143
Luca's POV
I arrived at Benedicta's house as fast as I could, my heart pounding. Her frantic call hadn’t given me much information, but the panic in her voice was enough to send alarms ringing in my head. When I walked in, she was pacing the room, her face pale and her hands trembling.
“Benedicta, what’s wrong?” I asked.
She stopped and turned to me, her eyes filled with worry. “It’s Lia. I think something’s happened to her. I could feel it, Luca. She’s in trouble.”
Her words unsettled me, but I tried to stay calm. “What do you mean you feel it? Have you tried calling her?”
“I’ve called her multiple times, but she’s not picking up,” she said, her voice trembling. “Luca, I’m scared.”
I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed Lia’s number. It rang, but there was no answer. I tried again and again, but it went straight to voicemail. The unease in my chest grew heavier.
Just then, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. I quickly answered, hoping it was Lia, but it was Jenny.
“Jenny,” I said urgently, “where’s Lia? Is she okay?”
There was a brief pause before Jenny replied coldly, “She’s been arrested.”
“What? Arrested? What are you talking about?” My voice rose in disbelief.
“They think she killed Finn,” Jenny said bluntly. “The police came and took her.”
“That’s impossible! Lia would never—” I started, but she cut me off.
“I don’t know, Luca. All I know is that she’s in custody now. The evidence points to her,” Jenny said, her voice devoid of emotion.
“Which police station?” I demanded, but Jenny hung up before answering. I stared at my phone in frustration and disbelief.
“What happened?” Benedicta asked, her voice trembling.
“They’ve arrested Lia. They’re accusing her of killing Finn,” I said, my voice thick with anger.
Benedicta gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “No… that’s not true. That’s not true!”
“I know it’s not true, but they’ve taken her,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I need to find out where she is.”
As I turned to leave, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was an unknown number. I hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
“It’s Dean,” a deep voice said on the other end.
My grip on the phone tightened. “What do you want?”
“We need to talk,” Dean said calmly. “Meet me at the old warehouse on Fifth Street. You know the place.”
I hesitated. “Why should I trust you?”
“You don’t have a choice if you want to help Lia,” Dean replied before hanging up.
I looked at Benedicta. “I have to go. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out what’s going on.”
\---
The warehouse was dimly lit, the smell of rust and decay filling the air. Dean was already there, leaning casually against a pillar as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His calm demeanor only fueled my anger.
“You better have a good reason for dragging me here,” I snapped as I approached him.
Dean smirked. “Relax, Luca. I’ve got answers. You’ll want to hear this.”
“I’m not in the mood for games, Dean. Tell me what you know about Lia,” I demanded.
Dean straightened up, his expression turning serious. “Fine. Here it is. I killed Finn.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at him, my mind reeling. “What did you just say?”
“I killed Finn,” he repeated, his tone cold and matter-of-fact.
“You’re lying,” I said, my voice shaking with fury.
Dean’s smirk returned. “Why would I lie about something like that?”
Before I could stop myself, I swung at him, my fist connecting with his jaw. He stumbled back but quickly recovered, wiping a hand across his mouth.
“Feel better?” he asked, his tone mocking.
“You bastard!” I snarled. “Why would you kill him? Why would you frame Lia?”
Dean’s expression darkened. “I didn’t frame Lia. I saved her.”
“Saved her?” I spat. “You ruined her life!”
“No, I saved it,” he said firmly. “Alina wanted Lia dead. She had everything planned out. I stopped her by taking Finn out first.”
I froze, his words sinking in. “What are you talking about?”
“Alina saw Lia as a threat,” Dean explained. “She was going to have her killed. I intervened. Finn was collateral damage.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. “And you think that makes it okay?”
Dean shrugged. “It’s not about what’s okay. It’s about what’s necessary. If I hadn’t stepped in, Lia would be dead right now.”
I clenched my fists, torn between anger and confusion. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because we need to deal with Alina,” Dean said simply. “She’s the real problem here. Get rid of her, and Lia’s name can be cleared.”
“You’re insane,” I said, shaking my head. “This is your mess. You clean it up.”
Dean stepped closer, his expression serious. “You care about Lia, don’t you? Then do what needs to be done. Alina won’t stop until Lia’s out of the picture—for good.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. If what he said was true, Alina was more dangerous than I’d realized. But trusting Dean felt like making a deal with the devil.
“Why should I trust you?” I asked.
“Because I’m the only one who can help you,” Dean said. “Think about it, Luca. You don’t have much time.”
He walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stood there for a long time, the weight of his words pressing down on me.
\---
Dean’s POV
I could feel Luca’s anger long before I saw him. He was furious, but I didn’t blame him. The truth I’d just revealed was a lot to take in. But he needed to know the reality of the situation.
Alina was dangerous, and if we didn’t deal with her, Lia wouldn’t survive.
As I walked away from the warehouse, I pulled out my phone and dialed Alina’s number.
“It’s done,” I said when she answered.
“Good,” she replied coldly. “Lia is
out of the picture, and everything is falling into place.”
For now, I thought to myself. But this wasn’t over.
Not yet.
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