From NYU Labs to Street Flyers The Price of Loving a Don Chapter 04
How could I not understand?
Strip away the excuses, and she simply wanted to watch me crash into the dirt, get covered in filth, and never be able to pull myself up again.
I handed the card right back to her, picked up my mother’s ashes, and walked away entirely alone.
Time really flies. Before I knew it, another five years had passed.
I closed my eyes, forcing down the bitter resentment that hadn’t surfaced in years, and smiled at Luca.
“Don Luca, you flatter me, but since we share no connection whatsoever anymore, how could I possibly accept your money?”
“My life might be a bit of a struggle right now, but thankfully, my debts are almost entirely paid off. At least I have something to look forward to.”
Luca stared at me obstinately, the pain deep within his eyes clear as day, mingled with the faint shimmer of unshed tears.
“Something to look forward to? Serena, rolling around in the mud with no way out is what you call something to look forward to?”
“I know you still resent me. What I did back then was far too cruel… I’m begging you, just let me help you. Think of it as amends…”
I looked at him with slight astonishment.
A man as arrogant as Luca Greco was actually humbling himself, bowing his head so low.
“There’s no need, Don Luca. There’s no point talking about resentment; it’s all in the past.”
“I was at fault back then too. I was young, reckless, and placed far too much weight on love. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Shouldn’t have?”
Disbelief flooded Luca’s face. His lips trembled violently, and a slight sob broke through his voice.
“Serena, you regret it, don’t you? You regret loving me, don’t you?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot over the years. If Elena hadn’t jumped off that building back then, leaving me consumed by pity, I would never have married her so easily…”
“You regret it, but you have no idea how much I regret it too. I kept telling myself that if I ever saw you again, I would do everything in my power to make it up to you…”
For a fleeting second, my mind drifted. After a long silence, I suddenly let out a soft laugh.
“Regret or no regret, there’s no use bringing up the past.”
“Don Luca, you really shouldn’t let your wife hear those words. Otherwise, she would be heartbroken. We all choose our own paths. Just move forward, and don’t look back.”
Catching the underlying meaning in my words, Luca’s grip on my arm tightened even further.
He was still the same high-and-mighty heir from before, a trait that had only magnified since he became the Don. Even when he lowered his head, he couldn’t tolerate being rejected over and over again.
A trace of cold authority and irritation instantly leaked into his voice.
“Serena, stop throwing my generosity back in my face, will you? Look at yourself right now. You’re sunburnt and haggard—what kind of man could ever look at you?”
“Besides, I have no intention of divorcing Elena. We have a child together, after all! For the sake of our past, I can clear your remaining debts and buy you a house to live in comfortably. As long as you behave, I will—”
The more I listened, the more uncomfortable I became, to the point where I instinctively took half a step backward.
“Don Luca, what exactly are you implying?”
Luca closed the distance, stepping toward me and staring fixedly into my eyes, his tone softening without him even realizing it.
“Serena, don’t you get it? I just want to treat you well. I want to fix the mistakes I made all those years ago!”
I ripped my hand out of his grip and took several consecutive steps back.
“I think I’ll pass, Don Luca.”
“If you keep this up, my husband will misunderstand.”
