Chapter 3 - Shadows at the Gate
The sun rose over the ocean in shades of violent orange and bruised purple. Hannah woke up in a bed larger than her entire bedroom in her old apartment. The sheets were crisp white Egyptian cotton, and the air smelled of salt and fresh eucalyptus.
For a few fleeting seconds, she thought it had all been a nightmare. Then she saw the white wedding dress hanging neatly inside a glass wardrobe, its stained lace cleaned and repaired by Elena's deft hands, and the reality of her new existence settled back into her chest.
She dressed in a simple, high-quality cashmere sweater and dark trousers that Elena had laid out for her—brand new, with the tags carefully removed.
When she walked down the grand spiral staircase, she heard raised voices coming from the main library.
"...he has no right to hold her! She is my wife legally!"
Hannah froze on the landing. That was Connor’s voice.
"She is legally a woman who has filed an emergency restraining order through my legal team as of six o'clock this morning," a cool, dangerous voice replied. Luca.
Hannah crept closer to the partially open mahogany doors of the library.
Inside, Connor stood trembling before Luca’s massive mahogany desk. He looked disheveled, his suit wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot from a night of drinking and panic. Standing beside him was his father, Arthur Walsh, a stern man with silver hair who looked visibly terrified.
Luca sat behind his desk, casually cutting the tip off a Cuban cigar. Two tall men in dark suits stood silently near the windows, their hands folded neatly over their belts.
"Belandi, please," Arthur Walsh pleaded, his voice raspy. "This is a family matter. Connor made a mistake—a stupid, drunken speech. He's young. He wants to apologize to Hannah. Let us see her."
"A mistake?" Luca looked up, his dark eyes locking onto Arthur. "Calling the woman who gave you her trust a 'pity project' in front of two hundred people is not a mistake, Arthur. It is a declaration of character."
"She’s my wife!" Connor yelled, desperation making him reckless. "You took her out of my reception! People are talking! They’re saying you took what's mine!"
In a flash so fast Hannah barely caught the movement, Luca stood up. The air in the room instantly plummeted. He walked around the desk, stopping mere inches from Connor. Though Luca was only a few inches taller, his presence filled the entire room, suffocating and absolute.
"She was never yours," Luca said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "You treated gold like dirt because you lacked the eyes to see its worth. And as for your debt, Arthur..."
Luca turned his gaze to the older man, who took an involuntary step back.
"The three million dollars you owe Belandi Imports is due on Monday at noon," Luca stated smoothly. "I am calling in the loan. Every penny."
Arthur went deathly pale. "Luca... please. That will ruin us! We relied on the Providence land development deal! If Hannah doesn't sign the trust over..."
"Hannah will not be signing anything over to a family of parasites," Luca cut in coldly. "You have until Monday. If the money is not in my account, I will seize your country club holdings, your fleet of cars, and your home in Harborstone. Now get out of my house before I have my men toss you off the cliff."
Connor tried to speak, but his father grabbed his arm with a desperate, frantic grip and dragged him out of the room.
As they stormed into the hallway, Connor caught sight of Hannah standing near the stairs. His face twisted with rage and regret. "Hannah! Tell him! Tell him you love me! You promised—"
"Get them out," Luca ordered quietly from behind them.
The two guards stepped forward, smoothly intercepting the Walsh men and escorting them firmly out the heavy front doors.
Hannah stood on the stairs, her heart hammering against her ribs. Luca walked out of the library, adjusting his cuffs. When he saw her, the lethal edge in his posture softened slightly.
"You heard," he noted calmly.
"You called in their debt," she said, descending the remaining steps. "Because of me?"
"Because they deserved it," Luca corrected, walking over to her. "And because no one hurts what is under my roof and gets away with it."
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Hannah looked up into his dark eyes, feeling a strange, intoxicating warmth bloom in her chest despite the chaos surrounding her. "I don't know how I will ever repay you for this, Luca."
"You don't need to repay me, Hannah," he said softly, reaching out to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Just stay here, let me fight this war for you, and learn how to smile again."
