Chapter 137 SWEET NORMAL LIFE.
\~~~LUCIANO.
We pulled up to the house just as the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the driveway. Raina was humming softly beside me, her hand resting on my thigh, fingers tracing idle patterns through my pants. The drive back from the clearing had been quiet, and peaceful, filled with stolen glances and her occasional squeeze that made my chest tighten in the best way.
She looked so relaxed, her head leaning against the window, a small smile playing on her lips. That smile... It hit me like a punch.
How could something so simple make me feel this alive, and this grounded?
I killed the engine and turned to her, watching as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She leaned over, wrapping her arms around my neck in a hug that smelled like wildflowers and us.
“We are home,” she murmured, her breath warm against my ear. I hugged her back, tight enough to feel her heartbeat sync with mine.
But even in that moment, a pang of guilt twisted in my gut.
This peace, this domestic bliss we'd carved out was fragile. Like glass under my boot.
One wrong step, and it could shatter.
We stepped inside, the familiar creak of the door welcoming us. The house felt warmer with her here, and the air less stale. Raina kicked off her shoes and padded toward the kitchen, calling over her shoulder about making tea. I followed, leaning against the counter as she busied herself with the kettle. She was glowing, and still riding the high from the proposal, the ring glinting on her finger every time she moved. I smiled at her, but inside, my mind was already shifting gears.
It was time to finally resume what I'd put on hold for too long.
That night, as we settled into bed, Raina curled against my side, her breathing evening out into sleep. I stared at the ceiling, the shadows dancing from the streetlight outside. My original plan had been clear, and ruthless.
Marry Talia, use her to infiltrate and ruin the family from the inside. Punish Arthur for what he did to my mother twenty years ago.
My father had closed the case too quickly, and too quietly, but I'd never forgotten. The plan was to kill them all, Arthur, his kin, and even Talia if she got in the way. No loose ends.
But fate had other ideas. Talia bolted from the wedding like a scared rabbit, and there I was, standing at the altar with Raina instead. An innocent slip-up, a twist I never saw coming.
And then... I fell for her. Hard.
Her laugh, her fire, and the way she saw through my walls without even trying. It wasn't part of the script.
My heart pulled one way, toward her, and toward this life we were building.
But the past? It clawed at me, demanding blood. Revenge wasn't just a want, it was a debt I owed my mother's ghost.
I glanced at Raina and protective instinct surged through me, fierce and unyielding. She was mine to shield, not destroy.
'I can't put this off any longer,' I thought, the words echoing in my head like a vow.
'It's time I face Arthur. Time to avenge her.'
The next morning, after breakfast of simple eggs and toast, I found myself in the study. Viktor was already there, nursing a coffee, his sharp eyes reading me before I even spoke. He knew me too well, that stiff bear. I sank into the chair behind the desk, rubbing my temples.
“I married her for revenge,” I said, voice low, like saying it out loud made it real. “But she is ... she is everything I didn't know I wanted. How can I destroy her family and still keep her safe?'
Viktor leaned forward, his face unreadable. “I know you love her. And I’ve finally settled with the fact that she is nothing like her family too. But, this has been your plan for years. Boss, Arthur must pay for what he did to your mother, and we both know this.”
I paced the room, my mind racing.
Of course, I’d lived for this vindication.
Arthur's blood was on his hands alone, my mother's death, the lies, and the cover-up. I wouldn't drag Raiba into the mud, and would not let her see the monster I would become for this.
Precision was key. I would carve out Arthur like a tumor, and make sure the fallout didn't touch her. Manipulate the optics, and keep the darkness locked away.
Our life, this sweet, normal life had to stay clean.
The door creaked open then, and Raina poked her head in, her hair tousled from whatever she'd been doing. Viktor stood immediately, excusing himself with a nod.
“I will be outside,” he muttered, slipping past her.
She came in, leaning against the desk, concern etching her brow.
“Are you okay? Thinking about work again? Or just tired”
I forced a small smile, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Internally, I rolled my eyes at how damn innocent she was, and always seeing the good.
“Just some loose ends, baby. Nothing you need to worry about.”
She bought it, nodding with that trusting smile that made my chest ache. As she left, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek, I watched her go. She made the world feel human, and normal.
We had laughter over breakfast, her hand in mine. But my world? It was shadows and schemes, blood under the surface. How long could I keep them apart?
Once she was gone, the room felt colder. I sat back down, pulling out my phone.
Arthur had to be confronted, no more delays. I dialed his number, the line ringing twice before his voice came through oily, and confident, like always.
“Mr Moretti. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
"We need to meet," I said, keeping my tone even, calm. Every word measured, no hint of the storm inside. “Urgent matter and can't be discussed over the phone.”
He paused, then chuckled. “Urgent, eh? Alright. When and where?”
Tonight at the neutral ground, the old warehouse on the edge of town,” hung up before he could probe, my grip tight on the phone.
Tense, and dark thoughts flooded in. Flashback hit hard to that rainy night twenty years ago, my mother laughing in the kitchen one minute, then sirens wailing the next.
Father called it bad luck, and buried the reports. But I knew.
Arthur's handiwork, to silence her questions about whatever she had on him.
“This is for her,” I told myself, fists clenching.
“Not for me. Not for anger. For her memory.”
As evening fell, Raina and I shared dinner and she chatted about the garden, and plans for the weekend with her eyes bright. I nodded, laughed in the right places, but my mind was elsewhere.
I was still going to tell her all of this, of course, but not now.
But, if she finds out the truth the wrong way, it would destroy her. And me with her.
I wanted her safe, untouched by the venom of my past. But the vendetta? It burned, demanding release.