Destinied Hearts

Part 33

Author's POV

The first dawn of the day spread little holes in the curtains and cast lightly over the room. Leo lay awake with his thoughts and emotions churning through his mind. The pressure on his shoulders of the responsibilities of a Don weighed him down, but the sleeping figure of Milana beside him freed up his thoughts from the weight of his role.

Her head resting on his chest, and her fingers curled loosely against his skin as if she would not let go of him even in her sleep. The peace of her face was an extreme opposite to the turmoil that is churning within him. He gazed at her for such a long time that her breathing rise and fall over him was the only soothing melody that could be played to calm down the storm within his head.

Glancing at her, Leo couldn't help but think over everything that led them to this place: the brutal mafia world, the betrayal still very much bubbling just beneath his surface concerning Luca, and the fragile yet very powerful bond he was constructing with Milana. It was messy and complicated, with the possibility of it all turning really ugly at any second if he wasn't careful.

The reason was that one thing had, after all, crystallised in his mind, however: he had to protect what was his. And Milana, more than anything or anyone else, had become a part of that. The idea of her being caught in the crossfire of the dangerous world he inhabited was enough to send a cold shiver down his spine. He couldn't—no, he wouldn't—allow anything to happen to her.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, Leo extricated himself from Milana's embrace. She stirred slightly, her hand brushing against the empty space where he had been, but she didn't wake. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, a silent promise that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

He got dressed for the day, but his mind was still running on reel. The weight of being a Don was proving more heavy than he had imagined. Family power struggles, capo betrayal, and the ever-increasing tension with Luca all ate away at him. He operated in a world where trust is the most expensive commodity, and lately, it seemed to slip away from his grasp.

Leo finished buttoning his shirt, adjusting his cuff links. The movement had the feel of precision and deliberateness as he set his mind to the task of keeping all his emotions in place. Too much was at stake for him now to make any move.

Prepared, Leo tiptoed out of the bedroom not to wake Milana. He headed down the marble staircase and was surprised to see that Luca awaited him in the foyer. He sat with his back resting against the banister. The loose pose was not accompanied by a casual air; he had something hidden there.

"Morning," Luca greeted, the tone casual but with an uncertain look in his eyes. "I wanted to catch you before you left. There's a lot going on, and I thought we should address whatever is happening between us."

Leo nodded, but his face gave away nothing. His mood had not been conversational at all since the previous day. The sting of betrayal he felt toward Matteo and Antonio's escape still lingered, and Luca only brought reminders of how things were going terribly wrong between them.

Luca continued without noticing the chilliness in Leo's expression. "I've been scanning through the reports, keeping tabs on Vittorio and Bruno. It appears like they see each other more and more, and it's quite obvious they don't think things the way they're run today. We need to get one step ahead of whatever they're preparing."

Leo listened, but his eyes were elsewhere; his mind was not on what was being told to him. He knew that Luca was trying to mend the gap slowly seeping between them, but there was still fresh betrayal. That Luca could have stopped Matteo and Antonio if he wanted to-but chose not to-this was a betrayal of trust, and in their world, trust was everything.

After a moment, Leo just nodded, with a sort of noncommittal answer. "I'll look into it."

He didn't wait for Luca's reply. Leo turned and headed towards the front door, without another word, leaving Luca in the foyer as confusion and frustration flickered across his face.

Leo was turning a corner with his mind already, focusing on what lay ahead as he was walking to the car. He couldn't afford to let emotions cloud judgment at this hour. Heading to work, Milana lying peacefully resting in her own world, oblivious of it all, haunted his mind every time he closed his eyes.

Returning inside, Luca stood in the very same spot Leo had left him looking at the door as it shut closed behind him. Clenching his jaw, Luca tried to process his cold shoulder. This wasn't supposed to be how it played out. They were meant to be a team against the family who are trying to break them; however, Leo was turning his back on him.

Luca sighed and ran his hand through his messy hair, pacing in the foyer. He needed to get Leo back on his side, to regain his trust-to make him trust that he was still that brother who had always been there for him. How?

He turned to the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and saw Milana, smiling, with bright warmth in her eyes-not even a sense of that tension that just swept by her.

"Good morning, Luca. I did not expect to see you here so early," she greeted him warmly.

"I have been busy these days and am staying in the city, Leo was catching up with me before he left for work", Luca said with a fake grin to push away the frustration that was rising within him.

Milana nodded. Flickers of her eyes went toward the door that Leo just left from. She felt something is indeed different but doesn't say a word on the issue. Instead, she shows a sympathetic smile.

"You know," she began, speaking with the tone of an analyst, "Leo had told me about the things that have made him busy lately. Maybe that is the problem: there is some form of tension. But. you two are brothers. Maybe even some people would say you are siblings because you two are so close. And siblings fight sometimes. It's normal. But it's very important to remember that it's just a fight, not war."

Luca stared at her, surprised by her words. A look in her eyes, the tone of her voice, filled a sense of sincerity he had not expected, nor really listened to, until now; he paused and really considered what she was saying. She had a way of cutting through the noise, making things show for what they were.

"Maybe you're right," Luca ventured, his voice low, his face relaxing. It was hard to go against everything at play here. He had a sinking sense of responsibility. He wanted to do what was right for the family.

Milana nodded, understanding. "I know. And I believe Leo knows that too. He just. he has so much on his plate right now. But that doesn't mean he's forgotten all about you or what you've done for him."

Luca let out a long sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Hope so."

Milana smiled, a warm reassuring smile that made him feel just a little bit better for just a moment. "I am hoping for the same too, give it some time. Everything will turn out for the best."

She turned to leave, but then stopped and glanced back at him. "I was just about to make some coffee. Can I get you a cup?"

Luca smiled a little, his head bent. "No, I'm all right. But thanks."

Milana nodded and went to the kitchen while allowing Luca to sit there with his own thoughts. He sat there, watching her recede into the horizon, but it was what she said that played over and over in his head. Maybe she was correct. This is just a fight, not the start of a war, but something made him think that perhaps something did shift when he sat down on the couch. Nothing could be fixed like that.

And yet, as much as he wished to believe everything was going to be all right, a nagging doubt lurked at the back of his mind; he hoped only that whatever was going to happen next didn't tear them apart completely.

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