Page 9 of Tormented Hearts

Freedom.

For a moment, she just stood there, breathing in the crisp, fresh air, her heart pounding with the realization of what she had done. She had made it. She was out. She was free.

But the victory was short-lived. Fear gripped her again as she remembered what was at stake, what would happen if Luca found her. He would come after her, and when he did, he wouldn’t be merciful. He would be furious. He would punish her for trying to leave, for defying him.

And that thought terrified her more than anything.

She couldn’t stay here. She had to keep moving. She had to find somewhere to hide, somewhere Luca’s men wouldn’t think to look. Somewhere she could disappear.

Her hands shook as she pulled the hood of her sweater up, ducking her head low as she hurried down the street, her mind racing with a thousand different plans, each one more desperate than the last.

She didn’t know where she was going, didn’t know if she would make it, but she had to try. For her sanity. For her freedom.

For herself.

***

It didn’t take long for them to find her.

Phoenix had only made it a few blocks when two large men, dressed in dark suits, appeared from the shadows. Her pulse quickened, dread settling in the pit of her stomach as they approached her. She tried to run, but it was useless. One ofthem grabbed her arm, his grip like iron, dragging her toward a waiting car.

“No! Let me go!” Phoenix screamed, kicking and thrashing against their hold, but it was futile.

One of the men leaned down, his voice calm but laced with authority. “Mr. Tempo wants you back.”

Phoenix’s heart sank. Of course he did. She had tried to run from the one man no one could escape. Luca’s reach was everywhere, his power absolute. She had been foolish to think she could ever slip out of his grasp.

The ride back to the penthouse was silent, but the weight of what was to come hung heavy in the air. Phoenix’s mind raced, fear clawing at her as she thought about what Luca would do when he saw her. She had defied him. She had tried to leave. And she knew Luca would never forgive that.

LUCA 6

The sun had long since set, casting the city of Palermo in a shroud of darkness. From his office in the penthouse, Luca watched the city lights twinkle like distant stars, his mind far from the paperwork strewn across his desk. The meeting earlier that day had left him frustrated and tense—petty disputes and power plays that required his attention but never his interest. He’d stayed behind, choosing to handle the mundane details of his empire himself rather than delegating. It was his way of maintaining control, of ensuring that every aspect of his world bent to his will.

But something felt off tonight. A nagging sense of unease clawed at the edges of his mind, distracting him from the reports and figures in front of him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the feeling wouldn’t leave him.

Luca pushed back from his desk, his fingers drumming rhythmically against the polished wood. He had checked on Phoenix before the meeting, watching her for a moment through the security feed in her room. She had seemed calm then, her gaze distant as she stared out the window. But now... something didn’t feel right.

With a frown, Luca reached for his phone, dialling the number for the security team stationed outside her suite. The line rang once, twice—then silence.

His jaw tightened. There was always an immediate answer. Always.

He ended the call, his mind racing. Something was wrong. Without another moment of hesitation, he strode out of his office, the tension in his body coiling tighter with every step.

The hallway leading to Phoenix’s suite was empty, the silence thick and oppressive. Luca’s heart pounded in his chest, a dark, furious beat that seemed to echo through the penthouse. He rounded the corner, his eyes locking onto the door to her room.

It was ajar.

The sight of it stopped him in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. The door was never left open. Never. His men were meticulous, his orders clear. Phoenix was to be watched at all times, guarded and protected. No one was to leave her unattended.

Something cold and sharp twisted in Luca’s gut as he stepped forward, pushing the door open fully. The room was empty, the lights dimmed. The bed was neatly made, the air still, but there was no sign of her. His Phoenix. Gone.

The world seemed to tilt, his vision narrowing as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing. She couldn’t be gone. She wouldn’t dare.

But she was. She was gone, and the realization hit him like a punch to the chest.

“Phoenix?” Luca’s voice was a low, dangerous growl, the sound reverberating through the empty room. No answer. He took a step inside, his eyes scanning the room, searching for any sign of her. Panic—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in years—gripped him, tightening around his heart like a vise.

His hand shot to his phone, dialling Miguel’s number with a furious swipe of his thumb. The line barely had time to connect before he spoke, his voice like ice.

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