Luca POV
"I have a business meeting tomorrow in Florence," I said over dinner, my tone casual but deliberate. "You're coming with me."
Her fork stilled midair. "And you're okay with that?" she asked cautiously. "You're not afraid I'll try to run away?"
Her words caught me off guard. I had expected curiosity, maybe even excitement. But fear? Defiance? That wasn't what I wanted.
"I believe we have an agreement," I reminded her, my expression unreadable. "You won't betray me, will you?"
She shook her head, pushing her food aside. "I think I'll retire for the night."
"Sit down," I ordered.
Her glare sharpened. "What?"
"Eat. Unless you want me to shove it down your throat," I growled, my voice low with warning.
Whatever she saw in my face made her swallow nervously. Reluctantly, she sat back down and shoved the food into her mouth with anger written across every movement. When she finished, she shoved her plate away. "Can I go now?"
"Why are you so angry?" I bit out, frustration tightening my chest.
Instead of answering, she stood and turned for the door. That defiance—her silence, her refusal—snapped the last thread of my patience. I caught her, slamming her back against the door. Her eyes blazed with fury, not fear, even as I grabbed her wrists.
"Let me go, you bastard," she hissed.
I leaned closer, voice rough with the frustration I could no longer contain. "I'm trying to be patient with you, but you—" I jabbed a finger toward her chest, anger spilling over, "—you just won't stop fighting me."
Her eyes narrowed into a storm. "What do you want from me, Luca? A mistress? A sex slave? Because anything is better than this sham you call a relationship! Every time I look at you, I get angry."
Her words hit me harder than I expected. For a moment, I was silent, her defiance cutting deeper than I wanted to admit.
"You're wrong," I finally said, my voice dark, steady. "I don't want a mistress. I don't want a slave."
I brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, my lips close to her ear as I whispered, "I want a wife. My wife. And you, Yasmine—you belong to me."