Chapter 54: A Slow Burn
Morning light filtered softly into the room. The atmosphere inside Luca's mansion had shifted—less like a battlefield, more like the beginnings of something warm, though still fragile. Janet stood near the window, dressed in a pale blue robe, watching the sky change its hues. Her fingers gently grazed the edge of the curtain, her mind lost in a tide of questions and emotions.
Behind her, Luca walked in holding two cups of coffee. He paused for a second, just watching her from the doorway. Something about her calm presence felt surreal to him—like a dream he had fought too hard to make real.
"You should drink this before it gets cold," he said, approaching.
She turned and took the cup with a quiet "Thank you."
They sat across from each other at the breakfast table in silence for a moment—Janet stirring her coffee, Luca watching her closely.
"You didn't sleep much last night," he said.
"I guess my brain is just… too noisy," she said, forcing a soft smile. "A lot has happened."
Luca leaned forward. "You don't have to force anything with me, Janet. You're safe here. Truly."
She looked into his eyes. "But what happens now, Luca? After everything… do we pretend nothing happened? That you saved me, again and again… that Dmitri—" she stopped, choking slightly on the name, "that he nearly destroyed me?"
Luca's jaw tightened at the mention of Dmitri. He reached across the table and held her hand.
"What happened to you can never be erased, Janet. And I won't pretend I can fix you. But I'll be here… every day, until you find yourself again. Until you can smile without pain. You don't owe me love. You owe yourself healing."
Janet blinked away sudden tears. "You're too good to me, Luca."
"No," he said softly. "I'm just yours. That's all I've ever wanted to be."
They didn't speak after that. They just sat quietly, fingers interlocked, letting the morning stretch without rush or expectations.
Some wounds still bled beneath the surface.
But for the first time in a long time, hope had returned—in the gentlest form of all.