Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 148

Luca stood behind his desk at Cyber 10 the next morning, hating the fact he had to leave Sutton. But she had been heading to the hospital to be with Miles, and Luca had to make sure she had protection every step of the way. There was no way he was going to take any chances with her life.

His gaze had been locked

I on the skyline for over ten minutes, not reading a single line of the reports Jake had forwarded him. He really didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be with Sutton and Miles. He’d taken so much time off since Sutton’s fall. But soon they would be together.

The only shadow he could see now was Nicole–and he had no idea how to handle her. If he didn’t do something, she would always be a threat, and he couldn’t see Sutton being happy living under protection all the time. noveldrama

He hadn’t told Sutton about the ongoing text messages and voicemalls from Nicole. She hadn’t been stupid enough to turn up here. But she hadn’t stopped since his press conference.

He knew Sutton didn’t want secrets; she was already going through so much. He hated the fact that Miles was still in the hospital, but Sutton, as his mother, was going through hell.

She had woken up crying this morning, and all he could do was hold her until she stopped. He wasn’t saying he didn’t feel the same pain, but his hurt wasn’t that of a woman that had held that tiny baby inside. The doctor at the hospital had warned him that Sutton would experience many emotions, including guilt. That somehow it was her fault that she hadn’t been able to carry Miles to term.

His phone rang. Seeing his lawyer’s number, Luca took the call.

“Tell me,” he said without introduction.

The head of his legal team didn’t mince words. “We got confirmation.”

Luca’s grip on the phone tightened.

His lawyer continued, “The second battery of psychological evaluations ordered by our team confirmed what you suspected. Nicole doesn’t suffer from delusions or any type of mental illness. No dissociation or temporary impairment. She was acting like a spoiled child, not having things go her way.”

“She knew what she was doing, so no impairment at all?”

“Nicole tried to fool us during the first lot of tests,” his lawyer confirmed. “She’s not insane, Luca. She’s cognitively sound. Just manipulative, with paranoid personality traits and narcissistic defense patterns. But fully aware of her actions and capable of understanding consequences. She’s smart and knew she would be a free woman if she were to be found insane. The second lot of tests were more in–depth, and she couldn’t hold on to the act.”

The silence stretched long.

Then, Luca exhaled slowly. “She is still dangerous to Sutton and my son,” he said quietly.

“Yes.”

“Go after her.” His voice was like steel through velvet. “Press charges. Every single one we can validate. Espionage, trespassing, hacking, security violations. Anything and everything. I want her so buried in legal hell, she won’t have enough air to breathe, let alone come after Sutton or Miles.”

“We’re prepared to file today. The DA can review by close of business.” His lawyer agreed.

“Good.” Luca cut the line without another word.

Luca turned, picking up his keys and jacket from the back of the chair. If Nicole thought she could slither out of this, if she believed she still had one ounce of power left to control the narrative, he was about to crush that illusion in person.

Nicole opened the door without checking who it was. She was barefoot, wearing silky pajama shorts and a camisole that left little to the imagination. Her hair curled around her shoulders. The doorman would have let her know he was corning up, so Luca wasn’t fooled by her appearance. It was an act

He took one step into her apartment and closed the door. He wanted no one to hear what he had to say aside from Roman, so Luca had called his friend

Chapter 148

before knocking on Nicole’s door. Told Roman to listen to what went on next because if Nicole tried to claim he had assisted her in any way, Roman, his proof.

Her apartment was expensive. Her salary working for him had allowed her this and also the funds to hire the hacker. But unlike his and Sutton’s place i was cold and fake, just like Nicole,

“Luca,” she breathed, voice dipping into soft sweetness. “God, finally.”

She reached for him.

His palm came up calmly, stopping her before her hands could touch his chest.

“Don’t,” he said flatly.

Nicole’s smile didn’t falter. But it cracked just the slightest bit. “Don’t be like this. You didn’t answer my messages. I thought you might finally want to talk in person, one on one, about us.”

“There was never an us. And there never will be.” His voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need to.

She stepped back a little, a shaky laugh escaping her lips. “Okay, well… that’s a hell of a greeting after everything we’ve been through together.”

“We were never anything,” Luca said, sharper this time. “You worked for me. End of story. I never laid a finger on you.”

“Don’t lie to yourself,” she snapped, smoothing a hand

hard to act noble now. Admit you were tempted.”

Luca let his eyes sweep over her once. Not hungry. Not appraising. Just disgusted. “In all honesty, you make my skin crawl,” he said.

Nicole flinched as if he’d slapped her. But he wasn’t done.

“If Sutton didn’t exist, if Miles wasn’t born, if I were the last man on Earth and you stood naked in front of me begging for it, I still wouldn’t want you. I would never touch you. There’s nothing about you I want. Not now. Not ever.”

Her face twisted. “You’d regret that. I can make-“.

He stepped forward. Too close for comfort. Dangerously close. His whole body vibrating with anger.

She should have backed away. But she held her ground. The stupid little bitch.

“I regret trusting you,” Luca said. “I regret allowing you access to my world. I regret not taking you apart sooner.”

Nicole narrowed her eyes. “Oh, really? Going all alpha now, Luca? Threatening little girls like me with bodyguards and legal teams? I know about your plans to have me charged. My lawyer called about ten minutes ago. I was just planning on how I could make your life hell if you do.”

Then, something in her snapped.

“Do you think she’s strong?” she hissed. “You think that waif with wide eyes and a bleeding heart is better than me? I could have given you a real life. Power. She is nothing but a fucking little slut who trapped you with a weak little son… who is only hanging onto life.”

Before she saw him move, he had her pinned to the wall.

One hand braced beside her head. The other just beneath her collarbone, not hard enough to bruise, just hard enough to hold her in place so she knew he meant every word…

Luca loomed, his face barely an inch from hers. “I want you to listen very carefully,” he said softly, his voice more lethal for its volume.

“If you ever come near Sutton again… if you so much as step foot on a sidewalk outside Miles‘ hospital… I will take you apart piece by piece. You won’t even hear it coming. And no one–no security team, no lawyer, no family… will find your body when I’m done. I will take you apart piece by piece and feed you to the snarks.”

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Chapter 148

Nicole’s breath hitched.

He didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch.

Slowly, her defiance drained from her face, replaced with something else. Real fear, About fucking time, because he wasn’t joking. He had never kifed anyone before, but if Sutton or Miles were hurt…

Her lips parted as if she might offer more bile, but nothing came out. Her eyes darted once to the hand at her chest. Then back to him. Caught

Finally.

Luca stepped back. Let her go.

She collapsed slightly against the wall, one hand clutching her chest.

Luca straightened, fixing his jacket collar. “You should be very grateful I’m walking away,” he said, his voice back to quiet steel. “Because make no mistake, this was your only warning. If Sutton or Miles is hurt in any way, I’m coming for you.” He turned toward the door. Behind him, there was only silence.

He left without another word.

Once outside the apartment, he pulled his phone from his pocket and put it to his ear. “Thanks, Roman.”

“No problem, mate… Fuck me, that was pretty awesome.”

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Luca didn’t smile because he had meant every word. “It’s done. The way she was just now, I think she will try to leave the country. There is nothing here for her. There will be a warrant for her arrest, so if she does leave the country, she could never enter again.”

“You still have someone on her.” Roman asked.

“Yes, around the clock.”

“Will you let her get on a flight?”

“Yes, then she can never enter the US again. Jail isn’t for life… exile is.”

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