CHAPTER 90: STORM BEFORE THE CALM

The rain had been falling since dawn, soft at first, then angry, battering the mansion windows like a warning. Aria woke to the rhythmic sound, her hand instinctively moving to the gentle curve of her stomach. The baby shifted inside her, restless as if he too felt the tension brewing in the air. Luca wasn’t in bed. She could tell from the cool side of the sheets and the faint scent of his cologne lingering on the pillow that he’d been gone for hours.

"Of course," she muttered softly, struggling to sit up. "Another day, another crisis."

Downstairs, she found him standing near the window, his phone pressed to his ear, voice low but sharp. The dark suit, the clenched jaw, the gun holstered at his side, Luciano Deluca the man she’d once called her captor, now the man she couldn’t imagine her life without.

He turned when he heard her footsteps. "You should be resting."

"You should stop giving orders," she shot back lightly, though her tone softened when she saw the fatigue in his eyes. "What happened?"

"Trouble at the docks," he said flatly. "Matteo’s old allies. They’re moving again. I thought we had a truce, but they’re testing boundaries."

Aria frowned, walking closer. "You think it’s about us?"

Luca’s eyes darkened. "It’s always about us."

The silence between them stretched. He finally pocketed his phone, exhaling hard. "I’ll handle it. You just stay here, okay?"

"Luca," she said quietly, her voice trembling slightly, "you can’t keep shutting me out. We’re in this together. That’s what we promised."

He looked at her, torn. "I know. But I can’t..." He broke off, running a hand through his hair. "You and the baby are everything to me now. I can’t risk you."

She stepped closer until their foreheads almost touched. "And I can’t live pretending I’m fragile. I’ve been through hell with you. I won’t start hiding now."

Something softened in his gaze then, the icy mask cracking. He reached up, brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You drive me insane."

"I know," she whispered, smiling faintly. "But you love me anyway."

Before he could reply, the power flickered. The lights dimmed, then went out completely. The room was swallowed in gray shadows. Aria froze.

"Luca?"

He was already moving, drawing his gun, senses sharpened. "Stay behind me."

The sudden sound of thunder masked the footsteps outside. The security alarm beeped once, then died. Luca’s entire body went tense. "They’ve cut the power."

Aria’s heartbeat thundered in her ears. "Who?"

He didn’t answer, only pressed his finger to his lips, motioning her to stay low. Within seconds, he was all business, silent, controlled, lethal.

She crouched behind the sofa, clutching her belly, breath trembling. The door burst open.

"Luca Deluca!" a man’s voice shouted through the storm. "You thought you could protect her forever?"

Luca stepped into the hallway, gun raised. Aria couldn’t see him, only the faint glimmer of lightning illuminating his silhouette.

"Walk away," Luca growled. "You don’t want to do this."

But the men laughed, a cruel, echoing sound. "We don’t want you, Don Luca. We want her."

Aria’s stomach twisted. Every instinct screamed at her to hide, but her heart refused. She couldn’t just sit back while he faced them alone.

She pushed herself up slowly, her breath coming fast. "Luca..."

He turned sharply, eyes wide. "Stay down!"

But it was too late. The intruders had already seen her.

"Ah," one of them sneered. "The little heiress herself."

Everything happened at once. A gunshot cracked through the air, glass shattered, and Luca lunged forward, firing back. Aria screamed as bullets tore through the room, splintering wood, sending sparks flying.

"Move!" Luca shouted, grabbing her hand. He pulled her toward the back corridor, shielding her with his body as they ran. The baby kicked violently inside her, reacting to her panic.

They burst into the kitchen just as another bullet shattered the window above the sink. Luca shoved her behind the marble island.

"Stay here!" he ordered, eyes fierce.

"Don’t you dare leave me!" she shouted back, tears of fear streaking her face.

He hesitated for half a heartbeat, then kissed her hard, desperate, full of everything words couldn’t say. "I’ll come back for you. Always."

Then he was gone.

Aria pressed her back against the counter, shaking, praying he’d be okay. The minutes dragged. The house echoed with the chaos of gunfire, footsteps, and shouts. She closed her eyes, gripping the edge of the counter, whispering his name like a prayer.

"Luca, please..."

Then silence.

The kind that made her heart stop.

She rose slowly, hands trembling, and peeked out from behind the counter. Smoke drifted through the air, the metallic scent of gunfire thick. Her voice broke when she called out, "Luca?"

He appeared moments later, a shadow through the haze, alive, blood spattered but standing. Relief flooded her body so fast it made her dizzy. She ran to him, ignoring the ache in her side, and he caught her mid-step.

"I told you to stay put," he murmured, voice raw, pressing his forehead against hers.

"And miss the part where you scare me half to death?" she said through a shaky laugh.

He kissed her again, this time slower, as if grounding himself in the fact that she was there, that they were both still breathing.

The cleanup took hours. By the time the police left, the sky had lightened into a pale, exhausted dawn. Aria sat on the steps outside, wrapped in a blanket, while Luca spoke with his men. He looked like a storm barely contained, eyes dark, voice sharp, every muscle coiled.

When he finally came over, she could see the exhaustion behind his control.

"They were hired," he said quietly. "Someone inside leaked our location."

Her chest tightened. "Someone from your circle?"

"Maybe. Or someone from your mother’s." His voice softened as he sat beside her. "It’s never over, is it?"

Aria leaned her head on his shoulder. "Maybe it’s not meant to be. Maybe peace is something we build, not something we find."

He looked at her then, really looked at her. Her eyes, tired but burning with strength; her belly, the living symbol of everything they’d fought for. "You sound like a queen," he said.

She smiled faintly. "Maybe I finally believe I am."

He slipped his hand over hers, their fingers locking together. "You scare me sometimes."

"Why?"

"Because you’re stronger than me."

"Not true," she whispered. "You’re just too busy protecting me to see it."

He turned, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Promise me you’ll keep being stubborn."

"Promise me you’ll keep coming back," she countered.

He smiled against her skin. "Always."

They sat in silence for a long while, watching the rain ease into mist. The world felt raw, stripped of pretense. Their home was damaged, their future uncertain but in that fragile moment, they were unbreakable.

Later, as she lay in bed, exhaustion finally pulling her under, she felt Luca’s hand rest over her stomach. His voice was barely a whisper. "No matter what comes, I’ll keep you both safe."

Aria smiled sleepily, her fingers brushing his. "You already have."

Outside, the storm faded completely, leaving only the soft hum of morning. Inside, the Don of chaos and the heiress of fire found something rarer than peace, resilience.

And as the sun broke through the clouds, casting gold light over them, Aria whispered one last thought before sleep claimed her.

"If this is the storm before calm," she murmured, "then let the calm be ours forever."