Page 7

D iamond had spent the next full day in the hospital, and Luca had been there the entire time. He hadn’t left her side, not even once, pacing the room when the doctors checked on her, his jaw set in a permanent clench. She had stitches on her forehead but no concussion, a bruised rib that made every movement painful, a wound on her arm and her knuckles were raw from the fight.

She shifted on the bed, wincing at the dull ache in her ribs, when she heard Luca’s voice just outside the door.

"She’s not keeping well. She’s not working for the security company anymore."

Her body tensed.

"Luca—" Fabio’s voice, hesitant.

"No." Luca’s tone was final. "It’s done. She can wrestle all she wants, but she isn't working for pennies. "

Diamond exhaled slowly, fingers curling into the sheets. So that was it. No discussion, no asking what she wanted—just Luca deciding for her.

Or protecting her?

“What to do about those bastards, boss?” Fabio asked.

“Find them and kill them.” The hard, emotionless voice made Diamond shiver.

“But…”

“Kill them.”

Before she could stew on it, a knock at the door broke the silence. She expected Fabio, maybe Luca, but instead, Vincent stepped inside.

"I see you’re still alive." His smirk was familiar, but there was an edge of concern in his sharp gaze.

"Takes more than that to get rid of me," she muttered, shifting to sit up.

Vincent shook his head. "Clearly. But you look like hell."

"Thanks."

He pulled up a chair beside her, his expression turning serious. "You're all over social media, I saw the video. You did good, but next time? Don’t get yourself killed proving a point."

"Wasn’t planning on it."

Vincent stayed for a few more minutes, his usual sarcasm laced with something softer before he left, promising to check in again.

Not long after, another visitor arrived.

Lena.

She walked in slowly, bandages visible on her arm, but her expression was warm.

"You look worse than me," Lena teased, dropping into the chair Vincent had vacated.

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

For a moment, there was silence, a comfortable kind. Then Lena exhaled, shaking her head. "You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I always liked you."

Diamond blinked.

Lena smirked. "Yeah, yeah, don’t get emotional on me. But I mean it. You never really spoke to me often, but you were never mean and always gave me a chance to fight back during training. But yesterday you proved that I can count on you. So I wanna tell you that since you’ve got my back and I’ve got yours, so friends?"

The word settled over her like something foreign. Diamond had spent so long on her own that the idea of someone claiming her as a friend felt… strange. But real.

She nodded. "Friends."

Lena grinned. "Good. Because I’m not letting you back out of it now."

For the first time in years, Diamond felt it—she had a friend. And it wasn’t so bad.

The doctor had cleared her to leave, but Luca hadn’t given her a choice about where she was going.

She fought him. Of course, she did.

“I can take care of myself,” she muttered as he easily lifted her off the hospital bed.

Luca didn’t bother answering. There was no point. She could argue all she wanted, but she was in no condition to be alone, and he wasn’t about to let her walk out of here like nothing had happened. Her weak shoves against his chest were barely a nuisance as he carried her with ease, ignoring the irritated glare she shot his way.

The nurses gasped but made no move to stop him as he strode through the automatic doors and straight to the waiting car. Lenny was there, his gaze serious but soft on her. He opened the door for them and Luca set her down in the seat, and she immediately crossed her arms, scowling.

“This isn’t necessary, Luca.”

Luca smirked, taking his place right beside her. “Yeah? Well, I don’t care.”

Luca’s penthouse was nothing like the world Diamond came from.

The moment they stepped inside, she took it all in—the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, the sleek, modern furniture in muted tones of gray and black, the open-concept design that made everything feel even larger than it already was. Warm lighting softened the sharp edges, but it still screamed power, wealth, control. It was the kind of place that belonged to someone untouchable. Someone like him.

Diamond stood near the entrance, a bandage on her forehead, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge how exhausted she looked. Luca locked the door behind them, tossing his keys onto the marble counter.

“You live here alone?” she asked, voice laced with skepticism.

“Yeah.” He loosened the top button of his shirt. “Why? Expecting a house full of bodyguards?”

“Wouldn’t be surprised.”

Luca smirked. “I like my space.”

Diamond’s gaze flickered around the room again. There was no clutter, no personal touch—except for the faint scent of leather and something distinctly him. It felt like a fortress. Cold, controlled. And yet, for some reason, she didn’t feel out of place.

“Come on.” Luca nodded toward the hallway. “You need rest.”

She scoffed. “I’m fine.”

He raised a brow. “You’re staying here. So my rules.”

She muttered something under her breath but didn’t argue when he led her towards his room. And as she stepped inside, sinking into the ridiculously soft bed, she let herself admit—just for a second—that maybe, just maybe, being here wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

The first thing Luca did was force her to rest.

Diamond, of course, resisted. She claimed she was fine, that she could manage, that he was overreacting. Luca ignored her. When she tried to get out of bed, he simply folded his arms and stared her down until she huffed and lay back against the pillows.

When she refused to eat, he placed a plate in front of her anyway.

“Not hungry,” she muttered, crossing her arms.

Luca leaned against the counter, unmoving. “Eat.”

She scowled at him. He didn’t budge. Five minutes later, she was eating, grumbling under her breath.

“Pain in the ass,” he muttered, shaking his head.

She smirked through a mouthful of food.

It went on like that for two whole days—her pushing back, him refusing to let her win. If she was in pain, he made sure she took her meds. If she tried to do things on her own, he was there before she could even argue. She didn’t admit it, but he caught the way her shoulders relaxed when she realized she wasn’t alone. He had bought her countless clothes, all her essentials, each and every item of her diet chart was stocked to the brim. The cook was ordered to make everything fresh and full of protein.

Luca had shifted to ‘work from home’ mode and was balancing work and Diamond pretty well.

And through it all, the chemistry between them never faded.

Luca was careful, but not distant. When he helped her sit up, his hands lingered just a little longer than necessary. When she winced from a sudden movement, his thumb brushed over her knuckles, a silent reassurance. And sometimes—when she least expected it—he would lean down and press a small, fleeting kiss to her forehead.

She never said anything about it.

But she felt it.

Felt the warmth of his touch, the quiet intensity in his gaze whenever she caught him looking at her. And though she tried to act unaffected, Luca wasn’t blind to the way her breath hitched every time their eyes met, or the way her fingers clenched in the sheets when he got too close.

It was still there. The tension. The pull. The way they gravitated toward each other, even when neither of them spoke a word.

The city glowed through the penthouse windows, its golden lights stretching across the dark sky. Diamond sat on the couch, knees pulled up, gaze distant. She hadn’t said much all evening, and for once, Luca didn’t push. He just sat across from her, waiting.

Luca watched her from his seat, noticing the way her fingers picked at a loose thread on her sleeve.

“You’re too quiet,” he said finally.

Diamond let out a soft huff. “Maybe I just don’t have anything to say.”

Luca tilted his head. “Or maybe there is a lot you want to say but you don't know how to.”

She shot him a half-hearted glare but didn’t argue. Instead, she turned her gaze back to the window, watching the city lights flicker against the night sky.

A few more moments of silence stretched between them before Luca spoke again, his voice quieter this time. “What’s on your mind?”

She hesitated. He could see the way her lips pressed together, the way her fingers curled into the fabric of her sweatshirt.

Then, without looking at him, she said, “You ever feel like no matter what you do, you’ll never be enough?”

Luca didn’t answer immediately. He knew this wasn’t about him.

So he just said, “Yeah.”

Diamond exhaled, shaking her head. “That’s how it was with my parents.”

“My parents never wanted me,” she said, voice quiet but steady. “Not really.”

Luca didn’t react, didn’t interrupt. He just listened.

“They were career people. Focused. Strict. Everything was planned—except me. They didn't even bother to name me, but thanks to my granny, she named me something meaningful.” Her fingers traced the hem of her sweatshirt absently. “My parents tolerated me when I followed the rules. When I stayed quiet, studied hard, acted the way they expected. But the second I stepped outside their expectations? It was like I didn’t exist.”

Luca’s jaw tightened, but he stayed silent.

“They never understood why I loved wrestling. Why I wanted to fight.” She let out a bitter laugh. “My dad hated it. Said it was barbaric. That no respectable daughter of his would ever lower herself to something so… crude.” Her fingers curled into fists. “They told me I had a choice—give it up or leave.”

Luca already knew the answer.

“I packed my bags that night.” Her voice was raw, but her chin was high. “I thought… maybe they’d call. Maybe they’d realize they made a mistake.” She swallowed. “They never did.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then Luca spoke, voice low, steady—unshakable. “You were never the problem, Bambina.”

Diamond didn’t respond. She just stared at the city, her expression unreadable. But after a long moment, her gaze flickered toward him—something raw, something vulnerable—before she looked away.

Luca just watched her.

And for the first time, she didn’t put her walls up.