CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN – A BROKEN HEART

Rebecca felt a stab of pain in her chest at his reaction. "Can't what, Luca? Can't love me back?" Luca stood up abruptly, pacing in front of the fireplace. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Rebecca had come to recognize as a sign of his distress. When he finally turned to face her again, his expression was guarded. "After Irina's betrayal," he began, his voice low and pained, "I swore to myself that I would never open my heart like that again. I can't be in a relationship, Rebecca. I can't take that risk." Rebecca felt as if the ground had dropped out from under her. She stood up, moving towards him, but he took a step back. "But Luca, I'm not Irina," she pleaded. "I would never betray you. What we have is real, it's special. Can't you feel it?" Luca's eyes were filled with a mixture of pain and regret. "I'm sorry, Rebecca. I care for you, I do. But I can't give you what you're asking for. I can't be the man you want me to be." Rebecca felt tears welling up in her eyes. "B