Luca's POV

Luca hummed softly as he stirred the pot, the rich aroma of spices filling the kitchen. He had just gotten back from university, exhausted but determined to cook something decent for once-especially since Ava had demanded it the moment he walked through the door.

The little menace sat on the counter, swinging her legs as she watched him with a mischievous grin.

"You're such a housewife, Luca," she teased, resting her chin on her hands.

Luca shot her a glare. "I swear, I don't know where you get that mouth from."

Ava smirked. "Definitely not from papa. He barely talks to anyone except you. And even then, it's mostly threats."

Luca snorted, rolling his eyes. Accurate.

He went back to chopping vegetables, ignoring Ava's giggles. The house was peaceful-Damien was stuck in meetings, handling whatever bloody mafia business he had going on today, so Luca had the place to himself.

But the peace didn't last.

Because then she walked in.

Ava was the first to notice. Her smile froze as she turned toward the doorway.

Luca followed her gaze, and his grip on the knife tightened.

A woman stood there.

Tall. Sexy. Dressed in a sleek red dress that clung to her curves like a second skin. She was beautiful in a dangerous way-long hair cascading over her shoulder, sharp red lips curled into a smirk, and eyes that gleamed with something unreadable.

And she was looking for Damien.

Luca's stomach twisted.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, voice sharper than intended.

The woman smiled. "Relax, sweetheart." Her voice was sultry, smooth. "I'm just here to see Damien."

Sweetheart?

Ava immediately turned to Luca, eyes wide and delighted. Oh, she was going to be a menace about this later.

Luca crossed his arms, blocking the kitchen entrance. "He's busy."

The woman's smirk widened. "I don't mind waiting." She stepped closer, slow and calculated, like she knew exactly what kind of reaction she wanted. "Are you his... assistant?"

Luca's eye twitched.

Ava snorted.

"His lover," Luca corrected flatly.

The woman tilted her head, as if amused. "Oh?" She ran a finger down the marble counter, her nails too perfect. "I didn't know Damien had such... a delicate taste."

Ava wheeze-laughed.

Luca scowled, resisting the urge to throw a carrot at her.

"Who even are you?" he snapped, annoyance building.

The woman sighed dramatically. "Allisa."

The name meant nothing to him.

But the way she carried herself? The way she was acting like she belonged here?

She was bad news.

And Luca wasn't letting her near Damien.

****** Damien's POV

Damien was in the middle of a meeting-one that involved millions of dollars and men who would slit throats for a single misstep-when his phone vibrated.

Normally, he ignored calls during business, but when he saw Ava's name flashing, he picked up instantly.

"What?" he said lowly, barely above a growl.

Ava's conspiratorial whisper came through. "Papa, you need to come home. Fast."

Damien's brows furrowed. "What happened?"

Ava giggled. "Luca is mad."

Damien leaned back in his chair, suddenly intrigued. "Oh?"

"Like, super mad," Ava emphasized. "I think he's jealous."

Damien's fingers tightened around his glass. "Jealous?"

"Uh-huh. There's some woman in the house, and Luca looks like he's gonna kill her."

His grip snapped the glass in half.

The room went silent. The men around the table stiffened, watching their boss with wary eyes as wine and glass shards dripped from his fingers.

Damien exhaled slowly.

"I'll be there," he said darkly.

Ava giggled again. "Hurry, or you're gonna regret it." Then she hung up.

Damien pushed back his chair and stood.

"Meeting's over," he announced coldly.

"But, sir-" one of his men started.

Damien shot him a look.

The man shut up.

Without another word, Damien grabbed his coat, eyes burning with something dangerous.

If someone made Luca jealous enough to be angry-

Then that someone was about to have a very, very bad night.

******

The moment Damien stepped into the house, the scent of dinner-Luca's cooking-filled his nose. But he barely registered it.

Because the second he walked in, a woman rushed toward him.

"Allisa." His voice was flat.

She smiled sweetly, pressing herself against him. "Damien, it's been so long," she purred, reaching for his chest.

He didn't react. Didn't move.

But from the corner of his eye, he saw Luca.

Standing near the kitchen, arms crossed, jaw clenched, and eyes burning.

Jealous.

Furious.

Ava, standing next to him, muffled a giggle.

"I came to see you," Allisa continued, ignoring the tension in the air. "You disappeared after we had so much... fun together."

Luca's grip tightened on the kitchen counter.

Damien exhaled. "You shouldn't have. I don't fuck same thing twice."

She pouted. "Come on, you missed me, didn't you?" Her fingers trailed up his arm, eyes full of seductive intent.

Luca's knuckles went white.

Damien finally moved.

He grabbed Allisa's wrist, twisted it back just enough to make her whimper, and shoved her away.

She gasped, stumbling back.

His voice was ice. "Don't touch me."

She blinked in shock. "Damien, I-"

"I don't care."

Her face fell. "But we-"

"Luca is my lover. I don't care about you sluts ."

The room went silent.

Luca's breath hitched.

Allisa froze.

Damien stepped toward Luca, eyes locked onto his, owning him with a single look.

"My only wife," Damien continued, voice deep, dangerous, possessive.

Then, without hesitation, he grabbed Luca's jaw, tilted his face up, and kissed him.

Not just any kiss.

A claiming kiss.

A kiss that said: This is mine. No one else touches him.

Luca melted, but his hands clutched Damien's jacket angrily as if still pissed.

Good.

When Damien finally pulled away, he turned to Allisa.

She looked humiliated.

"You're embarrassing yourself," Damien said flatly. "Leave. Now."

Her expression twisted in anger. "You'd throw me away for him?" She spat the word like venom.

Damien smirked. "I'd throw the whole world away for him."

Luca's breath caught.

**** Luca's POV

The second Allisa turned toward the door, Luca thought it was over.

That she would finally leave.

But she stopped.

Turned back around.

And smirked.

"Jealous, are we?" she purred, arms crossing under her chest. "I can see why. Damien and I have a history. He used to be all over me."

Luca's eye twitched.

Ava gasped dramatically and grabbed some popcorn from the counter, munching eagerly.

Damien? He just leaned back, amused, waiting for the storm to come.

Luca snapped.

"You desperate, washed-up, plastic-faced-" He inhaled sharply, hands clenching into fists. "Listen to me, you pathetic excuse of a human being. Damien doesn't want you. Never did, never will. He's MINE. He wouldn't touch you if you were the last woman on earth."

Allisa's smirk dropped.

Luca stepped forward, rage burning in his veins. "You think you're so important? You're nothing. A memory he probably regrets. You coming here thinking you stand a chance? That's just pathetic."

Damien let out a low chuckle.

Allisa flushed with rage. "You little-"

That was it.

Damien grabbed her by the collar, spun her around, and threw her out the door.

Literally.

She stumbled, almost falling, before turning back, face twisted in rage. "You-"

Slam.

Damien shut the door in her face.

Silence.

Then-

Ava howled with laughter. "Papa threw her like trash!"

Luca was still fuming.

Damien turned to him, smirking. "That was hot baby. My little angel angry? "

Luca glared. "Shut up."

Ava giggled. "Papa, why was Luca so jealous?"

Luca's face burned. "I wasn't-"

Damien grabbed his chin, tilting his face up. "You were."

"I-"

"You wanted to rip her apart, didn't you?" Damien teased, lips brushing against Luca's ear. "You wanted to make it clear I'm yours, hmm?"

Luca's heart pounded.

Ava clapped. "Papa, say it! Say he's yours!"

Luca groaned and covered his face.

Damien laughed. "Oh, he knows he's mine."

Ava grinned. "Then can I tell my whole class Luca is Mama now?"

Luca: "...WHAT?"

Ava burst out laughing.

"Papa said you're his wife!" She clapped her hands, delighted.

Luca turned red. "I am NOT his wife!"

Damien just smirked, grabbing his waist possessively.

"Debatable."

********