Chapter 2 The Hunt Begins

The white card burned against Luca's palm.

Tick-tock.

Two simple words, yet they carried the weight of a thousand unspoken threats.

Luca Valentino was not a man who allowed surprises-not in his business, not in his personal life, and certainly not from a ghost who had no right to be breathing, let alone standing in his world again.

Sophia had walked away from him tonight, as if he were a mere boy in her story. That was a mistake. A mistake she would soon regret.

He wrapped his fingers around the card, his jaw tensing.

She wanted to play games?

Fine.

He would remind her exactly who he was.

A Dangerous Game

Luca turned, his eyes scanned the crowd like a sharp blade. He barely noticed the conversations around him-the murmurs of confusion and quiet voices wondering about Sophia's sudden return. He had no time for their gossip.

He needed answers.

He needed her.

Without a word, he walked toward the exit, his long steps eating up the distance. As he reached the main doors, a soft voice called after him.

"Luca."

He stopped, irritation flashing through him before he even turned.

Isabella Romano. His fiancée.

He murmured silently before turning to face her. Her delicate, perfectly made-up face showed a carefully controlled look of concern, but her dark eyes revealed something more-jealousy.

"I saw her," Isabella murmured, stepping closer. "She shouldn't be here. Not after what happened."

Luca's lips twisted into something that barely resembled a smile. "And yet, here she is."

Isabella swallowed, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "You should have her removed. She's a traitor, Luca. You can't just let her walk around as if-"

His eyes snapped to hers, and she immediately fell silent.

Luca didn't need reminders about Sophia's supposed betrayal. He didn't need warnings. What he needed was the truth-and he would get it himself.

"She's mine to deal with," he said.

Isabella's lips parted slightly, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. For a moment, it looked as though she wanted to argue, but she knew better.

With a stiff nod, she stepped back. "Just don't forget who's at your side now."

Luca barely acknowledged the comment. Isabella had never been a priority-she was a convenience, a strategic alliance. But Sophia...

Sophia had been something else entirely.

And now, she was a problem he refused to ignore.

The Search Begins

By the time Luca stepped outside, the night air was thick with the scent of rain. The road shines under the city lights, and expensive cars were parked in the driveway with their drivers waiting.

But Sophia was gone.

He breaths slowly, telling himself to remain composed. He hadn't expected her to stay-no, she had always been clever. But disappearing without a trace? That was new.

He turned to the man waiting in the shadows near the entrance.

Matteo DeRossi, his right-hand man, stepped forward. "Boss."

Luca's voice was calm, but the underlying command was absolute. "Find her."

Matteo gave a sharp nod. "Already on it."

There was no need for further instruction. Matteo knew exactly what to do.

Sophia had returned for a reason. Luca intended to find out why.

A Ghost from the Past

Across the city, Sophia DeLuca sat in the back of a black car, her fingers holding her champagne glass.

She had known Luca would react exactly like this.

The moment she had walked into that gala, she had felt the weight of his eyes. The tension, The anger just below the surface was clear.

And now?

Now, he was hunting her.

Good.

She had spent three years waiting for this moment. Three years buried in the shadows, rebuilding herself from the ashes of betrayal. Three years preparing for the inevitable collision with the man who had once destroyed her.

Luca Valentino had made one fatal mistake.

He had underestimated her.

A quiet beep sounded in the car. Sophia looked at the phone next to her and gave a small smile at the message on the screen.

He's looking for you.

Of course he was.

Let him.

The First Move

The next morning, Luca sat in his penthouse office, a storm growing inside him. The skyline of New York stretched beyond the glass windows, but his focus was locked on the file Matteo had just placed in front of him.

"Sophia DeLuca," Matteo silent, open the first page. "Officially declared dead three years ago."

Luca tightened his jaw. "Clearly, that was a lie."

Matteo breaths out. "She vanished completely after that night, boss. No records, no sightings. It's like she never existed." He tapped the photo clipped to the file-the one from last night. "Until now."

Luca's fingers drummed against the desk. "Where has she been?"

Matteo hesitated.

"She's not the same girl you knew, Luca."

Luca's eyes snapped up. "Explain."

Matteo handed him another document. "She didn't just disappear. She was remade. New identity. New connections. And get this-she's been working with our enemies."

A slow, dangerous smile from Luca's lips.

Of course she had.

His Sophia had always been too clever to vanish without a reason.

But the fact that she had aligned herself with the very people who wanted him dead? That changed everything.

Luca sat back in his chair, a dark amusement flickering in his eyes.

"So she's been busy."

Matteo breaths out. "What do you want to do?"

Luca reached for his whiskey, taking a slow sip before answering.

"She wants to play?" He set the glass down with a deliberate motion.

"Then let's play."

That night, a single message arrived on Sophia's phone.

You have my attention, princesa.

Her lips turned up as she read the words.

Perfect