Chapter 14 - THE FIRST TIME LUCA ASKED INSTEAD OF ORDERING
Z
Luca chose a small restaurant in Lincoln Park.
No private dining room.
No security detail standing beside the table.
No chandeliers.
Just warm lighting, good food, and a waiter who didn't seem remotely impressed by Luca Moretti.
I liked it immediately.
Luca stood when I arrived.
He looked nervous.
That surprised me.
“Anna.”
“Luca.”
He smiled.
“You look beautiful.”
I glanced at my green coat.
“Thank you.”
He pulled out a chair.
I sat.
For a moment, we looked at each other.
Then I laughed.
“What?”
He smiled.
“I've negotiated contracts worth millions without feeling this nervous.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe because you can't negotiate your way through dinner.”
He laughed.
“Apparently not.”
We talked for three hours.
About childhood.
Family.
Work.
The things we'd lost.
The things we still wanted.
Luca told me about growing up in a family where power mattered more than affection.
His father had taught him that weakness invited betrayal.
His mother had taught him to hide sadness.
By thirty, Luca had learned how to command a room.
But he hadn't learned how to trust anyone inside it.
I listened.
Then told him about my parents.
Daniel.
The years when money had been so tight I measured groceries by the dollar.
He didn't interrupt.
He didn't try to fix the past.
He simply listened.
When dessert arrived, Luca looked at me.
“Anna, can I ask something?”
“Of course.”
“Did you ever hate me?”
I stared.
He looked down.
“For what happened in my house.”
I considered.
“I was angry.”
He nodded.
“You should have been.”
I continued.
“But I didn't hate you.”
He looked up.
“I hated feeling invisible.”
His expression changed.
I took a breath.
“And I hated that you only noticed when I was already hurt.”
Luca closed his eyes.
When he opened them, they were wet.
“I'm sorry.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he asked:
“Would you like to see me again?”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
He exhaled.
I laughed.
“Were you worried?”
“Terrified.”
I shook my head.
“The famous Luca Moretti.”
He smiled.
“Don't tell anyone.”
Outside, the air was cold.
He walked me to my car.
Then stopped.
“Anna.”
I turned.
“May I kiss you?”
My heart beat faster.
I thought about Daniel's warning.
About gratitude.
About safety.
About love.
Then I looked at the man standing in front of me.
Not my employer.
Not a rescuer.
Just Luca.
A man who had made mistakes and was trying to become better.
I smiled.
“Yes.”
The kiss was gentle.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I was surviving something.
May you like
I felt like I was beginning something.
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