Julian’s smile widened slightly. "My brother seems to be quite taken with you. Its nauseating to see."
Luca began to rise.
But Vee moved faster.
Without drawing attention to herself, she placed her hand lightly on his thigh beneath the table.
Her fingers pressed just slightly. She didn’t even look at him when she did it, her attention still on Julian.
Reluctantly, Luca settled back.
"I seem to be quite taken with him too." Vee answered.
"Yeah, he is so smitten he will try to harm his own brother for you."
"His brother wasn’t being quite the gentleman at that moment."
Julian smiled and turned to Luca. "You didn’t think I stopped father from electrocuting you for a reason? You didn’t stop to think? And they say you are smarter than me."
"What do you want Julian?" Luca asked.
"To give you information. See, I connected the dots, little brother. She here is Veronica Scalese. The girl we traded, the one Marco stupidly tried to save is Valentina Scalese. What was that you told father about Bastardi double crossing you? Turns out you double crossed yourself. You turned for a pussy."
Luca’s fingers twitched.
And Veronica felt the exact moment his control nearly snapped.
His hand shifted slightly toward the weapon closest to him, the knife.
Under the table, she pressed her palm more firmly into his thigh.
She could almost feel the storm raging inside him.
His eyes remained locked on Julian. "Go ahead and tell father. He got what he wanted, didn’t he? Go on. Be the childish fool who tells on his sibling because he didn’t get father’s legacy. You will always be nothing, Julian except for father’s errand boy. And this is exactly why? Focusing on small things. I’d kill you and send your body off to a foreign country and father wouldn’t even lose a wink of sleep."
Julian’s smile faltered as Luca attacked his wound.
The legacy of their father—power, control, respect—had always hung between them.
Veronica sat quietly.
So Julian knew.
Or at least he thought he knew enough.
Her sister’s name being spoken here sent a small ripple of anxiety through her chest. Valentina had already been through enough chaos because of these men.
So much for Luca’s "baby steps" toward being a normal couple.
"You’re right. Father wont do anything more than punish you for this. But I have my ways, Luca. You handed me the weapon, all I have to do is aim and not miss." Julian finished and got to his feet.
"Julian?" Luca called.
Julian paused mid-step but didn’t immediately turn.
"the next time you speak directly to Veronica in any capacity, you’ll lose a finger."
The threat was delivered calmly. It sounded like a simple statement of fact—something Luca had already decided and would carry out without hesitation.
Julian finally looked back over his shoulder, the faintest curl of amusement touching his lips. "of course. I have no further use for her."
And then he walked out of the restaurant.
For a moment, no one moved.
The restaurant returned to its eerie stillness, the candle flames flickering gently.
"You don’t want to have one with me so that’s not even a valid question." Luca said.
"You want one with me! So, I would give you sons for you to torture to keep in line?"
Luca’s patience snapped. "Look, my father’s methods has never once meant he doesn’t care about me. He is tough on me as he should be because the life we lead don’t need pussies!"
Immediately afterward he pushed his chair back.
"Lets go home."
Vee blinked at him, stunned by the abruptness.
The evening that had started with laughter and teasing now felt like it had cracked straight down the middle.
"Luca!" Vee tried to argue. She wasn’t ready to let the conversation end like this. Not when the things he had just said were still ringing in her ears.
"Now!"
Veronica’s jaw tightened. She considered refusing out of sheer stubbornness. But the look in his eyes told her that pushing further here, in the middle of a restaurant full of his men and fresh from Julian’s visit, would only make things worse.
So she stood.
Grudgingly.
She grabbed her coat without waiting and stormed toward the exit.
"Vee!" Luca walked quickly after her.
By the time she reached the car, Luca had caught up.
"Vee, come on. I’m just wound up."
She spun around then, fiery eyes snapping toward him. "Is my sister safe?"

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