Luca sat stiffly in the grand dining hall, his hands clenched into fists in his lap. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with unspoken words and underlying threats. Across from him, perched with a poised elegance that only came from a life of power and privilege, sat Damien's wife.

Natalya Volkov.

She was beautiful, in a sharp, untouchable way-high cheekbones, ice-blue eyes, and full lips painted a deep red. Her black silk dress hugged her form, a diamond necklace glittering around her throat like a collar. She radiated authority, the kind that came from knowing her place in a world ruled by monsters.

And now, she was studying him.

"So," she finally said, taking a slow sip from her glass of wine, "you're the boy my husband has become infatuated with."

Luca's jaw tensed. "I didn't ask for this."

Natalya smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Oh, I'm sure you didn't." She tilted her head, regarding him with the same detached interest one might give a new pet. "But here you are. In my home. At my table."

Luca felt a cold chill crawl down his spine. Damien had told him little about his wife, but he had assumed she was just another victim of circumstance-trapped, much like him. But now, looking at her, he wasn't so sure.

"You must hate me," he said quietly.

She let out a soft, melodic laugh. "Hate you?" She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "No, darling. You're nothing to me."

Her words stung more than he expected.

She continued, her voice smooth as silk. "I've been married to Damien for over fifteen years. I know what kind of man he is. I know his appetites." She swirled the wine in her glass. "You're just another... distraction. Something new. Something fragile."

Luca swallowed. He didn't know what to say to that.

Her eyes darkened. "But don't mistake my disinterest for weakness. I don't care about Damien's playthings, but if you ever try to take something that belongs to me-my status, my children, my position-"

Her manicured nails tapped against the table, the sound soft but menacing. "I will end you."

Luca stared at her, his pulse hammering. He had walked into this conversation thinking she might be an ally. A possible lifeline in the nightmare Damien had thrown him into.

But Natalya Volkov was not his savior.

She was a different kind of monster altogether.

-----------

Luca sat in the dimly lit study, the tension in the air thick enough to suffocate him. The conversation with Natalya still echoed in his mind, her warning laced with ice-cold precision. He had hoped—foolishly—that she would be a hidden ally, but all he had found was another predator circling him like prey.

He barely had time to process the weight of her words before the door creaked open. The heavy footsteps that followed were unmistakable.

Damien.

Luca's body tensed as the Russian mafia king strode into the room, his tailored suit clinging to him like a second skin. His eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto Luca with the intensity of a beast that had just cornered its next meal.

"I see my wife had a little chat with you," Damien murmured, removing his gloves and flexing his fingers. His rings caught the dim light, gleaming like talons.

Luca swallowed. He refused to cower. "She made it very clear that she doesn’t care about me. That I’m just… temporary."

Damien chuckled, a deep, unsettling sound. "Did she? And what do you think?"

Luca hesitated. "I think she hates me. But not because she loves you. Because I’m disrupting her perfect world."

Damien smirked, his head tilting as he closed the distance between them in slow, deliberate steps. "And what makes you think I’ll ever let you go?"

Luca's breath hitched as Damien knelt in front of him, his gloved hand reaching out to trace along Luca’s jawline. The contrast between the cold leather and the warmth of his skin sent a shiver down Luca’s spine.

"You misunderstand something, dorogoy,” Damien whispered. “You aren’t here because I need another distraction. You aren’t here because I’m bored." His grip tightened, forcing Luca to look him directly in the eyes. "You’re here because I chose you. And when I choose something, I do not share. I do not lose. And I never let go."

Luca’s pulse pounded in his ears. "You say that like I’m some kind of trophy."

Damien’s lips curled into something predatory. "No. A trophy is put on display for others to see. You? You are mine to keep. To lock away. To make sure no one else lays their hands on you."

Luca felt like the walls were closing in around him. "That’s not love. That’s obsession."

Damien’s thumb brushed over his lower lip, his expression darkening. "Then consider yourself the most cherished obsession I’ve ever had."

Before Luca could respond, Damien stood and turned toward the door. "Come. I have something to show you."

Luca hesitated before following, his heart hammering as Damien led him down a series of winding hallways deep into the mansion. When they finally stopped, Damien pushed open a door, revealing a room so shocking that Luca's breath caught in his throat.

It was filled with photographs. Of him.

Stacks of surveillance images lined the walls, every moment of his life before Damien meticulously captured—walking to class, sitting in cafés, even sleeping in his own bed. Clothes of his were neatly folded on a glass table. His old belongings—things he hadn’t even noticed were missing—were carefully arranged in display cases, as though they belonged in a museum.

Luca staggered back. "What… what is this?"

Damien stepped in front of him, his large frame blocking the doorway. His voice was low, unyielding. "Proof. That you’ve always been mine."

Luca's knees nearly gave out. His world was unraveling. And Damien? Damien was only getting started ----------- Luca's breathing was uneven as he stood frozen in the doorway, his gaze locked onto the overwhelming evidence of Damien’s obsession. The room was suffocating. Shelves lined with photographs, personal belongings he hadn’t realized were missing, even a case with his broken watch—the one he lost months ago—carefully preserved like some kind of twisted relic.

"You... you've been watching me for how long?" Luca's voice was hoarse, his stomach twisting.

Damien stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "Since the moment I laid eyes on you."

Luca’s pulse pounded. "That’s not normal. That’s sick."

Damien let out a low chuckle, unbothered. "You say that, and yet, here you are. In my home. Wearing the clothes I picked for you. Living under my protection. Tell me, Luca—if it’s so sick, why do you keep playing the part of something that belongs to me?"

Luca clenched his fists, his anger and fear battling for control. "Because you gave me no choice."

Damien's expression darkened. "There’s always a choice, dorogoy. You could have fought harder. You could have run. But you didn’t. Do you want to know why?"

Luca swallowed hard, his throat dry.

Damien took another step forward, his gloved fingers brushing over Luca’s cheek, almost reverent. "Because deep down, you know this is where you belong. Because no one else in this world will ever be able to protect you the way I do. And you like that."

Luca jerked away, his breathing ragged. "You’re insane."

Damien smirked, unfazed. "You keep calling me that. But tell me, Luca, how insane is it that I am the only one who sees you? The only one who knows your every move, your every thought, your every fear? Who else has worshipped you like this? Who else has killed for you?"

Luca's blood ran cold. "Killed?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Damien sighed, as if disappointed by Luca’s naivety. "Did you think your little girlfriend’s murder was a coincidence? Did you think I would let anyone else lay claim to what is mine?"

Luca’s stomach lurched. The air in the room felt heavy, suffocating. He had suspected, of course, but hearing Damien confirm it—so casually, so cruelly—made him feel like he was spiraling into an abyss with no escape.

He backed away, his knees hitting the edge of a table, sending a framed photo of himself crashing to the floor. Glass shattered around his feet, a perfect reflection of the way his world had just fractured beyond repair.

Damien watched him with something unreadable in his dark eyes before stepping forward, closing the distance once more. He reached out, gripping Luca’s chin with firm fingers, tilting his head up until their eyes met.

"You’re mine, Luca. And now, you understand just how far I will go to keep you."

Luca’s heart slammed against his ribs, his body trembling.

There was no escape.

And Damien knew it.