Chapter 24

Luca stood in the quiet villa, his thoughts tangled. He kept replaying Dominic’s words from the night before. “I promised her.” Promised what? It gnawed at him until the memory surfaced, Solane, standing before Dominic with fire in her eyes, demanding trust and equality if she was to stay under his protection. Luca exhaled sharply, shaking his head. Trust. Equality. From Dominic Volkov? It was almost unthinkable. And yet… here they were. Morning light spilled through the tall windows when Jeremy padded down the stairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He paused at the sight of Luca still waiting in the living room, stiff and alert. “Uh…” Jeremy fidgeted, looking around. “Where’s my uncle?” Luca’s tone softened, unusual for him. “He’s still sleeping.” Jeremy blinked, his eyes going wide as saucers. “Uncle… sleeping?!” He stared like Luca had just told him the moon fell out of the sky. Luca almost smiled at the boy’s shock but kept his face straight. Jeremy stepped closer, lowering his voice