Chapter 2 2

Olivia sat at her desk, papers scattered around her, her laptop screen glowing in the dimly lit office. She was no stranger to pressure, but today it felt suffocating. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but her thoughts drifted far from the case at hand. Instead, her mind kept returning to Luca. His smile, his touch, and the way he'd looked at her that night-something about it had unsettled her, despite the assurances he had given.

It was the question that lingered in the back of her mind: how much did she really know about him? The man who had swept her off her feet, the man who had captured her heart. She trusted him-no, she wanted to trust him. But there was an undercurrent of doubt she couldn't shake.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, her breath catching when she saw Luca's name. Her pulse quickened, her hand instinctively reaching for the phone, but then she hesitated. There was something about his texts recently that felt off. His messages were more frequent, more intense, as if he was trying to reassure her of something-or hide something.

"Are you free for lunch?" the text read. "I was thinking we could catch up, talk about that new project I mentioned."

Olivia stared at the screen, her thoughts in a whirl. The new project. It had seemed like a casual mention when Luca had first brought it up, but now she wondered if it was a distraction. Maybe it was nothing. But maybe it wasn't.

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. She picked it up and read Ryan's name at the top of the screen. This time, she didn't hesitate.

"Olivia, you need to come to the office. We've got something big. It's about the case."

Her heart skipped a beat. She had been expecting a breakthrough, but she had hoped it would come in a more straightforward manner, something she could immediately sink her teeth into. Ryan's tone told her it was far from that.

With a deep breath, Olivia quickly typed back to Luca: "Something's come up. I'll be in touch later."

She grabbed her coat and hurried out of the office, trying to push the swirling thoughts of Luca aside. There was a job to do, and for the moment, it needed to come first.

---

The drive to her firm's headquarters was quick, the streets of Manhattan familiar, but today they seemed foreign. The case, Luca, and the growing sense of unease churned in her stomach. Her mind raced as she entered the building, taking the elevator up to the secure floor where the most sensitive cases were handled.

Ryan was waiting for her in the conference room, his brow furrowed in a way that made her stomach tighten even further.

"What's going on?" she asked as she took a seat across from him, her eyes scanning the folders on the table. She could tell he had been digging through the case files for hours, maybe longer.

Ryan sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I don't even know where to begin." He paused, as if weighing his words. "I've been going through the financials, and I found something strange. Really strange."

Olivia's pulse quickened. "Strange how?"

He slid a document across the table to her, his finger pointing to a section of financial transactions that didn't add up. "These payments-millions of dollars-are being funneled through a shell corporation. The name of the company is linked to several high-profile figures, but there's one name that stands out above the rest." He paused, eyes meeting hers. "Luca Drake."

Olivia's breath hitched. Her hand shook slightly as she picked up the paper, scanning the information. The transactions were carefully disguised, but it was clear-too many millions, too many connections, too many inconsistencies.

"You're sure?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Ryan nodded. "I checked. The name matches. Luca's company has a subsidiary that's connected to this operation."

The room felt smaller, the air heavier. Olivia swallowed hard, trying to process what she was seeing. Luca had never once mentioned anything like this. He had always been open, or so she thought. But this-this was a side of him she had never seen. A side that threatened to shatter everything she had built with him.

"What do we do now?" she asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, running a hand over his face. "I don't know. We could confront him, but if he's involved in this... it could put us all in danger."

Olivia's mind raced. Confront Luca? Could she do that? Could she really accuse him of something like this? The man she was falling in love with? The man who had made her feel like she could trust him above all others?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She looked up just as the door opened, and in stepped a tall, broad-shouldered man in a dark suit. His presence was commanding, his sharp eyes fixed on Olivia with an intensity that made her uneasy.

"Olivia Hayes?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.

"Yes?" she responded, her instincts immediately on high alert.

"My name is Carter Graves," the man said, his gaze never leaving hers. "I work with Luca Drake. We need to talk."

---

The tension in the room was palpable as Carter Graves took a seat, his posture rigid. He looked every bit the part of someone who worked in the underworld-calm, collected, but carrying a threat beneath the surface.

"Luca sent me," he said simply, his eyes scanning both Olivia and Ryan. "He wants you to stop looking into those financials."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me?"

Carter's expression remained unreadable. "Luca's trying to protect you, Olivia. He doesn't want you getting involved in things that could end badly for you."

Ryan's chair creaked as he leaned forward. "What's that supposed to mean? We have a job to do, Graves. If your boss is involved in illegal activity, we'll find him. We'll make sure he faces justice."

The air between them grew thicker. Carter's gaze hardened. "You don't understand what you're dealing with here. Luca's not just another businessman. He's... connected. And if you keep digging, you'll learn things you're not prepared for."

Olivia's pulse quickened, and she found herself standing up before she even realized it. "You're threatening me?" she asked, her voice sharp with a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"I'm not threatening you," Carter said, his voice calm but carrying a dangerous edge. "I'm warning you. You don't want to go down this road."

Ryan shot to his feet, his hands clenched into fists. "Get out. We're not afraid of you."

Carter remained unfazed. He stood up slowly, his eyes lingering on Olivia. "Luca cares about you. He doesn't want you getting hurt. Think about it, Olivia. If you keep this up, you'll be in over your head. And once you're in, there's no way out."

Without waiting for a response, Carter turned and walked out, his presence leaving a chilling silence in his wake. Olivia stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. Every word he had spoken had only deepened the confusion and fear swirling inside her.

---

Once Carter had left, Olivia sank back into her chair, her thoughts a whirlwind. The last thing she wanted to believe was that Luca could be involved in something dangerous, something criminal. But the evidence was mounting. The warnings were there. And then, of course, there was Carter's visit-an unmistakable message that Luca wasn't just a businessman; he was a man who had people like Carter watching his back.

Ryan sat back down, his expression grim. "What now?"

Olivia didn't answer right away. The room felt colder now, the weight of the situation pressing on her chest. Luca was more than just the man she loved. He was entangled in a world she didn't fully understand. And the deeper she dug, the more she feared what she might find.

Her phone buzzed again, a message from Luca: "I need to see you. Tonight."

It was clear. He was waiting for her to come to him. The question was, could she trust him? Could she really face him and demand the truth? Or was it already too late?