Page 37 of Tormented Hearts

He finds Phoenix standing outside, her arms wrapped around herself, her body trembling with emotion. Luca approaches her slowly, his heart aching at the sight of her.

“Phoenix,” he calls, reaching out to touch her arm. “Please... talk to me.”

Phoenix flinches at his touch, turning to face him with tear-filled eyes. “I can’t do this, Luca,” she chokes out, her voice thick with pain. “I can’t compete with someone like Bianca. She knows you—knows this world. And she’s right... I don’t belong here.”

Luca’s chest tightens, his hands shaking slightly as he cups her face, forcing her to look at him. “You belong with me,” he says fiercely. “I don’t care about Bianca. I don’t care about anyone but you. She’s nothing compared to you.”

Phoenix shakes her head, her voice trembling. “But she’s always going to be there, isn’t she? Waiting for me to fail. Waiting for me to break.”

Luca’s heart breaks at her words, he now realizes the emotional upheaval that Phoenix must have been under all these weeks. First the attack, then Bianca coming into her life and making her feel like she is inadequate to be with him. His anger rises at Bianca and her manipulation, but it’s also directed at himself, because he should have realized what would happen, and have stopped it before today.

His mind races for a way to reassure her. He has made a mistake by letting Bianca linger in their lives for so long, but he wouldn’t lose Phoenix because of it.

“I’m going to get rid of her,” Luca vows, his voice low but filled with determination. “I’ll make sure she’s out of our lives for good.”

Phoenix looks up at him, her eyes filled with doubt. “And what if she doesn’t go? What if she keeps coming after you?”

Luca’s grip on her tightens, his voice rough with emotion. “Then I’ll make sure she regrets it.”

Phoenix stares at him for a long moment, her heart aching with the weight of everything they were facing. She wanted to believehim, wanted to trust that he would protect her from the darkness that surrounds him. But the fear still lingers, gnawing at the edges of her heart.

“Please, Luca,” she pleads, her voice trembling. “Don’t let her come between us.”

Luca pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he can shield her from everything. “I won’t,” he promises, his voice raw. “I swear to you, Phoenix. I won’t let anyone come between us.”

Pulling her into his arms he takes her lips in a passionate kiss that leaves both of them wanting more, but most importantly it assures Phoenix that she’s the woman he wants, the only woman he wants.

***

Luca can’t get Phoenix’s tear-filled eyes out of his mind. Bianca was threatening his relationship with the woman he loved. And Luca couldn’t allow that.

Bianca had been a part of his world for far too long, slithering in the shadows, trying to manipulate her way into his life. Luca had always known what she wanted, but he had been too focused on other threats to deal with her properly. Now, however, it was clear that Bianca wasn’t just a nuisance. She was a threat that had to be eliminated—carefully.

Sitting in his office, Luca stares down at the array of documents spread across his desk. Gabriel stands nearby, watching him with concern etched on his face. He had been there the night Bianca had tried to push Phoenix out, and he knows just how serious Luca is about handling the situation.

“Are you sure about this?” Gabriel asks, his voice low. “Bianca’s been around a long time. If you cut her off, she’s not going to go quietly.”

Luca’s jaw tightens, his eyes hard as he looks up from the documents. “I’m not giving her a choice.”

Gabriel nods, his expression grim. “Then we need to be smart about this. She’s not just some woman you can shove aside. Bianca’s got connections—powerful ones.”

Luca leans back in his chair, his mind already spinning with the details of the plan he is beginning to form. Gabriel is right. Bianca has embedded herself deep within his operations, weaving a web of alliances with other families and business partners. Cutting her out could cause ripple effects, but Luca had no choice. Phoenix’s safety—her peace of mind—was more important than any deal Bianca might have.

“We take away her leverage first,” Luca says, his voice cold and calculating. “She thinks she has power because of the connections she’s made. But if we sever those ties, she’ll be isolated.”

Gabriel crosses his arms, his expression thoughtful. “You’re going to have to hit her from all sides. Cut off her influence with the other families, take away her income streams, and make it clear that she’s no longer welcome in our world.”

Luca nods, his mind already working through the details. “We start with her clubs. She’s using them to funnel money through our operations, but they’re easily replaceable. We take them from her and cut off her cash flow.”

Gabriel raises an eyebrow. “You sure you want to go that far? She’s got some loyal people working for her.”

“They’re loyal because she pays them well,” Luca explains, his voice sharp. “Once the money dries up, so will their loyalty.”

Gabriel smirks, nodding in agreement. “Alright. We’ll start with the clubs. But what about the bigger picture? Bianca’s beencozying up to the Marcellos and a few other key families. If she convinces them to back her, she could be a bigger problem.”

Luca’s eyes darken. He has already considered this. Bianca wasn’t stupid. She knew how to play the game, and she had likely been working behind the scenes to secure alliances that would make her harder to remove. But Luca wasn’t about to let her outmanoeuvre him.

“I’ll deal with the Marcellos myself,” Luca says, his voice low. “I’ll make it clear to them that Bianca is no longer part of our family, and that aligning with her is a mistake. Once they see that she’s been cut off, they won’t risk backing her.”

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