Page 51 of Tormented Hearts

Phoenix feels a wave of relief wash over her at Marco’s understanding, but the tension doesn’t disappear. It was still there, lurking beneath the surface, making every interaction feel like a balancing act.

“I’m just trying to be careful,” Phoenix adds softly, her fingers digging into the soft dirt. “For everyone’s sake.”

Marco gives her a reassuring smile. “I get it. I’ll give you some space.”

As he turns to walk away, Phoenix exhales a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. But as she watches him go, she can’t shake the feeling that the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Marco was friendly, kind even, but the boundaries between them had become blurry, and she wasn’t sure how to navigate them without making things worse.

That afternoon, she was trying to distract herself from the growing tension between her and Marco, but every time she heard footsteps or caught a glimpse of one of the guards patrolling the property, her thoughts circled back to the conversation in the garden.

Just as Phoenix began to relax, she heard the sound of the front door opening. Looking up, she saw Miguel entering the house, his expression serious as always. He nods at her in greetingbefore making his way toward Luca’s office, but as he passes, his gaze lingers on her.

“Everything alright?” Miguel asks, his tone casual but laced with curiosity.

Phoenix hesitates, unsure how much she should share. She didn’t want to cause unnecessary drama, but she also couldn’t shake the feeling that Miguel was keeping a close eye on her interactions with Marco.

“Everything’s fine,” Phoenix says, forcing a smile. “Just... settling in.”

Miguel studies her for a moment longer before nodding. “Good. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Marco, huh?”

Phoenix’s stomach twists, and she feels her heartbeat quicken. “Not really,” she replies quickly. “He’s just around a lot. You know, doing his job.”

Miguel’s eyes narrow slightly, and he crosses his arms, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. “Phoenix, I told you to be careful. Luca trusts you, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be happy if he sees one of his men getting too close to you.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong,” Phoenix snaps, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “Marco is just being friendly.”

Miguel raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by her response. “Friendly or not, Luca won’t see it that way.”

Phoenix opens her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She knew Miguel was right—Luca wouldn’t take kindly to any man showing Phoenix more than professional respect, especially now that she was pregnant with his child. Luca’s possessiveness was one of the things Phoenix loved about him, but it also terrified her sometimes. She didn’t want to be thecause of any conflict, but she also didn’t want to live in fear of every conversation she had with someone who wasn’t Luca.

“I’ll be careful,” Phoenix said quietly, her voice filled with resolve.

Miguel nods, his expression softening slightly. “Good. I don’t want to see anything happen, Phoenix. Not to you, and not to Marco. Just... keep your distance.”

The next few days passed with a quiet tension. Phoenix continued to keep her interactions with Marco to a minimum, but it was clear that he had noticed the shift. He no longer lingered around the house as much, sticking to his rounds and avoiding unnecessary conversation. Phoenix appreciated the space, but the awkwardness hung over them like a cloud.

One afternoon, as Phoenix was sitting on the back porch, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin, she spotted Marco in the distance, walking along the edge of the property. He glanced in her direction, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t approach. Phoenix’s heart clenched slightly—she didn’t want to alienate him, but the tension between them had become unavoidable.

Just as Phoenix was about to stand and head back inside, Luca appears, stepping out onto the porch and wrapping his arms around her from behind. He presses a soft kiss to the top of her head, his presence instantly calming her nerves.

“How’s my favourite girl?” Luca murmurs, his voice filled with warmth.

Phoenix smiles, leaning back into him. “Better now that you’re here.”

Luca’s hands rest on her belly, gently rubbing in slow circles as they stand together, watching the sun set over the hills. Fora brief moment, Phoenix felt completely at peace, wrapped in Luca’s embrace, the future they were building together feeling more real than ever.

But even as she relaxes into him, her thoughts drift back to Marco—and to the warning Miguel had given her. She knew Luca hadn’t noticed anything yet, but the possibility of his jealousy being triggered was always there, lurking just beneath the surface.

“Everything okay?” Luca asks, sensing her tension.

Phoenix nods, forcing a smile. “Yeah, just... thinking.”

Luca’s arms tighten around her, his voice dropping to a soft, protective murmur. “You don’t need to worry about anything, Phoenix. I’ve got everything under control.”

Phoenix swallows hard, her heart racing. She wasn’t sure if she should tell Luca about Miguel’s warning, about the tension with Marco. But as she stands there, safe in Luca’s arms, she decided to keep it to herself for now. The last thing she wants is to make things worse.

“I know,” she whispers, her voice filled with love. “I trust you.”

The peace that had settled over the country house was fragile—more fragile than Phoenix wanted to admit. Although things had been calm between her and Luca since Miguel’s warning, she could sense the tension in the air. Luca had been spending more time at home, watching over her, making sure the house was secure, and taking every precaution to protect their growing family. But the weight of his world was never far away.

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