Chapter 16 Where is Luciana?
•• Roman••
“Fear is a strange thing. It hit me before anger did.”
The moment the maid told me Luciana’s bed was unoccupied, I felt an unsettling sensation wash over me, like the earth had suddenly opened up beneath me.
Theo stood next to me, poised and ready for orders, but I was momentarily paralyzed, my mind racing with a single thought: “Where could she be? Did she get scared and run off?”
The emptiness of the room echoed in my thoughts, it was just so hauntingly silent.
My mother’s voice echoed down the hallway, calling for her. Mildred stumbled into view, her hair messy from sleep, casually asking if Luci had stepped out for a walk. Yet, nobody bought that story, not even for a second.
I was determined not to let panic spread through the house, so I urged everyone to stay calm, even though my heart was pounding so hard I felt it could crack my ribs. Theo and I dashed towards the surveillance room—I needed answers. I had to find out when she left and who had allowed her past the guards.
Just as we neared the door, the distant roar of an engine broke through the compound’s stillness. A car was pulling in at a time it simply shouldn’t be.
It was Luciana.
Theo and I exchanged glances. She stepped out of the car with the unbothered grace of someone returning from a stroll rather than sneaking out of a fortified estate.
A wave of relief surged through me, only to be swiftly followed by a fierce, blinding anger. Without thinking, I descended the stairs and crossed the foyer toward her.
She stood there, hair mussed by the wind, clothes somewhat disheveled, and her cheeks flushed from the cool morning air. I stopped right in front of her.
“Where were you?” I asked, my voice low but intense, carrying the weight of my simmering rage.
She opened her mouth, likely preparing to weave an excuse, but I interrupted her.
“This isn’t Sicily,” I stated firmly. “You can’t just vanish without a word. You can’t glide past the guards in my own house as if you were on some royal excursion. That time has passed.”
Her eyes widened, shock gradually spreading across her features.
Good, at least she grasped the seriousness of the situation.
“You left this estate unaccompanied," I continued. "Without a hint of warning. You walked straight into unknown danger, as if you were untouchable. Do you understand how reckless that is?”
She barely flinched.
“Next time,” I said quietly, “you inform someone before you step outside. Anyone.”
I took a step back, before the rest of the words clawing at my throat escaped. Words I would regret. I wasn't scared, just acutely aware—aware of every potential outcome that loomed and how narrowly she had skirted disaster.
I turned away before I said anything else and walked straight to my study.
The door hit the frame behind me.
A few minutes later, a knock. Mildred walked in without waiting for permission, as usual.
“You came down too hard,” she said.
“I wasn’t aware this family required your approval for basic discipline,” I replied, dropping into the chair.
She folded her arms. “Roman. She’s new here. She doesn’t know how dangerous this city is for her.”
“She should,” I said. “Her father is not exactly running a bakery.”
Mildred gave me a look. “You’re annoyed.”
“I’m correcting stupidity,” I answered.
Her lips twitched. “You’re not as calm as you pretend.”
I raised an eyebrow.
She sat across from me, studying me like she used to when we were children and she wanted to catch me lying.
“You searched the whole estate,” she remarked. “You had your jaw clenched the whole time. Theo mentioned you were just a heartbeat away from dismantling the surveillance system.”
“Theo talks too much,” I replied, maintaining a calm demeanor.
She offered a faint smile. “You were concerned, Roman. It’s okay to admit it.”
I leaned back in my chair, my expression neutral. “I don’t do worry. I analyze.”
“Then consider this,” Mildred said, leaning in. “She was missing, and that clearly bothered you.” I remained silent.
She softened her tone. “She didn’t leave to hurt you; she left because something compelled her.”
Her words tugged at something inside me, but I held my voice steady. “We will uncover the truth.”
Mildred stood up. “Then begin by talking to her without making her feel ice-cold.”
As she approached the door, she paused to glance back at me. “You know, cold can’t conceal everything, Roman. You sometimes forget I grew up with you.”
The door clicked shut behind her.
I exhaled, slow and controlled. The room felt too quiet, and still.
Luci had walked out of my guarded estate like it was nothing.
Something must have compelled her to, and it's something I should find out.