Chapter 21: Torn Thoughts and Sleepless Nights
In another corner of the mansion, far from Luca's world of war and power, Janet lay quietly on her bed, staring at the book open in her lap.
But her eyes weren't on the pages. Not really.
Her thoughts had drifted again—back to him.
To last night.
To that moment… that kiss… that confession.
Luca. The man she barely knew. The man she thought was cold and cruel. And yet, he was the same fat boy she had once defended in school. The same boy who used to sit alone, too shy to speak. Whom she had smiled at, just once… and he remembered it like a carved memory in stone.
He had changed everything about himself.
For her.
She placed the book aside and sighed deeply. The air felt heavy. Too heavy.
Her fingers brushed across her lips instinctively.
How could he remember her… when even she had forgotten him?
She switched off the lamp, pulled the blanket close, and slowly sank into the warmth of sleep.
But her dreams… they were anything but warm.