Chapter 241 Chapter 241.

Chapter 241 Chapter 241.
Luca. 

I stood there with the weight of the gun settled comfortably in my hand, my fingers loose around it, my attention fixed on the five men lined up in front of me. Jun had brought them in early that morning, walking in like he had just found something rare and expected me to be impressed before I even looked at them.

I was not.

Not yet.

I never trusted anything I did not build myself. Men were unpredictable when they had not been broken and rebuilt under your control. Loyalty, discipline, instinct, those things did not come from talent alone. They came from pressure, from time, from knowing exactly what a man would do when things got ugly.

“Show me,” I had said earlier, my tone flat, almost uninterested.

They did.

And I watched.

Carefully.

Every move they made, every exchange, every hesitation, every instinctive reaction, I caught all of it. They moved well, I could not deny that. Their coordination was sharp, their reflexes clean, and there was a certain discipline in the way they handled themselves that told me Jun had not just picked them up off the street.

Still.

That did not mean I trusted them.

I stepped closer now, the quiet echo of my boots filling the space as their posture shifted almost instantly. Good. They knew how to react to presence.

“Fine,” I said slowly, letting my gaze linger on each of them. “You are all recruited.”

There was a subtle release of tension among them, but I ignored it.

“What are your names again?”

The first one spoke up quickly, almost too eager.

“Mark, sir.”

The second followed.

“Finn, sir.”

The third stepped forward just slightly, his sandy colored hair catching the light as he spoke.

“I’m Boba.”

I paused.

My brows pulled together just a little as I stared at him.

Boba.

Like Boba tea?

The thought lingered in my head longer than it should and it made me smirk.

The fourth spoke.

“Kai.”

Then the last one.

“Koa.”

That was when I noticed it.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, looking between the last two. There was something there. Something subtle, something easy to miss if you were not paying attention.

I stepped closer, studying them properly now.

“You two,” I said, pointing between them. “Are you twins?”

Kai nodded immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

My mouth twitched slowly.

I turned my head toward Jun, who was already grinning like he had been waiting for this exact reaction.

“Are you serious right now?” I asked him, my tone dry. “Another set of twins? Kai and Koa. Just like Job and Bob?”

Jun chuckled, clearly entertained.

“These ones are different.”

I let out a quiet breath, shaking my head slightly.

“They better be,” I said, my voice lowering. “Because I am not repeating history.”

That memory alone was enough to irritate me.

Before I could say anything else, I heard footsteps.

Soft.

Light.

Familiar.

My body reacted before my mind did.

Bella.

I straightened immediately, my attention snapping toward the entrance, and the moment the door pushed open, I passed the gun to Jun without even thinking.

She walked in.

And for a second, everything else in the room faded.

My face softened instantly, something warm slipping through before I could stop it. Just seeing her there, in my space, walking toward me like she belonged there, did something to me I was not ready to deal with.

But then I really looked at her.

And that softness disappeared.

Her eyes were red.

Her expression was tight.

Her lips pressed together like she was holding something back.

Hurt.

My chest tightened immediately, something sharp and protective rising so fast it made my jaw clench.

Someone hurt her.

The thought came without hesitation.

I moved toward her quickly, closing the distance between us, my brows furrowing deeply as I bent slightly to her height, searching her face.

“Who hurt you?” I asked, my voice low but intense. “Name?”

She sniffed softly, her eyes flickering with something that made my chest twist.

“You.”

I blinked, completely thrown.

“Me?” I repeated, straightening a little. “What are you talking about? What did I do?”

She took a small breath, steadying herself.

“Please....just listen to me. Don’t interrupt. Just listen.”

I nodded immediately, my tone softening.

“Okay. I’m listening.”

She glanced around the room for a second, hesitating, and I leaned closer slightly, lowering my voice.

“You are safe here, mama. No one is going to say anything. Talk to me.”

She exhaled slowly, then looked back at me.

“I know you are still angry with me,” she said quietly. “I know you have not forgiven me yet. And I’m not here to fight you or shout or anything. I just....I need to tell you how I feel.”

Something in my chest tightened at the way she said it.

Like she was trying not to make things worse.

I stayed quiet, letting her continue.

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and my entire body tensed at the sight.

“This feels like too much,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly. “You can be angry with me. You have every right to be. But this....this is the height of it. You shouldn't do that.”

My brows pulled together.

“Bella, what are you talking about?”

She lifted her hands toward me, showing me her palms.

“Making that food,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “The ri-ri what? Uhmm r-risotto. It was really hard. I watched so many videos just to get it right.”

My jaw tightened instantly.

She kept talking, her words coming out faster now, softer but heavier.

“Look at this,” she said gently. “I have cuts everywhere. Hot oil splashed on my hands and it hurt so much, I have cramps as well but I kept going because I wanted it to be perfect for you. And my nails....I just did them a few days ago. They cost me a hundred dollars, hundred dollars, Luca and now they’re ruined.”

She let out a small, shaky breath.

“But I didn’t care. I really didn’t. I was happy doing it because it was for you.”

Something twisted painfully in my chest.

“And then I came back,” she continued, her voice dropping, “and I saw a female worker eating it.”

Everything in me went still.

“What?” I said under my breath.

She nodded slowly, her eyes glossy.

“If it was a man, maybe I would not feel this bad. But seeing a woman eat something I made for you....it hurts. You could have told me it tasted bad. You could have thrown it away. But giving it to someone else like that....it felt like you didn’t care at all.”

I let out a low breath, frustration rising quickly.

“Bella, listen to me,” I said, my voice firm now. “I had no idea you made me food. I haven’t even stepped into the office today.”

She blinked. “Huh?”

“I told you I was in the basement,” I replied, my tone still controlled. “How would I see anything in the office if I never went there? And weren’t you supposed to be in the office?”

She hesitated, then spoke softly.

“I went out to get your favorite wine.”

She lifted the bag slightly.

I looked at it, then reached out and took it from her shoulder, my movements gentler now.

“Come here,” I said quietly. “Let’s go inside first. We will fix this.”

She nodded, wiping her face quickly.

As we turned, she looked at Jun and gave him a small, polite smile.

“Jun, how are you?”

Jun smiled back. “I’m fine.”

I placed my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to me, the way I used to without thinking.

“Let’s go, mama.”

We had barely taken a step when I heard it.

A whisper.

Low.

But clear.

“She’s cute. Like an adorable little thing.”

I stopped.

Then I turned around slowly.

“Who said that?” I asked, my voice quiet but dangerous. “Who called my woman cute and adorable little thing?”

The room went tense instantly.

Jun stepped forward slightly. “Luca, no one said that.”

I snapped my head toward him.

“I heard it,” I said sharply. “Do not insult my intelligence. Maybe get your ears checked. Now I will ask again. Who said it?”

Silence.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

I leaned slightly toward Bella, my voice softer just for her.

“Give me a minute.”

She looked at me, her fingers lightly gripping my sleeve.

“Luca....please don’t...."

I brushed my thumb lightly against her arm.

“Just a minute, baby.”

Then I stepped away.

“Jun,” I said, extending my hand. “Gun.”

He threw it.

I caught it easily.

“Bella,” I said without looking at her. “Close your eyes and cover your ears.”

“Luca...." her voice came out soft, almost pleading.

“Now, baby.”

I walked toward them slowly, my gaze moving between their faces.

“One last chance,” I said. “Who said it?”

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Then I saw it.

The fear.

Koa.

So I pointed the gun at Kai instead.

“I think it was you.”

Before I could finish, Koa dropped to his knees.

“I said it!” he blurted out. “I’m sorry. Please… I’m sorry. Don’t kill him.”

I clicked my tongue slowly, lowering the gun just slightly.

“I will let you go,” I said coldly. “Because you came from Jun.”

Relief flashed across his face.

Then I stepped closer, my voice dropping.

“But you will never speak about her like that again. Not casually. Not jokingly. Not at all. You understand me?”

“Yes, sir,” he said quickly.

“Because next time,” I continued, my gaze hard, “I won’t stop at killing you. I will erase every single person connected to you.”

His face went pale.

I turned away, tossing the gun back to Jun.

“I told you,” I muttered, irritation still present. “Twins are trouble.”

Then I walked back to Bella, my expression softening the moment I reached her.

My hand came up to her face, wiping the remaining tear gently.

“Let’s go, sweetheart.”