Chapter 51: Chapter 52

Leah POV

Everything was moving too fast. Too sudden. Too overwhelming. But I didn’t care. All that mattered was one thing, Luciano had asked me to move into his mansion. The same mansion I was once thrown out of like I meant nothing. The same place where I had stood humiliated, broken, and rejected. And now? Now I was walking back in, not as a stranger, not as someone begging for his attention, but as the woman he brought in himself. That alone was enough to fill me with satisfaction. It felt like a victory. A second chance. No… more than that. It felt like I was finally reclaiming what had always been mine.

The moment I stepped into the mansion, I felt it again, that sense of belonging I had been chasing for so long. This was where I was meant to be. By his side. Close to him. Watching him. Understanding him. I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Not this time. I had learned from my mistakes. I had learned that walking away only gave someone else the chance to take my place. And that was exactly what had happened.

Valerie.

Just thinking about her name made something bitter rise in my chest. When Luciano introduced me to her, I didn’t miss the look on her face. The discomfort. The tension. She wasn’t happy. She tried to hide it, but I saw it clearly. And that alone pleased me more than I expected. She knew exactly what my presence meant. She knew I wasn’t here to be ignored. I was here to stay, and more than that

I was here to take everything from her.

I watched her walk away, her steps stiff, her silence loud enough to speak for her. A slow smile spread across my lips as I leaned closer to Luciano, placing my hand gently on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart under my palm.

“How about we celebrate this tonight?” I said softly, tilting my head slightly, my eyes locking onto his. “Our reunion.”I even winked, expecting at least a reaction, something, anything. but he gave me nothing.

No smile. No teasing remark. Nothing.

Instead, he stood up like I hadn’t said anything at all.

“I’m busy,” he said flatly. “I have work to do.”And just like that, he walked away.

For a brief moment, something inside me tightened. But I refused to let it show. I straightened up, brushing it off like it didn’t matter, Because it didn’t.

He was the one who brought me here. That alone meant everything. It meant I still had a place in his life. A strong one. He wouldn’t have done this otherwise. Luciano wasn’t the type to act without reason. If I was here, it was because he wanted me here.

And I would make sure that decision stayed permanent, The housekeeper came in shortly after, quietly helping me with my luggage. I followed her up the stairs, my eyes scanning everything carefully. Nothing had changed. It was all still the same. The same walls, the same silence, the same feeling.

We walked toward Luciano’s room, and without thinking twice, I reached for the door handle. My fingers barely touched it when the housekeeper suddenly spoke.

“Excuse me, madam… What are you trying to do?”Her tone was polite, but there was something else in it. Something that instantly irritated me.

I paused and turned slowly to face her.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” I replied, my voice sharp. “I’m going into my room. Bring the luggage in.”I reached for the handle again, but before I could open it, she rushed forward and grabbed my hand, pulling it away.

I froze.

For a second, I just stared at her.

“That is not your room,” she said quickly, her voice careful now. “Your room is at the other end.”She pointed down the hallway.

Far.

I followed her finger with my eyes, and for a moment, I couldn’t say anything. My chest tightened, and something inside me snapped quietly. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. The humiliation hit slowly, sinking deeper than I wanted to admit.

So this was it. This was where I stood quietly. I turned and walked in the direction she had pointed, every step heavier than the last. When we reached the room, she placed my things inside and left without another word.

The moment I was alone, the anger came rushing in. Why was my room so far from his?Was he avoiding me?Was this his way of reminding me that I didn’t belong as much as I thought I did?

My hands clenched at my sides as I paced the room. No. I refused to believe that. I had everything under control. I was here. That alone meant something. I just needed to act. I needed to remind him of what we had, of what he was trying to ignore.

I wasn’t going to sit back and wait, I quickly went to the bathroom and took a shower, letting the water run over me as I calmed myself. When I stepped out, I chose something deliberate. Something bold. Something impossible to ignore. A soft, revealing nightwear that clung to my body just enough to leave nothing to imagination.

Tonight, I will make things clear.

If Luciano wasn’t going to make a move

I would.When the house finally went quiet and everyone had gone to bed, I stepped out of my room carefully. The hallway was silent, dimly lit, almost empty. My heart beat faster, not from fear, but from anticipation.

This was it, I walked straight to his room.

I didn’t knock, I opened the door slowly and stepped inside, the room was dark, but I didn’t need light. I knew this place. I knew where everything was. I moved quietly, my steps soft as I made my way toward the bed.

And there he was, lying there, Still I climbed onto the bed slowly and moved closer, my breath steady as I reached out and wrapped my arms around him from behind, pressing my body against his.I didn’t care that I was making the first move.

I wanted him, and more than that I needed to secure my place, because if there was one thing I had learned, it was that if I didn’t take what I wanted, someone else would. But before I could say anything he pushed me away.

I froze.

For a moment, I couldn’t even process what had just happened. My body stiffened, my heart dropping as I stared at him in the darkness, trying to understand.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

This wasn’t part of my plan. And for the first time since I stepped into that mansion.