Chapter 4 - Unlikely Allies
The next morning, the estate was bathed in pale winter sunlight. Ruby woke up to find Caesar sprawled across the bottom half of her bed, his heavy snoring vibrating through the mattress. For the first time in eighteen hours, her anxiety felt manageable.
After changing into clean clothes provided by the household staff—a soft knit sweater and trousers that fit her surprisingly well—she ventured out into the main hallway. Caesar immediately trotted at her heels, a constant, gray shadow.
She followed the smell of rich coffee down a grand spiral staircase and into a massive kitchen. Several chefs in white coats froze when she walked in.
"Morning," Ruby said casually, heading straight for the espresso machine.
"Ma'am!" a young chef stammered. "You shouldn't be down here. Mr. Marchetti’s orders were for breakfast to be served in your room."
"I like making my own coffee," Ruby said, grabbing a mug. "And please, call me Ruby."
At the corner of the kitchen, sitting on a velvet cushion near the industrial stoves, was Barnaby—her chubby orange tabby cat. The cat was currently eating from a silver dish while two terrifyingly large, suit-wearing guards looked on with soft, terrified expressions.
"He... he hissed at Vinnie," one guard whispered to Ruby. "We didn't want to anger him."
Ruby couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. The sound was bright, warm, and musical, filling the cold, sterile kitchen.
Standing in the doorway, unseen by anyone, Luca stood listening. He had never heard laughter like that in this house. The Marchetti estate was built on silence, hushed whispers, and tactical orders. Ruby’s laugh sounded like sunshine breaking through a fog.
Luca stepped into the kitchen. The staff instantly straightened up, tension rising again.
"Good morning, Ruby," Luca said, his eyes tracing the line of her warm smile before she caught herself and neutralized her expression.
"Mr. Marchetti," she said formally.
"Luca. Please," he said, walking over to pour himself a cup of coffee. He nodded toward Caesar, who was currently lying at Ruby’s feet, sniffing Barnaby cautiously. The cat gave Caesar a lazy tap on the nose with one paw, and the giant cane corso simply sneezed and lay down. "It seems your cat has taken over my kitchen."
"Barnaby is a dictator. He fits right in here," Ruby said smoothly, taking a sip of her coffee.
Luca raised an eyebrow. "Is that a shot at me?"
"If the shoe fits."
Marco entered the kitchen rapidly, holding an encrypted tablet. His face was pale. "Luca. We have a situation. Valenti just released a statement through his legal team. He’s claiming you kidnapped a local business owner—Miss Hart—and destroyed her clinic. He's trying to force the FBI to raid our shipping docks under the guise of a rescue operation."
Ruby dropped her mug. It shattered against the tile floor.
Luca didn't flinch at the sound of breaking ceramic. His eyes darkened into two pools of black ice. "He's using public law enforcement as his clean-up crew."
"If the FBI raids the docks today, the shipment from Naples is seized," Marco insisted, panic creeping into his hardened voice. "We lose eighty million dollars, and our political coverage vanishes."
"They're using me," Ruby said, her hands shaking as she looked at Luca. "They're using my name to destroy you."
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Luca looked at her—at her fear, at the genuine guilt shining in her eyes. She hadn't asked for any of this, yet she felt responsible.
"They are trying to use you," Luca corrected softly, stepping over the shattered coffee mug to stand right in front of her. He reached out, his thumb gently catching a tear that had escaped her eye. His touch was shockingly gentle for a man whose hands carried so much death. "But they don't know who you are. And they certainly don't know who you're standing with."
