“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Isabella Rossi,” I said smoothly. “My father did business with yours some years ago, and Emilia asked me to come tonight to pay my respects for your sister. Look, I don’t do well in crowds. I slipped away to find a quiet room and thought this might be a safe place to hide for a few hours. Parties…” I shrugged, letting my shoulders slump in defeat. “They’re just… a lot.”
Luca searched my face, lingering for a second too long on my eyes, my mouth, the line of my jaw. Inside my head, pressure built, as if he was trying to worm his way in. My clever brother, trying to get past my mental shields.
The sensation stopped.
Luca looked away, jaw clenching.
“My sister used to say that,” he said quietly. “That parties were ‘a lot’. This room was where she hid away, back when it belonged to our father.” Then his tone, his expression hardened. “But this is my Uncle Giovanni’s now, and it’s dangerous for you to be in here.”
My heart stuttered at his desolation, at how brightly his eyes shone.
My uncle could try all he wanted to turn my brother into some facsimile of himself, but Luca was good, just like our father. It was up to me to make sure he remained uncorruptible.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, wishing I could hug him, wishing the world wasn’t such a cruel, fucked-up place. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I should go back to the party.”
“She…” His throat bobbed. “Emberline died in an explosion. With Dante, her… husband. It was an accident, they said, the explosion. But I don’t see how…” His lips slammed shut, that face I knew as well as my own twisted in pain.
Every word was edged with the kind of anguish I’d never wanted my brother to feel. Gods, how I wanted to tell Luca everything. But with one careless mistake, our entire ruse would be revealed.
And Luca would be in danger.
There was no question in my mind that Giovanni would kill my brother if he knew I was alive. No, ignorance kept him safe, and safe he’d stay.
“I heard about that,” I said softly. “Such a tragic accident. I’m so sorry you lost her.” I hesitated, and because I was a shit sister, I asked, “Were you two close?”
“Twins,” he admitted. “Rare for vampires, but we had a close bond, especially after our mother died. For most of our lives, it was just the two of us. We learned to trust each other, to rely on each other for everything.”
Feeling like even more of a shit sister, I nodded, at a loss for words.
I couldn’t lie to Luca, and the truth was too dangerous, so I stayed quiet, watching Luca move around the desk, fingers trailing briefly over the wood where father’s hands had rested countless times. He didn’t even glance at the safe, focused on the cluttered desk.
“I came here to be alone, too,” he admitted, staring up atthe new painting with distaste. “My uncle likes his speeches.Andthe attention. I don’t care for either. So, I understand, hiding out from that crowd. They would devour you if given the chance.”
Silence stretched between us.
“She was difficult,” he said eventually, a rueful smile ghosting across his lips. “Stubborn. Reckless. She never did what she was supposed to. Always breaking the rules, but she was good at pretending. She hated this life, just like I did, but she’s free of it now. I’m stuck forever.”
“You’re not stuck.” I clasped my hands behind my back so Luca wouldn’t notice them shaking. “Make this life whatever you want. Being a Pentarch gives you power, power you can use however you wish. Enough to create the world you want.”
“Clearly, you’ve never met my uncle.” He gave a bitter laugh, his face crumpling. He caught himself, rubbing his jaw, his voice rough. “Power is nothing I’ve ever wanted for myself. It’s a poison, and I can already feel it ruining me from the inside out. Soon enough, I’ll be just like the rest of them.”
Something inside me cracked cleanly down the middle.
I wanted to rip off this glamour, grab Luca by the shoulders, and tell him I wasright here, that I wasn’t dead after all, that I was planning to gut our uncle like a fish and set us free.
But right now, my brother needed hope.
“I didn’t know your sister,” I said quietly. “But I’ve heard enough about her to be sure of one thing.”
He looked at me, eyes bright.
“She would be proud of you,” I said forcefully. “Of the male you’re becoming. Holding your family empire together, staying strong. Not letting anyone see you break. You aren’tcorrupted at all; you’re exhausted from pretending to be one of them. You aren’t ruined; you are finding your own way, and that takes time.”
“How can you say that?” he whispered. “You don’t even know me.”
“I’ve seen plenty of males who let power rot them from the inside. You aren’t them. You are tryingnotto become them, with every fiber of your being. Keep playing their games. Keep your eyes open, stay true to your heart, and trust your judgment, Luca, even if that means walking away.”
