Cara's POV
Absolute silence echoed throughout the room.
I stared at her clutching her cheek. I hoped to God it hurt as much as mine did. I could not bring myself to feel anything but justified. Slapping her back could never heal all the years of watching her stand by while Diego terrorized my life, with her only contribution actively slut shaming and bullying me every chance she got. I could never fill the family-sized hole I carried around in my chest caused by Amanda and Diego's brutality but I had made my peace with that. It was time to cut them off… For good.
Amanda stared at me, her wide eyes brimming with disbelief as though she couldn't believe that I had dared to strike her back.
"You... you insolent little-" she started, taking a threatening step forward but the sound of the door opening cut through her words.
Luca stepped in, holding a pizza box in one hand, his tie slightly loosened as if he had just stepped away from the reception. His gaze swept over the room, moving from Amanda before locking onto me.
"Cara?" His tone was calm, but I could see the way his shoulders stiffened as if he could sense that this was anything but a friendly visit.
"What's going on here?"
Amanda took a step back, visibly paling which made me realize that she hadn't expected him to meet her here. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to come up with an explanation, but Luca's attention was entirely on me.
I swallowed hard, my heart racing as I struggled to find the right words. Part of me wanted to say that everything was fine, to brush it off as nothing, but why? Why should I cover for her? Why should I shield the woman who had never once shielded me?
I was done trying to force a relationship out of her.
"She slapped me," I finally said, keeping my voice steady and watched as Amanda paled even further. "And I slapped her back."
Luca's eyes darkened as he turned his icy gaze toward Amanda. He placed the box on the table with a deliberate slowness that made my pulse quicken in worry.
"What did you say?" His voice was calm, too calm, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
Amanda flinched but tried to compose herself, shaking her head as if I'd lied against her. "It's not what it looks like-"
"It's exactly what it looks like," I interrupted, my voice sharper now. "She hit me because I refused to ask you to release Diego."
Luca's jaw twitched as he processed my words. Then, without warning, he crossed the room, his movements quick and deliberate, and grabbed Amanda by the wrist.
"Luca, what are you doing?" Amanda screeched, trying to pull away, but his grip was unyielding.
He dragged her to the table and slapped her hand flat on the marble top. Her protests grew louder, more frantic, as he pulled out the drawer and grabbed a butcher knife.
The room seemed to freeze.
"Right or left?" He asked without looking up at me.
"W- what?" I squeaked out, still reeling from the speed at which everything was happening.
He finally looked at me, ice cold rage in his dark eyes. "What hand did she use to hit you, Cara?"
Amanda's eyes went wide with panic, her struggles growing more desperate. "Luca, you can't be serious."
But Luca didn't even glance at her. His attention remained on me, his brows raised as he waited expectantly for my answer.
My mouth went dry. I could barely find my voice as I stared at the knife in his hand, gleaming under the soft light. "Luca, don't-"
"What hand?" he repeated, his patience thinning, his voice dropping lower.
I kept my mouth shut because as much as I now despised my mother, I didn't want her getting hurt.
His eyes narrowed when I refused to give him a response and the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
"Have it your way, bambina." He turned his gaze back to Amanda, he raised the knife, prepared to chop off her wrist and the reality of it all came crashing down on me.
"No!" I exclaimed, rushing forward as Amanda started screaming. My hands flew to his arm, gripping it tightly as I tried to pull him back. "Luca, stop. Please. Don't do it."
He didn't move, his body as rigid as stone. "She hurt you, Cara. There are consequences for that."
He was right and even though I knew that I wouldn't feel any regrets if he were to punish her, I knew that I wouldn't feel relief either.
"She's still your father's wife," I said quickly, my voice trembling. "I'm fine, I promise. I got to hit her back."
He remained silent for so long, his icy glare drilling holes in my head.
"An eye for an eye, right?" I prodded weakly.
Amanda's eyes darted between us, her face pale with terror. For once, she was silent, too stunned or frightened to speak.
Luca's jaw clenched, his knuckles whitening around the knife. For a moment, I wasn't sure if he would listen. His gaze moved from her back to me, and I saw the storm brewing behind his eyes, the battle he was waging within himself.
For a long moment, he didn't move. Then, slowly, he lowered the knife, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly.
He didn't let go of her wrist, his expression was cold and unrelenting as he glared down at her.
"My father is dead. Whatever contract he had going on with you ended the moment he died. You're not donna of anything, do you understand me? My mother is. The only reason I didn't kick you out as soon as he died was out of respect for Cara. If you ever come within six feet of Cara again, I will break your legs," he said solemnly, "and this time, nothing," he emphasized to the both of us, "will stop me."
Amanda's nodded shakily, her lips parting as if to protest, but no words came out.
"Get out," Luca said, his tone final.
Amanda didn't need to be told twice. She rushed to the door, her steps unsteady. She paused for a moment, her gaze flickering back to me, her eyes burning with something between hatred and humiliation. Then she was gone, the door slamming shut behind her.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Luca turned to me, his gaze softening as he took a step closer. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, though my hands were still trembling. "I'm fine."
He reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek where Amanda had struck me. His touch was gentle, a stark contrast to the fury he had just displayed.
"She won't bother you again," he said, his voice low, reassuring.
"I know," I said quietly, leaning into his touch.
And that's when the tears started. I didn't realize just how hurt I was by Amanda's negligence and cruelty until today. For years, a part of me had hoped that she would one day just try to be a good parent even though time and again, she had shown me that it would never happen.
Luca, bless his heart, said nothing, holding me in his arms the entire time as I sobbed hard for the family I never had.