Avery's POV
The street was quiet as I walked or maybe it was just that I couldn't hear anything beside my own thoughts. My mind replayed the events of the evening over and over, like a broken record that refused to stop.
Luca Ramano. Engaged. His fake smile, the way he had looked at me, that helpless, trapped expression I had never seen before and Gianna, her cold eyes judging me.
I hugged my arms around myself, trying to calm the trembling that had nothing to do with the night air. I had thought I was prepared for surprises in my life, for unexpected meetings and twists, but this… this felt like stepping off a cliff without even realizing it.
I walked into a corner and stopped in my tracks. A black car packed across the narrow street from my apartment window. Engine still running with the lights off, even though the dark tint on the windows was thick, the presence of the vehicle made me uncomfortable.
I felt my stomach twist and heart raced.
Who is that?
I wasn't entirely naïve. I knew Luca's world was dangerous. I knew about the influence of his family, the power the Ramano name carried in Venice but danger had always felt… distant, something I read about in news stories or watched in movies.
Now it felt very, very real. I froze, thinking about my next move. Should I run? Should I go home and lock the door? But even as these thoughts flashed through my mind, a sudden sound behind me made my heart jump.
A firm voice. "Avery."
I turned around.
Luca was there, his dark eyes sharp in the night and expression unreadable but the tension in his body said more than words ever could.
"You shouldn't be out here" he said quietly, stepping closer.
"I'm fine" I whispered.
"You're not fine," he countered immediately, the anger in his voice low and terrifying. "There's a car across the street, Avery. Someone is watching you."
I followed his gaze. The black sedan hadn't moved.
"You're serious?" I asked, though the obvious answer was written all over his face.
"I never said Venice was safe," he muttered. His dark eyes scanned the street, then, unexpectedly, he reached for my hand. "Come with me. Now."
I let him lead me. We didn't return to my apartment. We moved through a series of narrow alleys I had never noticed before. I had never seen this side of Venice, the quieter, darker streets away from the canals and tourists.
Finally, we stopped in front of a small doorway. Luca tapped a code and the door slid open silently. Inside was a tiny office-like space with a faint hum of air conditioning. Nothing luxurious, just a small room with a single window that looked out over the canal.
He released my hand but stayed close, his dark gaze never leaving me.
"You're shaking" he said.
"I'm fine" I lied again.
"No, you're not." His voice was softer this time but not gentle. I recognized the tone, he was trying not to panic, trying to keep both of us safe.
I sighed, letting myself slump against the wall. "I don't know what to do anymore" I admitted quietly.
"You came here for me," he said, a faint hint of guilt staining his usual cold tone. "And now… this."
I shook my head, frustrated. "You didn't tell me! How could you expect me to…"
"I didn't plan for this, Avery." His words came out faster than usual. "I never wanted this engagement. But my father… he doesn't take refusal lightly."
"And Gianna?" I asked sharply. "She knows about me now. Do you even understand what that means?"
"Yes." He flinched, his eyes closing briefly. "I know."
We stared at each other. For a moment, the world seemed to stop, leaving just the two of us and the tension between everything we wanted and everything we couldn't have.
"I shouldn't have come tonight" I whispered.
"I shouldn't have let you," he admitted. His hands curled into fists at his sides. I had never seen Luca this tense, this raw, this… vulnerable. And despite everything, despite the heartbreak I felt, I couldn't help but notice the way he still looked at me, with concern and something deeper.
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated violently in my pocket. I jumped, startled and fumbled to pull it out. My chest tightened as I saw the screen.
Elisa. And a flood of notifications.
News alerts, social media tags, messages from people I didn't even know I had on my contacts… I glanced at the first alert and my stomach dropped.
"Mystery Woman Linked to Engaged Billionaire Luca Ramano."
I stood frozen. I couldn't form thoughts or words, nothing. A series of photos had been leaked of me, the American girl, standing near Luca at the party. Close enough to look like… something scandalous.
The headlines were cruel, judgmental, and relentless. Thhey were all sorts.
"Homewrecker or Secret Mistress? The Mystery Woman Breaking Up Venice's Most Powerful Engagement"
"Who is the American Girl Luca Ramano Can't Stop Seeing?"
"Luca Ramano and Alleged Mistress: The Truth Behind the Party Photos"
My fingers trembled as I scrolled. Comments were already flooding in. Assumptions, insults, accusations. Some congratulatory messages, sure, but most of them were vile and mocking.
I looked at Luca. He didn't say anything at first. He just watched me, his expression unreadable but his jaw tight, the kind of tight that said a man was suppressing fury with everything in him.
"Do you know who did this?" I asked with a shaky voice.
"Yes." He said it quietly, but the word alone was enough to make me pause. "It wasn't an accident."
"What do you mean?"
"Someone wanted this to happen. Someone wants you exposed."
I swallowed hard. "Exposed? To who? Everyone?"
He hesitated for a second, then spoke. "My family."
My stomach dropped. I had seen the way his brother had looked at me earlier that night. It sure as hell wasn't friendly. And now… it felt like I had stepped directly into the path of someone who would take any measure to hurt me.
Luca stepped closer, lowering his voice. "This isn't just rumors or gossip. It's calculated. Someone is sending a message."
I felt a cold chill run down my spine. "A message?"
"Yes." His dark eyes were intense now. "And this is just the beginning."
The weight of his words hit me. I had known Luca's world was dangerous, that his family's influence extended far beyond social circles. But I hadn't understood. I hadn't realized what targeted meant until now. Before I could process it, a sudden sound made me jump.
Shattering glass.
I spun around with my heart in my throat. A brick had crashed through the window of the room we were in. Shards of glass littered the floor. The brick had a note tied around it.
Luca's hand shot out faster than I could react, grabbing the note. His dark eyes widened slightly as he read it.
I took a shaky step toward him. "What does it say?"
He turned slowly. The calm mask was gone, replaced with determination. "You shouldn't have come to Venice tonight," he said quietly, but the words carried a dangerous weight.
He handed me the note. My fingers trembled as I took it. The handwriting was jagged and aggressive but it was also unmistakably threatening.
"Leave Venice. Or the next one won't miss."
My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and never let go. But fear had rooted me in place.
Luca stepped closer. His presence was overwhelming and dominant in a way that made the blood in my veins both burn and freeze.
"They're serious," he said, his voice low. "This isn't idle threats. Someone wants you gone. They're not bluffing."
I looked at him with my chest heaving. "What do I do?"
He didn't answer immediately. He didn't need to. His dark eyes said it all.
I will protect you. No matter what.
And in that moment, I realized something terrifying: falling in love with Luca Ramano hadn't just put my heart at risk. It had put my life in danger.