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I like it
Aria's POV

"After finding that out, the only thought in my head was how to avenge my brother's death before I wouldn't be able to anymore." Luca continued.

That was reasonable.

He was dying, he had to tie up loose edges.

What wasn't reasonable was why he picked me!

Luca, as though he heard my thoughts answered me. "When I figured out it was your father, I just had to do something to him."

Yeah... By taking me.

"I underestimated his heartlessness." He added in a bit of a surprised tone, which made me chuckle.

"People tend to do that."

Even I did.

I thought he would be a father to me, even though it was just once.

I thought he was going to care about me enough to forget his reputation and beg...

I had thought wrong.

But even with that...

My mind went back to those documents I had seen at Luca's office the other day and I turned towards him.

"Why do you think it's my father?" I asked seriously. "I saw the papers... It was ruled as an internal breach. Someone from your syndicate leaked information."

Luca looked away from me. "I did that investigation, and that was my outcome." He said. "But when the formal investigation came out, it was said to be your father behind it."

I almost rolled my eyes.

I thought the man was smart. How could we believe something like that? Or rather... How didn't I believe it?

My father was capable of doing something like that.

I just didn't believe he did this exact case... At least not without help.

"Was it people you trusted that did that investigation? What if all this is just a ploy... A huge plan to get you to do exactly what you're doing now?" I tried to reason, but Luca shrugged.

His face twisted as though he was in pain. He struggled to sit, up before looking at me again.

"If it is, then the person behind this is a goddamn good planner." He said sarcastically. "The person deserves this win. Also, I'm very sure your father had something to do with Jared's death in one way or the other."

He spoke as though he had offended my father personally before, and this was my old man's revenge.

Maybe it was true.

Maybe it wasn't.

I sighed, standing up from where I sat on the table and I began clearing it.

I picked up all the medicines and returned them... But not without learning their names.

I was going to find out more about these drugs.

Just so I could be sure about the authenticity of Luca's words before telling Noel.

But... Noel would require proof.

Hm...

I threw Luca a side glance, when he wasn't looking, I squeezed one of the tablets' cartons into my pocket before returning the rest in place.

My actions were swift and fast, but my heart still pounded in my chest.

For the next few seconds, I waited for Luca to call me out so I would struggle to explain something, but he didn't.

Which meant, he didn't see me. Slowly, I returned to the desk.

"Aria, you know my brother, don't you?" Luca asked all of a sudden when my hand was about to reach for the glass of water.

I froze for a second before turning to him. I turned to him.
He has a serious gaze on.

Terrifying.

I nodded.

"How do you know Jared?" He asked again.

I let out a sigh.

"He was a nice person. The first actual guy I had a crush on back at school. I was surprised to hear that you were his brother and he was dead."

How did you know that I knew him?

I kept that very hidden. I was sure of that. Right from the first time Luca mentioned it, I knew who he was, but I kept silent.

How was Luca then able to guess the truth?

Luca wasn't done with the questions."Did your father ever see you with him?"

I frowned.

Was he trying to give himself reasons my father would kill his brother?

If he were... He wasn't going to find any.
I shook my head, releasing another sigh. "I didn't live with my father at that period, so he had no idea."

He had sent me away.

I thought it was to protect me, but rather it was to make himself invincible. So no one would be used against him

And even if they were...he wasn't going to fall.

Or maybe it was just me he didn't like.

He did show up for my brothers when a similar thing happened to them.

But they all died, and he lost.

With me... He didn't want to take any chances of losing.

Luca had told me his secret.

The one thing I could use against him. Although there wasn't much evidence to back it up.

'If only I had brought my phone.'

I could have recorded Luca's voice when he revealed his cancer state.

I would have taken a photo of his numerous drugs.

I thought as I threw the water away. Then I squeezed my pocket, feeling the little carton in my pocket.

This would suffice for now.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked Luca after a while.

I couldn't wrap my head around why he wasn't only being nice to me, but also engaging in a conversation.

With me.

The one person he had been torturing since she arrived... Though not physically.

"Do you trust me so much not to reveal this to your enemies?"

"Trust you? No. I don't. You said it yourself, you hate me. How can I trust someone who hated me?"

Hated? That was past tense.

The hate I felt for him was still very fresh.

But I refused to correct him.
"Then why?"

Instead, I just wanted to know the reason.

Luca's answer shocked the hell out of me.

"Because... I don't know what you do to me. Ever since you've arrived at this mansion, I've felt like I was finally living. My heart had never skipped before for any reason, yet any time you came close to me, it seemed to change the way it worked."

I just stared.

My ears couldn't believe that those words came out of Luca's mouth.

"I could find myself lost in your gaze, just staring at your eyes and I wouldn't get tired. You're the last thing in my head before I go to sleep, and the first thing I think about when I wake up."

He kept on speaking.

"You seemed to have taken over me completely... Yet the crazy thing was that, I didn't hate it."

"Actually, I like it."

"I like you."

And I hate you, bastard!