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We barely make it a few steps when a sharp crack splits the air. Sofía jerks. For a second, she simply stands there, staring at me, then her hand flies to her side. Blood begins spreading beneath her fingers.

“Sofía!”

She crumples. I catch her before she hits the ground, a scream ripping from my throat.

I scramble away from the doorway and clamp a hand over my mouth to keep the scream trapped in my throat.

The last thing I can afford is to draw attention to myself, but Sofía is still lying only a few feet away, and every instinct in me is screaming to go back to her.

“Sofía,” I whisper.

She barely moves. Blood seeps through her fingers where she presses them against her abdomen, her face pale with pain.

“Sofía, stay with me.”

Her eyes find mine, and her lips move, go.

I shake my head. She mouths it again, more urgently this time. Go.

My fingers tremble as I reach into her purse and find the gun. I grab it, clutching it tightly as I duck behind a large flower pot near the entrance.

Footsteps approach. I hold my breath. A man walks past, his gun raised as he scans the grounds. I press myself farther behind the pot, praying he doesn’t look in my direction. My heart is pounding so hard I’m convinced he can hear it.

Then I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Someone is behind me.

“Hello, baby.”

The voice freezes my blood.

Slowly, I turn. Luca stands there, a gun hanging loosely in his hand. My mouth falls open.

“Luca?”

He smiles. “Flesh and blood.”

“What are you doing here?” My voice shakes. “What’s going on? Why are you here? Why are these men attacking the guards?”

His smile widens. “Are you not happy to see me?”

“Are you with them?” I glance toward the chaos unfolding beyond him. “Are you the one doing this?”

He gives a small shrug. “I couldn’t wait for you to come to me anymore. So I figured, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad has to go to the mountain.”

Then his expression darkens suddenly. “I heard you on the phone—I heard it clear as day. You’ve changed. You’ve grown soft. I knew you’d already fallen for that bastard! You betrayed me, you fucking whore!”

I stare at him. This isn’t Luca. Not the man I knew. Not the man I thought I loved.

“What happened to you? Watch your mouth. Roman is a hundred times more of a man than you’ll ever be. And I didn’t betray you at all—I didn’t fall in love with Roman until after we were married. Besides, Roman told me you cheated on me a long time ago. So I’d actually like to ask you—is he right?”

Luca throws his head back and laughs. “You’re such a fool. Aren’t all men like that? It’s completely normal for a man to have multiple women. Roman isn't necessarily being honest with you.”

He gestures toward the chaos around us. “Look around you, Aurora. Where is Roman? Is he here to save you?”

I glance toward the gates, my heart hammering.

“He isn’t here,” Luca continues. “But I am. I’m here to take back what’s mine.”

“You’re insane.”