Chapter 20: A Quiet Night

A warm kiss suddenly landed on Amelia’s lips. She was startled, but as usual, she felt the need to go along with it. Maybe it was just part of the role Luca had to play—perhaps for business reasons, or to avoid enemies lurking nearby. Whatever the reason, Amelia didn’t want to make things more complicated.

“What was that for?” Amelia whispered as soon as Luca pulled away from the kiss.

“Your ex-husband... he was trying to approach you. So I kissed you. He’s gone now—his face turned pale,” Luca replied casually.

Thump!

Amelia’s heart seemed to stop for a second. That kiss... had been seen by Ethan.

She went silent. Not a single word came out. Her mind was a storm of confusion. She knew Luca was only retaliating against Ethan’s arrogance. But kissing in front of the man who used to be her husband—that was something she had never imagined would happen.

Her demeanor changed. She grew quieter than before.

Throughout the ride home, she sat in the car without a word. Her gaze blank, staring out the window. Somehow, Luca could sense the shift in her mood. And for the first time, he stayed quiet too. No teasing, no comments—just silence surrounding them both.

Once home, Amelia went straight to her room and locked the door.

But of course, that didn’t stop Luca.

Moments later, through a secret passage, Luca was already in her room.

“Hey. Are you asleep?” Luca asked, standing beside Amelia’s bed.

Amelia looked up, annoyed.

“Gosh, why are you here?! "I really have no privacy in this house!” she grumbled.

Luca raised an eyebrow, then offered her a bottle of wine. “Do you want a drink?”

Amelia eyed him with suspicion. “That’s for me? You’re not drinking?”

Luca nodded. “Just for you. I won’t drink.”

Amelia squinted. “Why are you giving me a drink?”

“I think you need it more than I do,” Luca said, placing the wine bottle on the bedside table. “And... about earlier, I’m sorry. I didn’t ask how you felt, and I just did that—right in front of your ex-husband. That was too much.”

Amelia, who had been looking down, slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. She sat up, crossing her legs on the bed.

“Wow...” she said softly. “I didn’t expect you to be the type of man who can apologize. Most men would be too proud to admit they were wrong.”

Luca chuckled, then sat at the edge of the bed. “Yeah, I know it was probably hard for you. I just... wanted to help. But I guess I went too far.”

Amelia gave him a faint smile and pulled the blanket onto her lap.

“It’s fine,” she muttered. “Ethan’s just the past. He won’t care what I do. I’m just... something he already threw away.”

Her voice trailed off at the end. Gloomy. Hurt.

Luca looked at her. In silence, he could feel that she still cared for the man who had hurt her. That wound wasn’t healed yet. And for some reason, Luca felt a sudden urge to make her feel better tonight.

He stood up and reached out his hand. “Come on... have a drink before you sleep.”

Amelia looked at his hand for a moment, then took it. “Alright, if you insist. But I don’t want that wine. I want cold milk.”

“Cold milk,” Luca repeated with a nod. “Okay! Coming right up!”

He hurried out like a personal butler. Amelia let out a soft laugh at his style.

A few minutes later, they were sitting on the house’s balcony, each holding a can of cold milk. The night breeze blew gently, and the sky above sparkled with stars.

“Cheers,” Luca said playfully, clinking his can toward hers.

“Haha, yeah—cheers,” Amelia replied, tapping her can against his. They both laughed.

Luca looked up at the sky and sighed. “Amelia... that’s why I told you, never trust what people call love. It’s all nonsense.”

Amelia turned her head slowly. “Yeah… maybe you’re right.” She took a sip of her milk, then smiled bitterly. “But… sometimes love just comes out of nowhere. Even without you realizing it, you fall. Even… when you don’t want to.”

Luca looked at Amelia’s face. Under the moonlight, she appeared so calm, yet her eyes held sorrow. The smile she gave wasn’t one of joy—it was the smile of someone who had grown too used to holding in pain.

Luca exhaled quietly, then said, “All I know is… your ex-husband was a fool. A loyal woman like you… is rare, Amelia. Hard to find in a world this cruel.”

Amelia went silent, her gaze dropping for a moment before she let out a soft laugh. “You talk like someone who knows a lot about heartbreak.”

Luca gave a faint smile. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just an observer who’s seen too many people get hurt… and forgot that I’ve been hurt too.”

Amelia looked at him gently. “And what about you, Luca? Why did you choose to become a mafia boss? I heard you speaking earlier—you were so smart, talking about economics, development, investment. I thought… you must also be a brilliant businessman. Intelligent. So why did you choose the dark path?”

Luca didn’t answer right away. He turned his face toward the sky, then looked down at the milk can in his hand. His grip tightened, as if holding back something too difficult to explain.

“My father used to be a businessman,” he said quietly. “But he was murdered. Because he was honest—because he refused to pay ‘protection money’ to the old organization that doesn’t exist anymore. My mother? She died two weeks after his funeral. Heart failure… or maybe just a broken heart.”

Amelia held her breath, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at him.

“I grew up among the ruins of the life my parents left behind. And when I was old enough, I realized one thing,” Luca continued, his voice lower. “If I didn’t control the darkness… I’d always be destroyed by it. So I infiltrated it. Built power. And now… I’m not just part of the system. I am the system.”

Silence wrapped the balcony.

“But you know…” Luca added, his tone softening, “The deeper I sank, the more I realized—I’m not really winning. I’m just surviving. I’m alive not because I’m happy, but because I can’t die a loser.”

Amelia looked at him for a long moment. And in that moment, she didn’t see a ruthless mafia boss. There was no blood, no threats, no mask of power.

What she saw… was a wounded man. A lonely man. A man who had lost too much, and now… didn’t know how to find his way back.

Amelia smiled faintly, then raised her can of milk once more.

“Cheers,” she said softly but cheerfully.

“Yeah, cheers,” Luca replied, clinking his can against hers with a gentle clink that felt warm in the stillness of the night.

They finished the rest of their milk in a comfortable silence. No heavy conversations, no tension—just a quiet filled with mutual understanding. After their cans were empty, they exchanged one last glance, as if acknowledging that tonight had brought something different. More than just small talk, more than just a role they had to play.

Amelia finally stood up from her balcony chair.

“Thank you, Luca,” she said softly, her eyes looking at him with sincerity. “I’m sleepy now… good night.”

She gave a small wave, her smile still lingering on her lips.

Luca smiled in return, giving a small nod and wave of his own. “Good night, Amelia.”

He watched her walk slowly back into her room, her nightgown flowing behind her with each step. The door closed gently behind her.

And Luca remained on the balcony, gazing up at the night sky. For a few seconds, he just sat in silence… then smiled to himself.

“You’ve completely lost it, Luca,” he muttered.