***** The tension between Damien and Luca escalated, but a new force entered the game. A figure from Damien’s past—Mikhail Sokolov—emerged from the shadows, his presence dripping with malice. Mikhail was a man of legend in the underworld, a ruthless crime lord with a reputation so dark even Damien respected his cruelty.

He was tall, with slick black hair and eyes like frozen steel. A deep scar ran down his cheek, a souvenir from a past betrayal. Unlike Damien, Mikhail found joy in others' suffering, and he had his eyes set on Luca—not for affection, but for destruction.

Damien felt the threat immediately. Mikhail wasn’t a man who played fair, and his sudden interest in Luca meant trouble... Mikhail’s voice was smooth, deceptively charming, but there was something dangerous lurking beneath his words.

***** Sometime earlier

Luca had been planning his escape for weeks, meticulously studying the guards' shifts and the layout of the estate. Every second Damien was away was an opportunity, every blind spot a chance. That night, under the cover of darkness, he finally made his move. His heart pounded against his ribs as he slipped through the corridors, past the heavy mahogany doors, and into the cold night air. The main gates were too risky, but he had discovered a servant’s exit near the back gardens.

He had barely taken three steps before a firm hand clamped around his arm. Luca let out a startled gasp as one of Damien’s most trusted guards yanked him back. His struggles were futile against the man’s iron grip. "You really thought you could get away?" the guard sneered before dragging him forcefully back inside.

Luca was thrown onto the leather couch in Damien’s office, his breath ragged from the failed escape. The room smelled of cigar smoke and expensive cologne, the dim lighting casting deep shadows across the walls. And then he saw him. A man sat across from Damien, an unfamiliar presence exuding quiet menace. Mikhail Volkov.

Mikhail’s icy blue eyes flickered toward Luca, scanning him in a way that made his stomach twist. Damien, seated behind his massive desk, stiffened instantly. His grip on the glass of whiskey tightened, knuckles turning white. The room dropped several degrees in temperature.

"Who is this?" Mikhail asked, voice smooth but laced with something dangerous.

Damien didn’t answer. Instead, he rose slowly from his chair, his movements measured and deliberate. In a flash, the whiskey glass shattered against the wall, its fragments scattering like splintered ice. He stormed over, grabbing Luca by the chin , tilting his face up, forcing their eyes to meet. The barely contained fury in Damien’s gaze made Luca’s breath hitch.

"Mine," Damien growled. "Don’t look at him."

Mikhail chuckled darkly, leaning back, amusement flickering in his sharp gaze. "Relax, Volkov. I was merely admiring your taste."

**** Luca's POV

Luca’s fingers trembled slightly as he sat in the leather chair, the heavy atmosphere of Damien’s office suffocating him. He had been caught—his escape attempt thwarted before he could even reach the perimeter. Damien’s men had dragged him back, but instead of being taken to his room, he was shoved into the presence of a stranger.

Mikhail Sokolov.

The name alone was enough to send shivers down Luca’s spine. He had heard of him—a man whose cruelty was whispered in the underground, a smuggler, a trafficker, a ghost that haunted crime syndicates worldwide. And now, here he was, standing just feet away from him.

Mikhail leaned back against Damien’s desk, arms crossed as a slow, amused smirk played on his lips. His icy blue eyes swept over Luca, taking in every detail with unsettling interest.

"So, you’re the little treasure Damien’s been hiding," Mikhail mused, his voice rich with amusement. "Luca, isn’t it?"

Luca hesitated, his throat dry. His instinct screamed at him not to respond, but under the weight of Mikhail’s scrutiny, he swallowed hard and gave a small nod. "Yes."

Mikhail chuckled, low and taunting. "I know your family. Respected, aren’t they? Your father and mother, esteemed doctors, your dear sister—Officer Valarie Ivanov." His grin widened when Luca stiffened. "She causes quite the trouble for my operations. A persistent little thing. Always meddling."

Luca’s stomach twisted. Valarie had always been vocal about her fight against crime, her determination to dismantle organizations like Damien’s, like Mikhail’s. He had always feared that her crusade would put her in danger. And now, hearing Mikhail mention her so casually made his blood run cold.

"What a predicament," Mikhail continued, his voice almost mocking. "A pretty little lawyer caught between criminals. Tell me, Luca, does your family know what kind of life you’ve been dragged into? Or are you still playing the obedient son in their eyes?"

Luca clenched his jaw, fists tightening in his lap. He felt sick, humiliated, trapped.

Mikhail’s gaze darkened as he leaned in slightly, his smirk turning sharp. "You intrigue me, you know? Damien’s never been the type to get… possessive. But with you? He’s turned into quite the territorial beast." His fingers brushed against the armrest of Luca’s chair, his voice dropping to a silky whisper. "Tell me, little one, does he let you breathe? Or does he keep you on a leash like a good little pet?"

Before Luca could recoil, a low growl echoed through the office. Damien.

Luca barely had time to react before the air shifted, and in a flash, Damien was on his feet, his presence looming, suffocating. His dark eyes blazed with unrestrained fury, his jaw clenched so tight that it looked like he could shatter his own teeth.

"Watch your mouth, Mikhail." Damien’s voice was dangerously quiet, the kind of quiet that signaled the storm before the bloodshed. "You’re pushing your luck."

Mikhail chuckled, clearly entertained by Damien’s reaction. "Oh, come now, Damien. No need to get so worked up. I was only having a conversation with your little—" That was all it took. Damien lunged. One moment he was standing, the next he had Mikhail by the collar, slamming him back against the desk. The room exploded into chaos, the guards tensing, waiting for Damien’s command.

Luca watched in stunned silence, his heart racing. He had never seen Damien this unhinged before—not when punishing his enemies, not even when Luca himself had defied him. This was something different. Something deeper. A primal, uncontrollable rage that made his blood run cold.

"If you so much as breathe in his direction again, I’ll rip out your throat," Damien snarled, his voice pure venom.

Mikhail smirked despite the deadly grip. "Noted."

Luca swallowed hard. Escape was no longer an option. Not when he had unknowingly awakened something far more terrifying within Damien Volkov.

A crack split the air as Damien’s fist collided with Mikhail’s jaw, the sheer force sending him staggering back against the desk. The room went silent. Mikhail’s men tensed, hands twitching toward their weapons, but one sharp look from Damien’s guards had them halting.

Mikhail straightened, rubbing his jaw with his gloved fingers before letting out a low laugh. "There’s that famous temper of yours," he mused, his voice laced with something almost like admiration. "I must say, I’ve missed this."

Damien didn’t respond. His entire body radiated lethal intent, his hands flexing as if fighting the urge to do more damage. Luca had never seen him like this—this close to snapping, this utterly consumed by fury. “Such a delicate thing,” Mikhail murmured, circling Luca like a predator. “Are you sure you can keep him safe, Damien? You never were good at protecting what’s yours.”

A deadly silence followed, Damien’s fury simmering beneath his cold gaze. Mikhail’s presence would change everything, and Luca was caught in the middle of a war far more sinister than he had ever imagined.

Then, suddenly, Damien’s cold gaze shifted to Luca, and the intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down Luca’s spine. Without warning, Damien grabbed Luca’s wrist, yanking him to his feet. His grip was firm, almost bruising, but there was something else in it too. Possession.

"We’re leaving," Damien growled, his voice edged with finality. "Now."

Luca barely had time to process before he was being dragged out of the office, Damien’s fury a storm that threatened to consume them both. He didn’t dare look back at Mikhail, but he could feel the weight of his stare burning into his back.

And as the doors slammed shut behind them, Luca realized one terrifying truth—this wasn’t over.

Not even close.

******