Page 6

L uca ran a hand through his hair, frustration thrumming beneath his skin. It had been hours… hell, nearly a full day since Diamond had kicked him out, and he still couldn’t shake her from his thoughts.

She had let him in, let him touch her, let him see the parts of herself she kept hidden behind that hard exterior, only to push him away the moment they were done. He should be angry, maybe he was. But more than that, he was restless. He had been willing to do anything for her, to give her whatever she needed, even if she didn’t realize it yet.

And she had shut him out. Again.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. Enzo. He sighed before answering.

“You sound like shit,” his younger brother noted.

Luca exhaled sharply. “Didn’t sleep much.”

Enzo chuckled. “That’s what happens when you’re up all night with a woman.”

Luca’s jaw tightened. “It’s not like that.”

There was a beat of silence before Enzo spoke again, more thoughtful this time. “Then what is it?”

Luca hesitated. He wasn’t sure he had the answer. “Complicated,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t know how to fix it.

“Are you flying here tomorrow?” Enzo was more concerned this time.

“Yeah.” There was no excitement in his voice.

“Well, prepare yourself for the interrogation then. I wanna know every detail.” With that line Enzo cut the call.

Luca sighed, his thoughts going back to Diamond.

His phone rang again but he was not in the mood to pick it up. The bell rang and then it stopped, but started again the very next second.

Luca barely glanced at his ringing phone until he saw the name flashing on the screen—Fabio, his trusted right hand.

“Speak.”

“You need to see this.” Fabio’s voice was tight. “It’s all over social media.”

A link popped up. Luca tapped it, already impatient—then his blood ran cold.

The video was grainy, taken from a shaky phone, but he recognized her immediately.

Diamond.

A street fight. Fists flying. Blood on her face.

His heart slammed against his ribs as he watched her body hit the pavement. The clip ended, but his vision stayed frozen at that moment.

Fabio’s voice was cautious. “She was taken to Roosevelt General.”

Luca was already moving.

Luca’s heart pounded as he tore through the streets, the city lights blurring past him. The video played on repeat in his head—Diamond on the ground, hurt, bleeding. His chest was tight, rage and fear battling inside him. He had never been afraid like this. Not when he took over the business, not when he faced threats that should have sent weaker men running.

But this?

Seeing her like that?

It gutted him.

She had fought, of course she had, but even Diamond had her limits. And now she was lying in a hospital bed because of some bastard who thought they could touch her. He gripped the wheel, his knuckles white.

When he found out who had done this, there would be no negotiations, no warnings—only consequences.

Roosevelt General came into view, and he barely waited for the car to stop before he was out, moving on instinct. He didn’t know if she would even want to see him.

He didn’t care.

She had pushed him away, but that didn’t mean he’d stay away. Not now. Not when she needed him, even if she’d never admit it.

The moment he stepped into the hospital, the sterile scent of antiseptic mixed with the burning fury in his chest.

“I need to see Diamond Perez.” His voice was ice.

The receptionist barely looked up. “Are you family?”

His patience snapped. “Where is she?”

“Sir, I can’t give you—”

He slammed his palm on the counter. “Find her. Now.”

Security shifted uneasily, but no one moved fast enough.

Then, one of his men rushed over. “Boss—she refused treatment.”

Luca stilled.

Refused?

His pulse roared in his ears as he turned and strode down the hall, shoving past nurses. She was here. Somewhere. And she was hurt.

Then he saw her.

A dimly lit waiting area, tucked away from the main ward. A kind-looking older nurse knelt in front of her, cleaning a wound on her forehead with slow, careful hands.

Diamond sat still, her face pale beneath the bruises, her knuckles raw.

Luca’s rage shifted into something sharper. Something he didn’t know how to name.

She looked so small, so quiet, but her shoulders were still squared like she could handle it.

Like she didn’t need anyone.

Like he wasn’t about to tear this hospital apart to make sure she got treated.

The nurse noticed him first—her hands freezing mid-motion.

Diamond followed her gaze, and when her tired eyes landed on him, something in his chest pulled so tight it nearly snapped.

She opened her mouth, but he was already moving.

Without a word, he scooped her into his arms.

Her sharp intake of breath barely registered before she started squirming. “Luca, what the hell—”

“Shut up,” he said, his grip tightening.

She struggled, but she was weak. Too weak. And that made his fury burn hotter.

The nurse hurried after him. “Sir, she refused treatment—”

“I don’t give a damn what she refused,” he growled.

The hospital staff stiffened as he stormed into the main ward. “Where’s the doctor?”

A young nurse hesitated. “Sir, without insurance—”

Luca turned his glare on her. “I’ll pay for the entire damn hospital if I have to. Get. A. Doctor.”

The staff scattered. Within moments, a team appeared, a stretcher rolling toward them.

Diamond tried one last time. “Luca, I don’t—”

His gaze snapped to hers.

That look shut her up.

Not just anger. Not just control. Something deeper. Something dangerous.

“Enough,” he said, voice rough. “You’re getting treated. End of discussion.”

She wanted to fight. He could see it in her eyes.

But the moment his hand covered hers, her body sagged just a little.

And for the first time since he saw that damn video, he could finally breathe again.

He turned to the nearest nurse. “Why the hell wasn’t she treated when she got here?”

The woman stiffened. “Sir, she refused trea—”

Luca’s palm slammed down on the counter, rattling the cheap plastic sign that read Please remain calm.

“She was bleeding,” he growled. “And you let her sit in a damn hallway?”

The nurse scrambled for words, but it didn’t matter. Someone was going to answer for this.

Doctors hurried now, voices overlapping, orders being shouted, but Luca didn’t take his eyes off the hallway they’d disappeared down.

She’d refused treatment. No money. No insurance. Too damn stubborn for her own good.

A weak voice cut through the chaos.

“Stop scaring people, Ferrara.”

Luca turned.

Diamond was half-conscious, eyes barely open, but still managing to glare at him from the stretcher that was now rolling to the other side of the corridor.

His jaw tightened. “If they did their jobs, I wouldn’t have to.”

She rolled her eyes before they fluttered shut again.

Stubborn woman.

***

Luca didn’t leave.

Not when the nurses finished stitching her up. Not when the doctor assured him she’d be fine. Not even when they moved her to a private room.

He pulled up a chair, sat, and watched her breathe.

His jacket was tossed over the back of the seat, his sleeves rolled up, the sterile glow of hospital lights doing nothing to soften the tightness in his chest.

She was too pale. Too still.

He hated it.

At some point, she stirred, eyes cracking open.

She blinked, focusing, then frowned. “Why are you still here? Go home.”

Luca’s mouth twitched. “Not happening.”

She exhaled, like she wanted to argue but didn’t have the strength.

Good. He thought.

Luca sat in the chair beside Diamond’s bed, his head tilted back, eyes closed. He hadn’t slept, but exhaustion didn’t matter—not when she was lying there, pale against the sterile white sheets. The soft beeping of the machines was the only sound in the room until the door creaked open.

Luca’s eyes snapped open.

A man stood there, older, stiff-backed, wearing a doctor's coat. The ID hanging from his neck read, Dr. Javier Perez.

Luca frowned.

Perez? Were they related?

Diamond was already awake, and the second she saw him, her entire body went rigid.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said, voice like ice.

The man scoffed, stepping closer. “And yet, here you are. Laid out in a hospital bed like a broken doll.” His gaze flicked to Luca briefly before landing back on her. “This is what wrestling got you, Diamond. I warned you. Told you it would come to this.”

Luca stood instantly, muscles coiled with tension. But Diamond beat him to it.

“You warned me?” she spat, eyes blazing. “No. You dismissed me. You pretended I didn’t exist because I wouldn’t be the daughter you wanted. And now you show up just to say I told you so?”

Lucas' eyes widened with the revelation of their relationship.

Her father crossed his arms. “I’m here because you embarrassed yourself. Dragging our name through the mud with this ridiculous career—”

“That career is mine! I built this myself, without you!”

Her voice rose to a furious pitch, raw and unrestrained, and then suddenly, the machines started beeping erratically.

The door burst open, and the doctor rushed in. “She needs rest,” he warned, giving Luca a pointed look before checking her vitals. “No more stress.”

Luca didn’t wait for another word. He grabbed her father by the arm and yanked him out of the room.

The hallway was empty.

Luca’s grip tightened. “I thought some bastard had hurt her,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “But now I see the real damage was done a long time ago. And it was you! Her own father! Now I get why she told me her parents were dead.”

Diamond’s father yanked his arm free, glaring. “You don’t know anything.”

Luca stepped closer, his rage barely contained. “I know enough. And if you ever come near her again, you’ll have a hell of a lot more to regret than just losing your daughter.”

“You’re wasting your time with her.” Diamond’s father glared at him, straightening his coat. “She’s a disgrace. A rebel who threw away everything for this… this pathetic excuse of a life.” He sneered. “She could’ve had security, a family. Instead, she ended up in a hospital bed, beaten down like some street brawler. That’s all she’ll ever be.”

Luca’s fists curled. His entire body burned with the need to break something—someone. But he didn’t. Instead, he stepped forward, voice dangerously low.

“You think she’s a disgrace?” He let out a slow, humorless laugh. “No. She’s a fighter. She built something out of nothing, with no help from you. And she’s stronger than you’ll ever be.” His eyes darkened. “But you know what? She won’t have to fight alone anymore.”

Diamond’s father scoffed. “And what will happen then? You think you can fix her?”

Luca’s jaw tightened. “She’s not broken. But I will heal her. I’ll give her every damn thing you never did. And one day, when she’s standing at the top, living the life she fought for, she won’t regret leaving your house behind. She’ll only regret wasting years trying to be your daughter.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Didn’t care to hear whatever poison the man had left to spit. Luca turned, stepping back into Diamond’s room, shutting the door behind him and locking it.