Tracy, Melody's loyal guard, barged into the bathroom along with Lucas and the rest of the guards to clean up the blood and mess. Hunter, the overseer, watched the whole thing from the control room, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Damien, was tasked with getting Melody a new set of clothes while Lucas tries to calm her down.
"Melody, look at me. It's okay, you can stop now "Lucas said soothingly, trying to calm the enraged woman. But Melody, consumed by rage, screamed and lashed out, grabbing a piece of glass and stabbing Lucas in the hand. Her mind clouded by anger, she couldn't clearly identify him.
Damien returned with the fresh clothing, only to find Melody and Lucas alone in the bathroom. Melody quickly devised a plan, deciding to destroy the CCTV footage to cover up her actions. As she changed, a chilling smile crept across her face.
No tears fell from her eyes, for deep within her twisted psyche, a memory from five years ago resurfaced. She remembered the day Lucas had stabbed her, a betrayal that had scarred her soul. The revelation filled her with a sense of satisfaction and vengeance.
It was clear that her twisted journey was far from over. For in the depths of her soul, a darkness lay dormant, waiting to be unleashed upon the world.
Mel and Lucas stepped out of yet another jewelry store. It had been a long day, but Mel finally found the perfect gift for her brothers — sleek bracelets with their names engraved on the inside. She smiled faintly, clutching the small velvet box as they headed for the car.
The drive home started quietly. Lucas tried to lighten the mood, talking about random things, but when she didn't respond, he reached over and rubbed her lap gently.
"Hey, it's okay," he murmured, trying to calm her.
Her reaction was sharp. She yanked his hand away without a word, staring out the window. The rest of the ride was heavy with unspoken tension.
When they arrived, Mel went straight to her room, bypassing her brothers and friends in the living room. She didn't even glance at Lucas. Instead, she buried herself in her project. But even when it was done, her thoughts kept spiraling back to a memory she had fought hard to bury.
Why did he do that? Why was Lucas acting like he had some claim over her, trying to tame her?
Anger and confusion churned inside her. She grabbed her phone and sent a message to Alberto, instructing him to bring her a silk dark dress — one nearly identical to the one she wore five years ago, on the night of that incident.
She stayed locked in her room the entire day. Her project sat completed on the desk, but her mind was far from work. Fear, love, and resentment tangled together in her chest as she thought about the looming engagement to Hunter.
By nightfall, she needed air. She changed into her swimsuit and went down to the pool. The cold water enveloped her, but her thoughts burned hotter. She tried to untangle the chaos in her mind — why she still allowed the man who had once made her life hell to come near her, and why, against all logic, she felt herself starting to fall for him.
Luke appeared at the poolside.
"Mel, what's going on? You've been distant since the mall."
She swam to the edge and looked up at him, her voice steady but trembling underneath.
"I remember," she said. "I remember what that bastard did to me. And I'm not staying in this house with him tonight. I'll get engaged to Hunter — yes, he's a psychotic killer and a lunatic — but at least he's not him."
Luke froze, his face pale.
"What?"
She climbed out of the pool, brushing past him. "You heard me."
Luke stood there, stunned. Inside, fear gripped him. If Hunter ever tried to take Mel away after the engagement, it wouldn't just be ugly — it would be a bloodbath. And if Mel knew he'd been one of the people who kept the truth from her, she'd never forgive him.
But if being with Lucas made her hate him this much… maybe it really would be better for her to be with him than with the lunatic she was willingly walking toward.
Still, one question echoed in his mind:
What were her parents thinking's.
Luke leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he watched Mel disappear through the glass doors. What were her parents thinking? The question pulsed through his mind, bitter and relentless. He had been around long enough to know danger when he saw it, and the man she was supposed to marry wasn't just a bad choice — he was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Mel's bare feet made soft, wet prints across the marble as she headed for the living room, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders. The air inside was cooler, but before she could take another step, a figure emerged from the shadows of the hallway.
Lucas.
The sight of him made her chest tighten. Tall, broad, and unnervingly composed, he carried the kind of presence that filled a room without a word. But his eyes… they were locked on her with the same unyielding focus they always had, as if she were the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth.
"So… you remember, uhn?" His voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of a man who already knew the answer.
She hesitated. "Lucas—"
His jaw flexed. The guilt in his eyes almost made him look human, but the intensity in his posture told another story. "I didn't mean to, Isabella," he said, her name falling from his lips like both a prayer and an apology. "I'm sorry. I would do anything—anything—for you to forgive me… to pay for my sins."
He took a step closer, his shadow falling over her. "But please," his voice dropped lower, rougher, "don't marry that maniac."
Mel's pulse raced. She knew what Lucas was — a dominant, obsessive, psychotic mafia lord who had once stood beside her brothers Milo and Miles. But when it came to her, his obsession blurred into something dangerously close to devotion.
And in this moment, he wasn't threatening her.
He was begging.