Page 39 of Tormented Hearts

Bianca’s eyes flash with a mixture of anger and desperation, but she knows she has lost. Everything she had built, everything she had worked for, was gone. Luca had taken it all.

Without another word, Bianca turns and storms out of the penthouse, slamming the door behind her. Luca stands there for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He had done it. He had removed her from their lives. But something told him this wasn’t the last he would hear from Bianca.

***

Phoenix lay awake, staring at the ceiling in the dim light of Luca’s penthouse. The room was quiet, the sounds of the city far below muffled by the thick walls, but Phoenix’s thoughts were anything but peaceful. They churned inside her, swirling with doubt, insecurity, and jealousy, all revolving around one person: Bianca.

No matter how much Luca reassured her, no matter how many times he told her she was the one he cared about, Phoenixcouldn’t shake the feeling that Bianca was always there, lurking in the shadows of their relationship, waiting for a chance to strike. She had seen it in the woman’s eyes—the malice, the hunger for power, and the smug confidence that came from knowing Luca’s world better than Phoenix ever could.

And that terrified her.

Bianca was beautiful, dangerous, and most importantly, she belonged in this world in a way Phoenix never had. Phoenix could still hear Bianca’s cruel words echoing in her mind from their last confrontation:“You’re weak. You’ll never survive in this world.”

Was she right?

Phoenix shifted under the covers, her chest tightening as she tries to push the doubts away. But they keep creeping back, especially when she thinks about the night she had walked in on Bianca in Luca’s office, standing far too close to him, with that smug smile on her face. It had felt like a punch to the gut, like the foundation of her world had crumbled beneath her feet. Luca had said it was nothing, but Phoenix couldn’t help but wonder: Was Bianca truly nothing?

Phoenix’s heart aches as she remembers how Luca had tried to calm her down, how he had promised her that Bianca was just trying to get under her skin. But Phoenix had seen the way Bianca looked at him—the way she spoke with such familiarity, as if she had some claim on him.

Phoenix had never felt so out of place before. She had grown up in a world so different from Luca’s, a world without the constant threat of betrayal, without the dark allure of power and control. But Bianca? She had been raised in this world, shaped by it. And she thrived in it.

The jealousy gnawed at Phoenix’s insides, a slow, burning fire that she couldn’t extinguish. She hated that Bianca could make her feel so small, so unsure of herself. It wasn’t just the way Bianca looked, though that was intimidating enough—she was stunning, and the way she carried herself made Phoenix feel like an outsider. It was the way Bianca seemed to belong, to fit effortlessly into Luca’s world, while Phoenix constantly felt like she was walking on a tightrope, one misstep away from losing everything.

Luca had been patient with her, had tried to reassure her that he was done with Bianca and that she meant nothing to him. But Phoenix couldn’t shake the feeling that she was a temporary fix in a life she didn’t fully understand. The constant tension, the danger—it was wearing her down.

And Bianca knew it.

LUCA 20

The next morning, Phoenix wakes up feeling unsettled. Luca has already left for a meeting with Miguel, leaving her alone in the penthouse. She had told him she was fine, that she needed time to herself, but the truth was that being alone with her thoughts was the last thing she wanted. It only made the doubts louder.

As she wanders into the kitchen, her phone buzzes on the counter. Phoenix frowns as she glances at the screen, her stomach twisting when she sees an unknown number. Hesitating for a moment, she picks it up and opens the message.

You think you can keep him, but you don’t belong in his world. He’ll come back to me in the end. They always do.

Phoenix’s blood runs cold as she reads the message, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t need to guess who had sent it. Bianca. The words were cruel and taunting, and they struck right at the heart of Phoenix’s deepest fear: that she wasn’t enough for Luca, that eventually, he would realize it too.

Her hands tremble as she stares at the message, anger and hurt mixing in her chest. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, but she blinks them away, refusing to let Bianca get to her. But no matter how hard she tries, the words burrowed deep into her mind, planting seeds of doubt that she couldn’t shake.

Phoenix sits down at the kitchen table, her hands gripping the edge as she tries to breathe through the flood of emotions overwhelming her. Bianca is playing mind games, trying to push her out of Luca’s life, and Phoenix is starting to wonder if maybe she was right.

What if she really didn’t belong here?

Later that day, when Luca returns from his meeting, he immediately senses something is off. Phoenix is quiet, her movements stiff, and she avoids his gaze whenever he tries to talk to her. Luca has been on edge ever since the Bianca situation had escalated, but now, seeing Phoenix like this, he feels a gnawing fear that Bianca’s interference was doing more damage than he had anticipated.

“Phoenix,” Luca calls softly as he approaches her, his voice filled with concern. “What’s going on?”

Phoenix doesn’t look up at him, her heart racing as she holds the phone in her hands, the message from Bianca still glaring at her from the screen. She felt the tears building again, and she hates herself for being so emotional, so vulnerable. But she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was?” she whispers, her voice trembling.

Luca frowns, taking a step closer. “What do you mean?”

Phoenix finally meets his gaze, her eyes filled with hurt and anger. “She sent me a message.” Her voice breaks as she speaks, as if saying it out loud makes everything worse. “She’s trying to push me out, Luca. She’s making me feel like I don’t belong.”

Luca’s expression darkens immediately, a mixture of fury and protectiveness flashing in his eyes. “What did she say?”

Phoenix hands him the phone, her heart heavy as she watches him read the message. Luca’s jaw tightens, his fists clenching as he reads Bianca’s taunting words. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, but Phoenix can see the storm brewing inside him, the anger building as he realizes just how far Bianca is willing to go.

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