Chapter 3 The Secrets in the Shadows

The hallway was dimly lit, its marble walls echoing with the hurried footfalls of Castellano enforcers. Lily's chest tightened as she ran beside Luca, her hand clinging to his despite every nerve in her body telling her to let go. The adrenaline coursing through her veins dulled the ache in her legs and the lingering throb of fear in her chest, but the sense of danger remained sharp and unrelenting.

"This way," Luca said, his voice low but urgent as he pulled her into another corridor. His movements were fluid, precise, as if he'd navigated the labyrinth of his family's estate a thousand times. Lily stumbled slightly as they turned, but he caught her with a firm grip on her waist, steadying her before continuing. "Don't stop now."

She wanted to demand answers why was he helping her? What did he want from her?-but there was no time for questions. The shouts of his men were growing louder, their voices ricocheting off the walls as they closed in. Lily clutched her clutch bag tightly, the flash drive hidden within its lining her only lifeline. If they caught her, everything would be over.

"Where are we going?" she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Somewhere they won't look," Luca replied, his tone clipped. He glanced over his shoulder at her, his dark eyes glittering with intensity. "Unless you'd prefer to go back and explain yourself to them."

She didn't dignify that with a response, instead quickening her pace to keep up with him. Her breath came in short gasps, her lungs burning as they navigated another turn. The corridor ahead was narrower, the walls pressing in like an iron cage. A door loomed at the end, its surface scratched and worn, a stark contrast to the grandeur of the rest of the estate.

Luca pushed it open without hesitation, ushering Lily inside before shutting it firmly behind them. The air was cooler here, the faint hum of machinery filling the space. Lily's eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she realized they were in some sort of storage room. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with boxes and files, and the scent of dust hung heavy in the air.

Luca leaned against the door, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. His suit jacket was slightly askew, and a faint sheen of sweat glimmered on his brow, but he didn't seem fazed. In fact, he looked more composed than ever, his dark eyes scanning the room before settling on her.

"Care to explain what exactly you're doing here?" he asked, his tone deceptively calm.

Lily straightened, her pulse still racing as she clutched her clutch bag tighter. "I could ask you the same thing," she retorted, her voice sharper than she intended.

Luca arched an eyebrow, his lips twitching in what might have been amusement. "You're at *my* party, *in* my house, sneaking around places you don't belong," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I think the burden of explanation falls on you."

Lily's jaw tightened, her mind racing as she tried to come up with an excuse. But before she could say anything, Luca pushed off the door, closing the distance between them in a few strides. His presence was overwhelming, his dark eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.

"You're not who you say you are," he said quietly, his voice low and unwavering. "And I don't believe for a second that you 'got lost.' So I'll ask you again-who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Lily's chest tightened, her grip on her clutch bag trembling as she held his gaze. There was no point in lying-not anymore. He was too perceptive, too sharp to fall for another flimsy excuse. But telling the truth meant risking everything, and she wasn't ready to trust him not yet.

"I can't tell you," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luca's expression didn't change, but his eyes darkened slightly. He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to brush against the edge of her clutch bag. "Can't? Or won't?" he asked, his tone dangerously soft.

Lily swallowed hard, her heart pounding as his fingers lingered near hers. "It doesn't matter," she said, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "You wouldn't understand."

Luca's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "Try me," he said.

Before she could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor outside, snapping both of them to attention. Luca's expression hardened, and he gestured for Lily to stay quiet. The footsteps grew louder, closer, until they stopped just outside the door.

Lily's breath caught in her throat as she pressed herself against the wall, her hand instinctively reaching for Luca's arm. His muscles tensed under her touch, but he didn't move, his focus entirely on the door. The silence was deafening, every second stretching into an eternity.

And then, without warning, the handle began to turn.