Lina spent the rest of the day keeping her head down.
There was a lot of paperwork, but that was nothing new. As secretary to one of Navarro's most trusted, she'd been trained to handle the grunt work, the unseen hours spent sorting through reports, balancing financials, and preparing speeches. She'd expected to do the same here.
But something felt off.
Every report she read, every file she opened, felt like it was part of a larger puzzle. Information that wasn't meant for her, but that she could use.
By late afternoon, she knew why.
She wasn't just a secretary. She was Luca's spy.
Or at least, that's how everyone seemed to see her.
She could feel their eyes on her every time she stepped into the room. She could hear the whispers between coworkers about her past and her supposed loyalties. It made her stomach turn, but it also sparked a strange kind of thrill.
They weren't sure of her. She loved that.
Luca hadn't given her much to go on. He'd barely spoken to her since that morning, only brief interactions, all calculated, all cold.
She was beginning to see how his mind worked.
Everything was a test. A game.
She was just a pawn in it.
But there was one thing she knew for sure — she wasn't just here to be a secretary. Not anymore.
As the day turned to night, she received a message on her phone. It was from Luca.
Meet me in the conference room at 7.
Her heart skipped. There was no explanation. Just that one sentence. She knew better than to ignore it. This was no casual meeting.
By 7:00, she was standing in front of the sleek, dark wooden doors of the conference room.
She hesitated for a moment before opening it.
Luca stood by the window, his silhouette framed against the city lights below. The room smelled faintly of leather and cigars. The atmosphere felt heavy. Dangerous.
He turned when he heard the door click shut. "Come in," he said, his voice low, commanding.
Lina didn't waste time walking to the center of the room. "What's this about?"
"You know why you're here," he said simply, taking a step toward her.
"Do I?" She crossed her arms, raising a brow, watching him closely. She wasn't afraid, not anymore.
"Don't play coy," Luca said, walking toward the large mahogany table at the center of the room. He grabbed a file and slid it toward her. "This is a list of people you'll be handling from now on. Contractors, suppliers, confidential partners. Some of them are crucial to our business. Some of them are just stepping stones."
Lina took the file but didn't open it. Her gaze stayed on Luca. "I'm handling them?"
"You," he repeated, his voice carrying the weight of his decision. "You're the one who's been tasked with building relationships, making sure no one crosses me."
Her lips curled into a small smile. "So, I'm a glorified go-between?"
His eyes darkened. "Call it what you want, but if you fail, you'll be the one cleaning up the mess."
She let his words sink in. She knew there was more at play here, and she wasn't going to let him play games without understanding the rules.
"And what happens if I succeed?"
Luca didn't hesitate. "If you succeed, you'll have everything you ever wanted. Money, power... freedom."
She tilted her head, intrigued. "Is that what you want for me?"
His expression didn't change. "I want you to prove you're worthy."
"Worthy of what?"
"Worthy of my trust."
She smirked, leaning back slightly. "And why would you trust me? You don't know me."
"Not yet," he agreed. "But I will."
The room seemed to shrink, the air becoming thicker, heavier. For a second, it was just the two of them, locked in a silent understanding.
Lina knew she had a choice to make. She could play this game. Or she could walk away. But she was too deep in now. Too connected to what Luca represented.
She had to play.
And if she was going to do that, she would play her cards close to her chest.
Without a word, she grabbed the file and turned to leave.
"Lina."
She stopped, halfway to the door.
"You will succeed," Luca's voice came again, this time with a finality that sent chills down her spine. "But only if you remember who owns you."
She didn't respond. She didn't need to.
She left him standing there, her heart pounding — not in fear, but in anticipation.
-_______________________________--
The office was a different animal at night.
During the day it moved like a machine — efficient, metallic, cold. But after 10 p.m., when the lights dimmed and the city became a slow heartbeat against the windows, it turned into something quieter. Something watchful.
Lina sat in her glass-walled office, the only light coming from her desk lamp. She was sorting through encrypted communication logs, but her mind wasn't on the files. It hadn't been for hours.
She hadn't gone home. She didn't want to.
The low tick of an antique clock and the soft rustle of linen as Lina moved nervously behind the desk, organizing papers that didn't need organizing, lips pursed in that habit she had whenever he stared too long.
And Luca was staring.
He sat in the high-backed chair like it was a throne, suit jacket discarded, shirt sleeves rolled up his forearms, tie undone but still hanging loose like a leash waiting to be tugged. His eyes tracked her every movement—those pale pink nails, the nervous way she tucked hair behind her ear, the way her blouse gaped just slightly at the chest when she bent over.
"Lina," he said, voice like midnight silk, low and smooth but edged with command.
She straightened instantly, cheeks flushed. "what?"
"I said you could leave thirty minutes ago."
She glanced at the clock. "I was just…finishing up the reports."
"The reports," he repeated.
The room dropped in temperature. Or maybe it was her blood rushing hot that made it feel that way. Lina's throat bobbed as she looked at him—really looked—and saw the heat simmering in his gaze, restrained, coiled like a storm behind his cold composure. Her thighs pressed together without thinking.
"Come here."
Just two words, but they landed in her belly like thunder. She obeyed, crossing to his side of the desk with slow, uncertain steps. When she reached him, Luca leaned back slightly and patted his lap.