Andre had seen Mel rush out of the party, her steps uneven—like she was fleeing something. Confusion knotted his brows; he had only left her for a moment to grab drinks. He excused himself from his friends and hurried after her.
"Hey, Lucy," he called, catching up to her just outside the house. "What's wrong?" His voice was low, filled with concern.
"I… I just couldn't stand what I saw," she choked out, wiping at her tears with trembling fingers. "And the alcohol, the colognes—everything just came rushing into my head. I hate this party. I want to go home."
She didn't realize that behind her, a sleek black car had just pulled into the compound. The owner of the house had arrived—and that owner happened to be non other than Lucas.
Andre placed a steadying hand on her shoulder just as Valentino and Kelvin rushed out to join them.
"Lucy, are you okay?" Valentino asked gently.
"I'm fine," she whispered, though her voice betrayed her. "I just saw something… horrifying. And I hate alcohol—it makes me lose control."
"It really does, Isabella," a cold, familiar voice cut in.
Mel froze. Her blood ran cold. She turned slowly, and there he was—Lucas—standing under the porch light, eyes burning with recognition and fury. She had barely spent two months in this city… and he had found her.
"Lucas…" she breathed, barely audible.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, though deep down she already knew the answer.
He stepped closer, jaw tight. "Why did you run away, Belly? From us—your family, your friends…" his voice darkened, "and most especially, me."
Kelvin, Andre, and Valentino exchanged looks, completely lost.
They all turned to Mel at once.
"Lucy… who is he?" they asked in unison, voices edged with worry and suspicion.
---
Mel did not want to talk to Lucas. Every word he spoke made her chest tighten. Without looking at him again, she turned back toward the party.
I am better off at the party than with him, she thought.
She reached for Andre, hoping to slip back inside with her friends. But before she could take another step, Lucas grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from Andre.
"Why don't you tell them," Lucas said sharply, "why you're really here?"
Mel struggled, trying to pull free from his grip. "Let me go," she whispered, panic rising in her voice.
Andre and Valentino moved closer, trying to pull her away from him, but Lucas suddenly reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. He pressed it against Kelvin's head when Kelvin stepped forward.
"Don't move," Lucas warned coldly.
Everyone froze.
Andre raised his hands slowly, trying to stay calm. "Guy, relax," he said carefully. "Let her go. There's no need for this."
Mel's heart was racing. She looked at her friends, fear written all over her face. "Guys, you can leave," she said quickly. "I'll just go in with him—to avoid trouble."
Valentino shook his head, his thick accent heavy with worry. "Are you sure you are okay with this dude? He is not safe."
Lucas snapped at him, his eyes dark. "She said she's fine. Now move."
---
Mel walked into the house with Lucas after her friends slowly headed back toward the party. They didn't go far. Instead, they stayed outside, pretending to blend in while carefully watching Lucas's house from across the compound—ready to alert the others if anything went wrong.
Outside, Andre, Kelvin, and Valentino exchanged uneasy looks.
"This is not Brazil for nothing," one of them muttered, the words carrying a shared meaning—danger was never far, and they all knew it.
Inside the house, Lucas pulled Mel closer to him until there was barely any space between them. Their faces were only inches apart. Her breath caught as she looked at him.
Her mind screamed at her to step away, to remember why she ran. But her heart betrayed her. He looked stunning—breathtaking in a way that still had power over her. The familiar scent of him filled her senses, and for a moment, everything else faded.
No, she told herself. Don't fall for this again.
"Mi amore," Lucas said softly, his voice low and intimate. "Why did you leave Italy without giving me a chance to fix everything?"
Mel swallowed hard, torn between the past that hurt her and the man standing so close, still capable of making her heart melt.
---
"I messed up from the very beginning," Lucas said, his voice low and shaking. "From the moment I stabbed you five years ago."
Mel's breath hitched.
"Isabella," he continued softly, "you mean everything to me. You always have."
He swallowed hard. "You are my muse… my obsession… the light in my messed-up life. When you're around, my whole world makes sense. I can't live without you, little one."
Mel shook her head, tears blurring her vision. "Lucas… you don't get to say that," she whispered. "You almost killed me."
"I know," he said quickly. "And I will carry that guilt for the rest of my life."
He lifted his hand slowly, giving her time to pull away. When she didn't, his fingers brushed her cheek. His eyes searched hers desperately, begging for even the smallest sign of forgiveness.
"Five years ago," he went on, "during your brother's birthday party… I was told I would be assassinated that night. They gave me details—what the assassin would look like, the dress she would wear."
Mel's tears fell freely now.
"I had only been gone for a year," Lucas said. "I left because I needed to prove something. I needed my father to see I was worthy of becoming Don." His jaw tightened. "But he had already chosen my brother."
"Armando," Mel whispered.
"Yes," Lucas said bitterly. "He saw me as a threat. As competition. He wanted me gone."
He moved closer, his voice breaking.
"I swear to you, little one, I came to that party to surprise you. I wanted to hold you. I wanted you to know I was back."
He stopped talking when he noticed her shoulders shaking.
"Isabella…" he said gently. "I searched for you everywhere that night. When I finally saw someone who looked like you, I hugged her from behind."
His eyes darkened with pain.
"That's when I was stabbed in the chest."
Mel gasped softly.
"The woman I hugged was the assassin," he continued. "My information was wrong. She had disguised herself as you."
Lucas closed his eyes.
"I pushed her away as the shooting started. Explosions everywhere. I tried to get out… and then I saw you in the main hall."
Mel's voice trembled. "I remember…"
"You protected me from a gunshot," Lucas said, tears filling his eyes. "And I didn't even realize it was you."
His voice broke completely.
"The knife the assassin used was still in my chest. In the chaos… I thought you were her."
Mel covered her mouth, sobbing.
"I stabbed you," he whispered. "Thinking you were trying to kill me. I had no idea it was you… no idea I was hurting the woman I love."
He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, barely audible.
"I realized too late what I had done. I regret it every single day." He looked at her, shattered. "If I could go back in time, amore… I would change everything."
Mel stood there, crying quietly—caught between the man she once loved and the wound that never truly healed.