The next few days passed in a blur, each one dragging on longer than the last. I couldn't shake the weight of the conversation I had with Luca, nor could I forget Asher's words that seemed to haunt my every waking moment. The questions in my mind only grew stronger, and yet, Luca remained distant, his answers still as guarded as before.
I spent my days in the house, mostly alone. The silence was unbearable, and the walls seemed to close in on me as I wandered through each empty room, desperately searching for something—anything—that would help me make sense of the chaos inside my mind.
Luca was busy, as usual. He had meetings, phone calls, plans I didn't know about. And every time I asked about them, his answers were vague, his excuses thin. It was as if he were deliberately pulling away from me, even as he claimed to protect me.
As the days passed, I began to notice subtle changes in him. His sharp gaze, once filled with warmth, now carried an edge of something darker. His touch, once comforting, now felt more like a tether, holding me down. The distance between us had never felt wider, and yet, I couldn't seem to break free.
It was during one of those days—an afternoon so quiet that even the wind seemed to hold its breath—that I received a message. The text was short, the words simple, but they carried the weight of a thousand unspoken truths:
"Meet me at the warehouse. Midnight."
The message was from Asher.
I felt a chill race down my spine. It wasn't like Asher to be so direct, so clear. And yet, there it was. A summons I couldn't ignore. The pull of curiosity was too strong, and the need for answers—real answers—was louder than the warning bells going off in my mind.
I couldn't tell Luca. If I did, he would only stop me, cage me in once again. But deep down, I knew it wasn't just about getting answers from Asher. It was about the truth. And if there was one thing I needed more than anything, it was the truth.
That night, I made my way out of the house quietly, slipping into the shadows of the streets. The city around me seemed eerily still, the quiet almost unnatural. I wasn't sure if it was the weight of my decision or the weight of the night itself, but everything felt too heavy.
I arrived at the warehouse shortly before midnight. The structure loomed in front of me like a dark sentinel, its windows shattered, the doors ajar. A cold breeze blew through the alleyway, and I shivered as I walked inside, my footsteps echoing in the emptiness.
I didn't have to wait long.
From the shadows, Asher stepped forward, his presence consuming the space around him. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, I was once again reminded of the connection we once shared—a connection I couldn't fully recall, but that still lingered in the air between us like a ghost.
"You came," he said, his voice a mix of amusement and something darker. "I wasn't sure you would."
"Why am I here, Asher?" I asked, my voice cutting through the thick silence. "What do you want from me?"
Asher took a slow step toward me, his eyes studying me as if he were analyzing every move I made. "I told you, Veloria. You're not safe with Luca."
"I don't believe you," I said, the words sharp and defiant. "I don't trust you."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Asher's lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You will. In time."
I crossed my arms, trying to steady the rising panic in my chest. "Why did you bring me here? What's so important?"
Asher's eyes darkened, the amusement fading from his expression. "The truth, Veloria. The truth you've been running from."
He stepped closer, his voice lowering to a whisper. "You know that Luca isn't who he says he is. He's been hiding things from you. He's been keeping secrets."
"Stop," I interrupted, my breath catching in my throat. "I'm done with the games. If you're not going to tell me what I need to know, I'm leaving."
I turned to walk away, but Asher's hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with surprising strength. "You don't get to walk away from this," he said, his grip tightening. "Not until you hear the truth."
I tried to pull away, but his hold was firm, his fingers cold and unyielding. "Let go of me, Asher," I spat, fury and fear mixing in my veins.
"No," he said, his tone darker than before. "Not until you listen."
His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken promises. I couldn't pull away from the pull of his gaze, the intensity in his eyes. He wasn't just trying to break me down. He was trying to remake me.
Asher leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. "Luca isn't your protector. He's your captor."
I froze, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. "What are you talking about?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
"He's been using you, Veloria. He's been keeping you hidden from the world, keeping you controlled."
"No," I gasped, shaking my head. "That's not true."
Asher's grip tightened once more. "You think he's protecting you? You think he's keeping you safe? He's lying to you. He's been lying to you from the very start."
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. My heart was racing, my thoughts spiraling out of control. "I don't believe you."
"You will," Asher said, his voice low and cold. "You'll see the truth eventually."
And with that, he let me go.
I stood there, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I tried to collect my thoughts. Asher had given me more questions than answers, and the truth he promised seemed farther away than ever.
I turned to leave, but before I could take another step, I felt something—a presence behind me. I spun around, and there he was.
Luca.
The moment Luca stepped into the warehouse, everything seemed to shift. The air, thick with tension, seemed to freeze, the distant hum of the city outside a stark contrast to the stillness within these walls. His eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something akin to guilt flash across his face.
"Luca…" My voice was barely a whisper, my throat tight as I took a step back, heart pounding with a mixture of relief and dread. I hadn't expected him to find me here, not like this. Not after everything that had happened.
He didn't say anything at first. Instead, his gaze flickered to Asher, who stood off to the side, still watching us with that same unreadable expression.
"What's going on here, Veloria?" Luca finally spoke, his tone calm but with an underlying edge of anger I hadn't heard before. "Why are you here?"
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words wouldn't come. How could I explain? How could I tell him about the things Asher had said? The accusations, the questions that had been raised in my mind? My head was spinning, and the weight of everything pressing down on me felt suffocating.
Asher, sensing the tension, stepped forward, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Don't bother trying to protect him, Veloria. He's already lost."
I turned to face Asher, my heart racing with confusion. "What do you mean by that?" I demanded, the frustration in my voice rising. "What do you want from me?"
"Everything," Asher replied coolly, his eyes darkening. "The truth. The whole truth. I'm giving you the pieces, Veloria. All you have to do is put them together."
Luca's jaw tightened, and his hands curled into fists. "Enough, Asher," he growled, stepping forward with purpose. "Stay out of this."
But Asher wasn't fazed. "I'm not the one keeping secrets, Luca," he shot back, his voice dripping with venom. "You are."
The words hung in the air like a storm cloud, and I could feel the tension between them crackling. It was as if the entire world had narrowed down to this moment—the confrontation, the unspoken truth.
Luca turned back to me, his expression softer now, though there was still a dangerous edge to his demeanor. "Veloria," he said quietly, his voice softer than it had been in days. "I'm not hiding anything from you."
But I couldn't believe him. Not anymore. Not after everything Asher had said.
"You're lying," I said, the words coming out more forcefully than I intended. "You're hiding something from me, Luca. I don't know what it is, but I know you're not being honest with me."
Luca's eyes flashed, a flicker of something dark passing through them. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice rough, though his tone remained calm. "You're confused, Veloria. Asher's manipulating you."
I shook my head, my mind racing. "No. I'm not confused. I'm not the one hiding things."
A long silence stretched between us, the weight of our words hanging in the air. Finally, Luca sighed, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had settled onto him.
"I never wanted this for you," he said quietly. "I never wanted you to get involved in this world. But now that you're here, it's too late."
I felt my breath catch in my throat. "What do you mean, too late?"
Luca hesitated, his eyes dark with something I couldn't quite place. "There are things you don't understand, Veloria. Things I've been trying to protect you from."
"Protect me from what?" I asked, stepping closer, desperation creeping into my voice. "I'm tired of being kept in the dark, Luca. Tell me the truth."
Luca's eyes searched mine, as if looking for something—an answer, a sign that I could handle the truth. Finally, he spoke, his voice low.
"The truth is… you were never supposed to remember."
The words hit me like a punch to the stomach, and I took a step back, my mind spinning. "What do you mean?"
Luca ran a hand through his hair, looking away for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. "You were part of something much bigger than you realize, Veloria. A family. A legacy."
I frowned, confused. "A family? What do you mean?"
"The mob," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "The people I work for. The people I've been trying to protect you from."
The air around me seemed to crackle with tension, and for the first time, I felt truly afraid. I took a shaky breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "You're saying I'm part of the mafia? That's insane. I don't remember any of this."
Luca's eyes softened, his expression pained. "You were involved in a lot of things before you lost your memory. But after the accident, I… I had to make sure you stayed safe. The less you remembered, the better."
I felt the room spin around me. "What accident? What are you talking about?"
Luca swallowed hard, his gaze avoiding mine. "You were in a car accident a year ago. You lost everything, Veloria. Your memories, your past… and you were left with nothing. I thought it was better that way."
I shook my head in disbelief. "So, you erased everything? You kept me locked away for my own good?"
"No," he said quickly, his voice low and pained. "I didn't erase anything. But the people who want you gone? They don't care what you remember. They just want you dead."
I gasped, the blood draining from my face. "Dead? Who?"
Luca's jaw clenched, and he looked away again, as if the weight of his words was too much to bear. "It doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you stay safe. Stay away from Asher."
I turned back to Asher, my heart pounding in my chest. "What is all of this? What do you want from me?"
Asher smiled, the look in his eyes cold and calculating. "I'm just trying to help, Veloria. All I want is for you to remember what they've stolen from you. And once you do… everything will change."