Page 223 of Untamed

He’s standing with his back to me, staring out the tall window that overlooks the grounds. The room is quiet. The only sound is the faint clink of glass as he pours himself a drink. He doesn’t turn when I enter.

“Sit,” he orders. “Close the door behind you.”

I push it shut, the click echoing like a sentence passed.

Then I sit, spine straight, shoulders tight despite the twist in my stomach. He finally looks at me, cool and unreadable, like a man who’s seen too much to waste time pretending.

“I’m not in the habit of having personal conversations, Jordyn,” Luciano begins, folding his fingers together over the folders on his desk, “but we seem to have arrived at… an impediment.” He says the word like it offends him.

I don’t respond. I wait.

“I imagine you’re feeling rather triumphant after last night.”

“I, no, that’s not?—

He lifts a hand, silencing me with a single motion. Evidently, he’s not interested in anything I have to say.

“Don’t. This isn’t about guilt or pride. This is about consequence.”

There’s something in his tone, something that prickles the back of my neck. Not warmth. Not quite disdain either. Just... assessment. Like he’s not seeing me as a person, but as a variable in a much larger equation.

He sits, folding his hands again. “Let’s not pretend we don’t understand each other, Jordyn.”

My brows pull together, but I stay quiet.

“Ares is loyal to this family. To me. And with loyalty comes duty.” He pauses. “That duty includes marrying Giana Mancini. You understand the significance of that, don’t you?”

My throat dries, but I manage a nod. His eyes narrow slightly.

“Do you love him?”

I hesitate, then answer. “Yes.”

Luciano exhales through his nose. Almost like a laugh, but there’s no humour in it. Only warning.

His eyes sharpen, cool, calculating, razor precise. He studies me in silence before finally speaking again.

“And I can see that he cares for you.” He pauses. “Far more than he should.”

My spine stiffens.

“You think that’s a compliment,” he says, voice low. “It’s not. It’s a weakness. And in this world, weakness gets you killed.”

I swallow, but he doesn’t let up.

“Ares has a future. One I’ve bled for. Fought for. Groomed him for. He wasn’t bred for softness. He was built to rule through fear, not feel. With a name like Russo, there’s no room for love.”

His voice dips, low and final.

“You’re not part of that future, Jordyn. No matter how hard you both try to convince yourselves otherwise.”

I flinch, barely, but of course, he sees it.

“Despite my warnings, he’s defied me twice. Once in private. Last night, publicly. He turned down an alliance with the Mancini’s, an alliance sealed by marriage. Do you understand what that costs us?” His voice remains calm. Measured. “Respect. Leverage. Power.”

I try to speak, but again, he raises his hand.

“You’re young. And I don’t doubt your feelings are real. But real doesn’t matter when it draws blood to your doorstep.”

---