mix of fire and vulnerability. Me? I preferred to wield power like a blade, sharp and direct.
I chuckled, leaning against the closet doorframe. "I take it you still haven't found a lead yet."
His eyes narrowed, cold and piercing. "What do you want?"
I laughed softly, the sound light but laced with mockery. Walking toward him, I let the robe slip a bit, exposing the curve of my shoulder. "You're not going to find her. You should think of how you're going to soothe me, not chase shadows. You won't find her. We've been scheming this for months. How could you think you could track her down in one night?"
He didn't move as I closed the distance, but I could feel the heat radiating off him, barely containing his rage.
Raising the shirt and dress like a peace offering, I tilted my head. "What would you suggest I wear today?"
"Where are you going?" His voice was a low growl, suspicion dripping from every word.
"What do you mean? I am the COO of the Moretti Corporation. I should go to work." I kept my tone casual, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
In an instant, he crossed the space between us, his presence overwhelming.
I giggled, the sound bubbling up genuinely this time. It was so easy riling this man up, poking at his control, and watching the cracks form. His hand shot out, grabbing my neck, his fingers digging in hard, choking me like he meant to snap my spine right there.
Air caught in my throat, but I forced a wink, my voice raspy. "O... oh, so... feisty. I love that."
He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my face. "Why are you stalling? Just tell me exactly what you want and leave!"
I gasped, but held his gaze, reveling in the power play. "You should have considered my well-being before you tried to marry me just to enact revenge on my family."
His grip loosened a fraction, eyes furrowing in confusion.
"You think I didn't know everything?" I continued, my words steady despite the pressure on my throat. "My parents... those old, greedy couples wouldn't hesitate to sell me off to you just to save their own skins. Of course, I overheard them talking."
I shrugged off his hand completely, letting the robe fall open as I pulled it from my shoulders.
Naked underneath, I stepped back and slipped into the dress, the fabric sliding over my skin like a second layer of armor. Luciano's eyes flicked over me, a mix of disgust and unwanted heat, but he stayed silent, watching.
"And you," I said, zipping the side halfway up myself, "you aimed to make our whole family pay for what my parents did to your mother, right? My mother killed your mother, and like a coward, the kids are the ones you wanna make suffer first. So stupid."
"You don't know anything," he snarled, but there was a crack in his voice, doubt creeping in.
"Well, tell me more then." I turned my back to him, exposing the open zipper. "I know my mother killed your mother. What else? You should be mad at your father who covered it up, no? So ridiculous." I hissed the last word, letting venom seep through.
"Pull up the zip," I added casually, as if we were lovers sharing a morning routine.