LOGIN~FIORELLA~“Why do you even care?” I ask Lucas, my voice quieter now… but sharper in a different way. “I mean….why did you stand up for me back then? It's not like we're close or something.”He doesn’t answer immediately.And for a second…I think he won’t.Then…..“Because,” he says slowly, “you have Marcella's face, and because of that….I don't want them hurting you because in my mind, I see Marcella being hurt instead of you.”I blink twice.And am I really feeling a tiny bit of hurt??Wait ... .did I really think he stood up for me because it's me?? Because he did it for me?I laugh at my stupid self inwardly.Oh com'on Fiorella…. how could you think that?It's not like we both are close or something for him to risk himself defending and protecting me out there.I let out a dry laugh.“The lady you mistook me for?” I ask.“Yes,” he replies.“What's the full name of this Marcella you keep talking about, and who is she to you??” I ask.“Marcella Nico,” he says
~FIORELLA~I hate that he’s here.No… that’s not true.I hate what his presence is doing to me.The air in my office feels different now, heavier, like it’s pressing against my chest and making it harder to breathe. Or maybe that’s just me. Maybe it’s everything I’ve been holding in finally deciding it’s had enough.Lucas hasn’t moved.He’s still standing by the door, watching me like he’s trying to figure something out… like I’m something that doesn’t quite make sense to him.And I don’t like that.I don’t like being seen.Not like this.And no…. I'm not hugging him.The silence is very awkward, and tense.“You must have something to say, right??” I force out, my voice tighter than I want it to be. “Or are you just going to stand there and stare?”It comes out sharp, edged, controlled.It's familiar and safe, but it doesn’t feel as strong as it usually does.His gaze doesn’t waver.If anything, it deepens.He keeps staring at me for a while, and then he finally
~LUCAS~The drive back to the firm is quieter than it should be, and that alone irritates me.My mind doesn’t shut up.It replays everything…..the crowd, the chaos, her hand in mine, the way she looked at me.The way she held on.I grip the steering wheel tighter than necessary.This is exactly why I don’t get involved.Because now?Now she’s in my head, and I don’t like it.Not one bit. I’m already expecting things to have calmed down at the court with security in place, order and normalcy restored.But the moment my car slows to a stop, I know that’s not the case.There’s a crowd now in front of the law firm, and not just a small one.It’s worse than the one at the court, and they're louder and restless.Press, journalists and reporters, shouting over each other like they’re waiting for something… or someone.My jaw tightens.You’ve got to be kidding me.I cut the engine and step out, shutting the door harder than necessary.The noise hits immediately.The qu
~FIORELLA~The car comes to a smooth stop in front of the firm, and before Matteo can even step out, I’m already reaching for the door.I need distance from everything.The door opens, and the moment my heels hit the pavement, I straighten instinctively, my spine aligning, my shoulders pulling back into that familiar, unshakable posture.Control.I step out like nothing happened.Like I wasn’t just clawed at by a mob.Like my pulse isn’t still slightly uneven.Like Lucas’ voice isn’t still echoing somewhere deep in my chest.“I’ll get your bags, ma’am,” Matteo says quickly from the driver’s seat.I don’t look back.“Mm,” I respond faintly, already moving.The glass doors of the firm slide open the second I approach, and the cool, polished interior greets me like a second skin.The law firm is safe, structured, controlled and perfect.But I barely take three steps inside before…..“Miss Fiorella!”“Congratulations!”“You did it!”The sudden burst of voices hits m
~LUCAS~I knew she was going to win. There was never a doubt.I’ve seen and heard about a lot of wins in my career.But this one?This one feels… different.Not because of the case itself…..I already knew how it would end the moment Fiorella took control of that courtroom. She’s too sharp, too precise, too damn good at what she does to lose something like that.No… what lingers isn’t the verdict.It’s her.The way she stands there after everything is over… composed, unreadable, like none of it touched her.But I know better.I know people like her very well.It's just two days, but I have studied her so well.I've been watching her.Watching the way she works, the way she carries pressure like it weighs nothing, the way she slices through arguments with surgical precision.Fiorella Vincenzo will be one of the best lawyers I’ve ever seen.She's already an excellent intern and shouldn't even be taking cases like this, but I can understand why she's allowed to
~FIORELLA~I don’t hesitate.I take his hand.And the second my fingers wrap around his, something shifts in a way I don’t understand… and don’t have time to question.His grip tightens instantly…….firm, unyielding… like he’s not giving me the option to fall apart even if I wanted to.“Stay close,” Lucas mutters, his voice low and controlled. It's like a command meant to be obeyed.And I do.God help me… I do.And then he moves first, not gently, not carefully, but forcefully.“Back the hell up,” he snaps, shoving a man aside as he pulls me behind him. “You don’t get to touch her.”People protest as he shoves past them, but he doesn’t stop.“Move,” he snaps again, sharper this time. “Unless you want to deal with assault charges on top of harassment.”There’s something in his tone… something dangerous enough to make them hesitate.And that hesitation?It’s all he needs.I stay close…..closer than I’ve ever been to him…..my hand still locked in his, my other clut
~MARCELLA~The moment I see him clearly, my entire body goes rigid.Xavier.Not just Xavier.Xavier walking in like this is his event.Like he belongs here.Like he wasn’t the last person I expected to see tonight.My surprise isn’t soft. It’s violent. It slams into me so ha
~LUCAS~The box is the first thing I notice when I wake up.It's there…. right where I left it before going to bed last night.Like it knows I haven’t made peace with myself yet.It's pushed neatly against the wall like it hasn’t been silently haunting me all night. Like
~MARCELLA~For a moment, I don’t move.Not because I can’t, but because my body hasn’t caught up with what just happened.Lucas Santis walks away from me like I’m nothing more than noise he’s finally learned to tune out. His steps are fast. Purposeful. He doesn’t look back
~LUCAS~I shouldn't let Marcella distract me, I tell myself.So I sit up straight, clear my throat and take a deep breath.I start listening to Dr. Raymond again, not until her foot nudges mine under the desk again.I stiffen.She leans closer, her voice barely a breath.“Y







