**Stefano's POV**
When I walked into the office later that night, the silence swallowed the click of the lock behind me. I loosened the knot of my tie and poured a generous drink, watching the amber liquid catch the low light as it filled the glass. I needed the familiar burn to chase away the restless energy that had been building inside me all evening.
The weight of the day pressed on my shoulders: the meeting with Armando, the sight of Elena's bruises, and the carefully laid plans that were finally beginning to move. I took a small sip, letting the warmth spread through my chest, but it did little to ease the familiar empty feeling in my chest.
Then I heard the click of heels behind me.
Lucia Romano.
She entered the room. Her red dress clung to her figure, and the heavy scent of her perfume filled the air.
I looked at her, keeping my expression neutral. “You did well.”
Lucia's smile didn't reach her eyes as she gripped the back of the chair, her knuckles turning white.
"You told me to warn you the moment Elena went out alone. I did what you asked." She clenched her jaw and held my gaze, her eyes blazing with anger. “She was supposed to be eliminated. Why is she still breathing?”
The anger in her words was sharp, but beneath it I heard the hurt and the jealousy she couldn't hide. I watched her briefly, letting the silence grow between us.
She shifted her weight, and I could see the question in her eyes, the way she wanted me to say something, anything at all.
“Are you truly going to marry her? After everything I've done for you and all we've been through?” she asked, her eyes welling with tears, as her voice broke on the last word.
“What we've been through,” I said flatly, “was never about love.”
She took a step closer, her breathing uneven. “You told me she was nothing. You said she was only meant to be a warning to her father. So why is she still here, Stefano? Why are you tying yourself to her?”
"She was never supposed to die.” I held her gaze, my voice cold and steady. "I just needed Armando to be afraid. Elena is very useful to me.”
“And me?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, trembling with vulnerability. “What am I to you, then?”
I set my glass down on the desk and stood, towering over her. “You're mine, Lucia. But you don't get to question what that means or demand more than I'm willing to give.”
She stared at me, her face tight with pain. "You always think ten steps ahead," she whispered, "but do you even feel anything anymore?"
“Feelings get in the way,” I said with a faint smile. “They cloud judgment and destroy plans.”
She closed the remaining distance between us. Her fingertips traced the line of my jaw. “Maybe feeling something is what keeps us human, Stefano.”
I caught her wrist and pulled her closer. “You knew exactly what this arrangement was from the beginning. You wanted power and influence too.”
“I wanted you!” she retorted.
The room fell silent, thick with tension, and I noticed the quick flash of desire in her eyes.
She pressed against me, her lips met mine in a kiss filled with frustration and longing. What started as anger quickly turned into raw passion. We gave in completely, losing ourselves as clothes were quickly shed in a rush of need. I lifted her onto the desk, papers scattering across the floor as we lost ourselves in each other.
In that instant, Elena flashed into my mind, her fierce glare, those burning blue eyes filled with challenge.
Why was she haunting my thoughts now?
My every move was desperate as I tried to force Elena out of my mind.
“I love you so much, Stefano,” Lucia moaned against me.
I froze mid-motion. The word ‘love’ caught me completely off guard, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. For a brief second, something uncomfortable twisted in my chest. I forced myself forward, driving harder and faster, more urgently, until all I heard was the sound of our ragged breathing.
When it was over, Lucia sat on the edge of the desk, breathing heavily, her hair falling over her face, while I slowly buttoned my shirt, watching her chest rise and fall.
She lifted her head, meeting my gaze, her eyes filled with sadness. “When this is all over,” she asked softly, her voice laced with hope, “once you've destroyed them, will I truly be yours? No more pretending, no more secrets?”
I stepped closer, lifting her chin with my fingers. “You will get what you deserve, Lucia.”
She hesitated, her expression shifting. “And Elena? If marrying her is what makes your plan work, what will happen after the marriage?”
I turned and looked at her over my shoulder. "Elena will learn who really controls her. It's the only way to make her father pay for what he did to my family.”
Her jaw tightened, and for a second I thought she might say something sharp, but she just pressed her lips together and turned away.
The sound of her heels on the floor was the only answer I got.
As she reached for the door, my voice cut through the silence: "Don't let your guard down in that house,” I warned her. "Elario is clever."
"I've done this for three years." Her eyes flashed with frustration. "They still haven't found out. You should trust me more.”
She left without another word, the door clicking shut behind her.
I walked to the window, staring at my reflection in the glass. “She'll marry me,” I murmured. “Then she'll help me destroy her father with her own hands.”
Her father's betrayal had shattered my family, leaving a wound that only revenge could heal. I must finish this, not just for power, but for justice for my father.
“The Master's move.” A faint smile touched my lips.
I opened the desk drawer and pulled out a file. Elena Castellano's photo stared back at me, her eyes sharp and full of life.
“Maybe it would have been better if you hadn't survived…” My thumb traced the outline of her face. “Now you will pay for your father's sins.”
