Chapter 13: Nobody wants me
"What if I give you proof? Maybe then you’ll finally trust me," Luca said, keeping calm.
Sara shook her head and turned away, her patience worn thin. She didn’t want to argue anymore as it only would drain her strength.
Without another word, Luca reached for his phone on the table. He unlocked it and held the screen out toward her. At first, Sara refused to look, keeping her eyes fixed elsewhere. But when Luca moved the phone directly in front of her face, she snatched it from his hand, more out of annoyance than curiosity.
The moment her gaze fell on the image, she went frozen. Her eyes widened in shock. Her lips trembled as she scrolled down, each swipe revealing something worse than the last.
Luca’s voice cut through the silence as if pitying her.
"I always thought you were smart. Turns out you were just book-smart. You never really saw people for what they were. You thought they cared about you. But Asher? He used you. He never wanted you, Sara. He wanted your stepsister. And if you still insist on protecting him after this..." Luca leaned closer, his voice dropping. "Then you’ll be the biggest fool on earth."
"Ho-how did you even find out all of this?" Sara asked, her voice trembling as tears blurred her vision.
"The bar they were sneaking around in belongs to a friend of mine," Luca replied. "He sent me the pictures not long ago. And honestly, if I hadn’t shown you, you still wouldn’t have believed me. It’s strange, Sara. Yesterday you heard Asher spit those cruel words at you, yet today you wanted to help him. How can you be so... forgiving? Don’t you have any dignity left?"
Sara lowered her gaze, saying nothing. Her body felt heavy as she sank onto the couch, clutching her temples. Her head throbbed, but the pain inside her chest was worse. Frida and Asher, they both had deceived her. She had never trusted her stepbrother, but Frida... She hadn’t thought her stepsister bore her such malice. How could she have been so blind? So naïve that she hadn’t noticed the two of them plotting and having an affair behind her back?
Luca watched her in silence, searching her expression. Shouldn’t she be breaking down? Shouldn’t she be crying at the sheer humiliation of it all? But Sara’s face remained composed, and it unsettled him.
"Asher didn’t get bail, did he?" she asked suddenly.
"His lawyer tried, but failed," Luca said. "Sara, I’m not going—"
"Let him rot in there," she cut him off in a stern voice . Then, with steady hands, she picked up her phone and blocked both Asher’s and Frida’s numbers. "Come on. Let’s go shopping."
She rose, straightened her shoulders, and walked toward the door.
Luca let out a short laugh as he caught up to her. "What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? Shouldn’t you at least apologize to me?"
Sara kept walking, her eyes fixed ahead. "I thought about visiting Asher earlier. That’s why I was going out. But I see now... I was a fool to believe someone like him could ever love me." Her voice was low, almost to herself, "Nobody wants me."
Luca tilted his head, studying her profile with a sharp gaze. "What’s this then? Are you expecting me to love you?"
"No," Sara said firmly.
"We both hate each other, don’t forget that," Sara said. She halted halfway down the stairs, turning back to face him. "Those were your words. You said them the day I... The day I confessed to you. And I don’t like you either. Besides, this marriage—" she gestured vaguely "—it’ll be over in a year anyway."
She turned to descend again, but before her heel touched the next step, Luca’s hand closed around her arm. The sudden warmth of his grip stopped her breath.
In one swift motion, he pulled her toward him, his other hand rising to cradle her face with unexpected gentleness. Sara’s palms pressed against his chest. She should have pushed him away. She wanted to, yet her body froze, caught in the heat of the moment.
And before she could gather her thoughts, Luca’s lips were on hers. He nibbled on them, coaxing her to kiss him back. Just once.
’Why is he doing this to me?’
Her mouth synced with his. And just then, tears escaped the corner of her eyes. Maybe because she was hurt by the truth or because she knew a part of her still had feelings for Luca.
Luca pulled back almost as quickly as he had kissed her, his gaze lingering on her face. He brushed away the tears on her cheek with his thumb. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"You should apologize to me."
Sara’s breath caught as she spoke promptly, "You can’t just kiss me whenever you feel like it."
"You didn’t exactly resist," Luca murmured, a low chuckle escaping as he turned and started up the stairs. "You responded. You still haven’t managed to get me out of your head."
Her fists curled tight. Heat rushed to her face as she stormed after him, striking him squarely at his back. She strode past him in a rush, refusing to look at his expression.
But when she reached the car waiting outside, she realized her lips had curved into an involuntary smile. She stopped, composing herself quickly, and turned back to him with her hand stretched out.
"I will drive. Give me the keys."
Luca raised a brow, amused. "Where’s your license?"
"Ah... it’s—it’s at my house," she admitted. Most of her belongings were still there, but no one had bothered sending them to her. And going back wasn’t an option. Her father wouldn’t even let her through the door.
"I don’t want you to end up in the station. I’ll drive," Luca pronounced and opened the door for her. "Get in."
Sara climbed into the car and watched him go to the other side. As he settled in and fastened his seatbelt, she muttered, "Are you ready to perform your duties as a husband? I’m going to empty your wallet today."