But Luca grabbed her hips firmly and pulled her back down before she could do anything rash.
"Hold on, Leona—don't! It's not what you're thinking. I'm not doing this because of what you did at all."
Leona didn't believe him right away. Tears welled in her eyes.
"You're lying...You definitely hate me because of what I did, and you're trying to push me away right now!"
"Please don't...Please don't push me away. I-I don't want to be without you. I can't live without you. I'll do anything—I"
She raised her hips again, determined, but Luca held her firmly in place and looked at her with a solemn, deeply loving gaze.
"Trust me, Leona. This really has nothing to do with you."
He smiled softly and caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"And do you really think I'm such a petty man that I would get angry over something like this?"
Leona thought about it for a moment, then shook her head, a small smile breaking through her worry.
"No...I wouldn't fall in love with such a petty man."
