Page 45 of His Ruthless Claim

"And I hear there's a woman." His knowing smile reminds me of earlier days, when he'd catch me sneaking extra dessertsfrom the kitchen. "Christina mentioned her. Says she's changed you."

I don't ask how his daughter knows. She's married to one of my enforcers, and I know that everyone talks. I actually want everyone to know Skye is mine.

My fingers tighten around my glass. Normally, I'd shut down any personal discussion. But this is Flavio, who taught me chess and showed me how to tie a tie when father was too drunk to care.

"Skye." Her name slips out before I can stop it. "She's...different."

"Different how?"

"She makes me feel." The admission costs something, but Flavio's always been able to see through my masks anyway. "Things I buried after my mother died."

He leans forward, weathered hands clasped. "That's not weakness, Luca. Your mother would be proud to see you opening up again."

The mention of her hits like a physical blow, but for once I don't push it away. "Skye doesn't fear me. She challenges me, makes me question things I've accepted as truth."

"Good." Flavio's approval settles something restless in my chest. "You were never meant to be like your father, son. Cold and cruel, yes - our world demands it. But not empty."

I study the crystal tumbler in my hand, watching light fracture through the amber liquid. "I've been expanding faster than planned."

"For her?" Flavio's knowing look makes me want to deny it, but lying to him has always been pointless.

"She deserves more than just territory." The words come out clipped, precise. "I want to give her everything."

"Everything meaning the whole city?" His lips quirk up.

I set down my untouched drink. "The Cappallettis are vulnerable. Alfonso's power structure is shifting, and Giovanni is getting old. The Buetis keep to themselves." I pause, jaw tightening.

"And you see opportunity."

"I see inevitability." My fingers find my watch again, tracing the worn metal. "But it's different now. Before, I wanted control because it was logical. Power prevents weakness. Territory means security."

"And now?"

"Now I want to build something." The admission feels raw, exposed. "Something worthy of her. She makes me want..." I trail off, unable to articulate the foreign sensation of wanting anything beyond cold strategy.

"To feel?" Flavio suggests quietly.

"To protect. To provide." I lean back, maintaining my composure even as unfamiliar emotions threaten to surface. "She walks into a room and everything shifts. Like gravity has changed direction."

"You're in love with her."

"Love is a weakness." The response is automatic, drilled into me since childhood.

"Love made your mother strong." Flavio's voice carries the weight of memory. "Strong enough to shield you from your father's rage, to show you kindness in a cruel world."

The mention of my mother should hurt, should trigger the emptiness I've cultivated for so long. Instead, I think of Skye's fearless amber eyes, her sharp wit, the way she refuses to let me hide behind my masks. And suddenly, my mother's memory feels a little more like comfort.

"I'm building an empire," I say finally. "But for the first time, I'm not just moving pieces on a board."

Every move, every acquisition, every territory I take - it's all for her. To ensure she never wants for anything.

That realization stays with me until I get home. It's all I can think as Skye tells me about her new collection. We've gotten in the habit of sharing about our days over dinner, and even though I don't love to talk, I know I need to tell her about this.

I'm about to do something that could fall back on both of us.

I watch Skye across the dining table, the way she gestures with her fork as she talks about her day. Her amber eyes light up describing a new shipment of dresses, and something in my chest tightens.

"The supplier swears they're one of a kind pieces." She takes a bite of pasta, those full lips curving into a smile. "But enough about silk. You've been quiet tonight."

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