Page 90 of Luca

"I don't care how much it is. I'm supporting myself now."

He studies her, reassessing everything he thought he knew about the quiet, frightened woman who was supposed to be his wife.

"You've changed," he observes.

"I've become myself." Sofia meets his gaze steadily. "The woman you were engaged to... she was who I thought I had to be to survive in that world. But she wasn't real."

"And this is real?"

Sofia gestures around the small apartment. "This is me earning money and paying rent and making friends who don't know anything about my family or what I'm supposed to be." She pauses. "Yes, this is real."

Luca nods slowly. "Then I'm glad you ran."

The admission hangs in the air between them.

"Are you?" Sofia asks.

"Yes. Because if you hadn't, I never would have met Gabriella. Not the real Gabriella."

I feel my cheeks warm as both of them look at me.

"And," Luca continues, "you never would have had the chance to discover who you really are. This..." he gestures around the apartment, "this suits you better than anything I could have given you."

"Thank you," Sofia says quietly. "That means more than money ever could."

The tension in the room eases slightly, and I see an opportunity.

"We should eat," I suggest. "Sofia made lunch."

Over simple pasta and salad, the conversation becomes easier. Sofia tells us about her work at the gallery, about learning to authenticate damaged paintings and the satisfaction of bringing art back to life. Luca talks about business in careful terms that don't reveal anything dangerous, but Sofia surprises us both by asking direct questions.

"Are you happy?" she asks me when Luca steps out to take a phone call.

"Yes," I say without hesitation. "It's complicated and sometimes terrifying, but yes. I'm happy."

"And he treats you well?"

"He killed a man who threatened me."

Sofia's eyes widen. "Oh, wow."

"He also bought me a car and lets me drive anywhere I want without bodyguards. He's teaching me about the business instead of keeping me ignorant. He listens when I have opinions, even when they're inconvenient." I reach across the small table to squeeze her hand. "He loves me, Sofia."

"I'm glad." Her smile is genuine, relieved. "I was so afraid you'd gotten trapped in my place."

"I chose to stay trapped. That makes all the difference."

When Luca returns, he has something else for Sofia. "Not money," he says quickly when she starts to shake her head. "Something else."

He pulls out a small burner phone. Basic, cheap, the kind you buy with cash and no questions asked.

"Gabriella has one too. Untraceable, secure. So you can stay in touch."

Sofia looks at the phone, then at me. "We already have a way to contact each other."

"I know. But this is better. Safer." Luca's voice is careful. "My family doesn't know about you. As far as they're concerned, Sofia Romano is an only child who married into the family and lives quietly in Rome. That needs to stay true for everyone's protection."

"I understand."