Page 49 of Luca

"But I was just getting the hang of it," I say quickly, gathering the chips with modest efficiency.

"Another time," he says firmly.

A time I know will never come.

"I'm sorry if I kept you from your business,” I say sweetly to the men. “This was...fun. Thank you for letting me play."

The men exchange glances. "Well played," Dante says, his smile cool now.

After the obligatory goodbyes and promises to see each other soon, Luca leads me out of the casino and into the Milannight. His car is waiting, Paolo behind the wheel, and we slide into the back seat in silence.

For the first few minutes, no one speaks. Then Luca hits the button that raises the partition between us and Paolo.

"You just outplayed one of the most dangerous men in Northern Italy," he says quietly.

I blink innocently. "Do you mean Dante? He seems very charming. It’s only a game."

He leans closer. "You think this is a game?"

The question hangs between us in the back of the car. Outside, Milan passes by in a blur of lights and late-night energy.

I smile, slow and sweet. "Isn't it?"

Tonight, Luca saw a woman who can read a poker table and isn't afraid to take risks. The fact that he can clearly now see the real me bleeding through the carefully constructed lie, should terrify me.

Instead, it makes me want to show him more.

For better or worse, this game between us is almost over.

Chapter 18: Gabriella

Luca hasn’t mentioned the poker game again, not once. Instead of spending the night at the hotel in Milan as planned, we went back to the airport and immediately flew back home without explanation.

His silence is louder than any warning he could have given me. And yet, he’s acting as though nothing happened.

If that’s not enough to fray my nerves, tonight there is a big dinner planned with my father and Luca’s family. The first since our wedding day.

While the party is supposed to be a celebration, it feels more like a test I’m certain to fail. My father knows my sister too well. He’ll see something in me and realize I’m not Sofia.

"You look beautiful as always," Luca says from behind me, his hands settling on my shoulders as he meets my eyes in the mirror.

"Thank you." My voice sounds calm, but my pulse is racing. I lean back against him, trying to anchor myself in the steady weight of his presence. "Are you nervous?" I ask.

"About dinner with our families? Should I be?"

"Well, it’s dinner with Papa and it’s been a while since we’ve all been together," I say carefully. "Since the wedding."

"Right. The wedding."

The way he says it strikes me as odd, but before I can ask what he means, there's a knock at the door.

"That'll be Paolo," Luca says, stepping away from me. "Ready to go see you father?"

Hell no.

I'm absolutely not ready to sit through dinner with my father, who's going to be watching me like a hawk, looking for any sign that his business alliance is secure. I'm not ready to navigate conversation with Luca's family while he's studying my every move.

The restaurant Luca chose is the kind of place where they don't have prices on the menu because if you need to ask, you can't afford to eat there. Private dining rooms with servers who probably sign confidentiality agreements as part of their employment.