Chapter 235 Chapter 235.

Chapter 235 Chapter 235.
Luca. 

The smell followed me before I even made it to the hallway.

It clung to my skin, to my hair, to the inside of my lungs like something alive that refused to let go, thick and metallic and rotten all at once, and I could feel it with every breath I took as I staggered forward, my boots dragging slightly against the floor.

Jun’s voice cut through the silence behind me, sharp and almost amused.

“Luca, you look like a devil,” he muttered, his footsteps quickening to catch up with me. “And you stink. You stink of blood, pee, and raw flesh. It’s actually disgusting.”

A grin pulled at my lips, slow and unhinged, because I could still hear them screaming in my head, could still feel the way their bodies twitched under my hands, could still see the fear in their eyes when they realized exactly who they had decided to cross.

“I’m glad,” I let out, my voice rough and dry. “How about you go to your fucking home now?”

Jun huffed out a quiet laugh, but he did not leave. Of course he didn’t. He never did when he thought I was one step away from losing control completely.

“Nah,” he replied, easy but firm. “I need to make sure you don’t turn back and go again.”

I shook my head as I kept walking, my hand brushing against the wall for balance for a second before I straightened again, forcing my spine upright.

“I’m done haunting tonight,” I told him, my tone final even though there was still a restless itch under my skin, something that whispered that I could have done more, that I should have done more. “Didn’t reach my desired amount of corpses, but yeah.....I’m satisfied.”

Jun let out a low whistle, and I could practically hear the disbelief dripping from it.

“Care to tell me what your desired amount was?” he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Because you killed twelve guys tonight, Luca. Twelve.”

I stopped walking.

Slowly, I turned my head toward him, my brows pulling together as irritation flickered through me.

“Twelve?” I repeated, my voice dropping. “No. I killed ten. You killed the remaining two. Don’t put that on me.”

Jun’s eyes narrowed immediately, and he stepped closer, shaking his head like I had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

“No, I didn’t kill any two,” he shot back, his tone firm. “You did the work. One of them already died from the gunshot down his throat.”

I scoffed, letting out a dry, humorless chuckle as I resumed walking.

“That’s crap,” I muttered. “You shot him in the face after my gunshot. I’m pretty sure he died from your bullet, not mine.”

Jun made a sound of disbelief, dragging a hand over his face.

“Okay, so what about the second guy?” he pressed. “You drowned him.”

I stopped again, this time turning fully to face him, my eyes narrowing.

“I drowned him?” I echoed, my voice rising slightly with incredulity. “So you’re telling me he died from toilet water and not from the fork you used to tear his neck vein? Fuck off.”

Jun raised both hands in surrender, a crooked smile tugging at his lips like he was done arguing.

“Fine,” he conceded. “I killed two and you killed eight. Happy?”

I didn’t respond, just stared at him for a second before turning away again and continuing down the hallway, my steps heavier now, my body finally starting to register the weight of everything I had done tonight.

We reached my office door, and I pushed it open slightly before glancing back at him.

“Now you should actually fuck off,” I told him flatly.

Jun chuckled under his breath, shaking his head.

“Fine. I’ll leave now,” he said, already turning away. “Try not to murder anyone else before morning.”

I didn’t bother answering him.

I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, the quiet immediately swallowing me whole, and for a second, I just stood there, breathing, letting the silence settle over my skin.

I was tired.

So fucking tired.

But there was something else too.

Something dark and twisted that curled inside my chest as the memories replayed in my head, vivid and sharp, every scream, every plea, every broken bone, every last breath they took while staring at me like I was the devil himself.

A grin spread across my face before I could stop it.

Killing bastards like them felt like a full-time job.

And I enjoyed every second of it.

I moved toward the bedroom, shrugging off my jacket as I walked, my fingers already reaching for the door, my mind set on nothing but a hot shower and a few hours of sleep.

The moment I stepped inside, I flicked on the light.

And then I froze.

My voice came out rough, low, and dangerous.

“Bella. Come outside.”

Silence answered me.

I narrowed my eyes, my jaw tightening.

“I won’t repeat myself.”

There was a soft rustling sound, barely audible, followed by the creak of the closet door, and then she stepped out slowly, like she wasn’t even sure she was allowed to be seen.

My chest tightened.

Her face was flushed, shades of red and pink staining her cheeks like she had been holding herself together for too long, and she looked… small.

Too small.

Like she was trying to disappear into the door behind her.

I let out a slow breath, my gaze locked on her as I forced the words out.

“What are you doing here?”

Her lips parted, and her voice came out soft, almost hesitant.

“How did you know I was here?”

Of course I knew.

I could smell her.

I could feel her.

Even in a room full of blood and death, she was still the one thing that stood out.

But I didn’t answer that.

I didn’t want to answer anything.

“What are you doing here?” I repeated instead, my tone colder this time.

She bit her lip, her fingers twisting slightly at her sides before she spoke.

“I wanted to see you,” she admitted quietly. “And talk to you.”

I raised my brows, a sharp edge slipping into my voice.

“You drove here at midnight by yourself?”

Her eyes widened immediately, and she shook her head quickly.

“No, no. I had a guard bring me over.”

I snorted, the sound harsh.

“Wow,” I muttered. “You listen now?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off before she could even start.

“I’m not available for a conversation.”

I didn’t look at her again.

I walked straight into the bathroom, already pulling my shirt over my head, the fabric sticking slightly to my skin before I tossed it aside, followed by my pants, my body moving on autopilot as I stepped into the shower and turned the water on.

I stood there under it, letting it run over me, washing away the blood, the dirt, the evidence of everything I had done tonight, watching it swirl down the drain like it meant nothing.

I scrubbed my skin harder than necessary, my jaw clenched, my mind refusing to quiet down.

Her being here made everything worse.

Because no matter how angry I was, no matter how much I told myself I needed space, needed distance, needed to make her understand what she had done....

My body still reacted to her.

My chest still tightened.

My thoughts still revolved around her.

When I stepped out, grabbing a towel and running it through my hair, my eyes lifted.

And there she was.

Still standing there.

Still waiting.

She let out a small breath when she saw me, her voice soft but steady this time.

“Luca....you killed tonight?”

I glanced at her briefly, reaching for a towel..

“It’s that obvious?”

She nodded slightly, her gaze flickering toward the discarded clothes on the floor.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “I can see your shirt and....."

I walked past her without letting her finish, heading straight to the closet and pulling on a pair of pants, my movements slow, deliberate.

She followed me.

Of course she did.

“Luca, this is unfair,” she said, her voice breaking slightly at the edges.

I turned my head just enough to look at her, my expression blank.

“What’s unfair?”

Her throat moved as she swallowed, her hands clenching slightly.

“You being here and ignoring me,” she whispered. “Not giving me the chance to explain myself.”

I held her gaze for a long second.

Then I nodded.

“Fine.”

Her eyes lit up for just a second, hope flickering through them.

“I will sleep in the office,” I continued flatly. “You can have the whole room to yourself. And make sure you go back home tomorrow.”

I walked out of the bedroom, opened the door, and left.