The stranger with the note

The figure that stood at the doorway was tall, shoulders wide, and somewhat hidden by the dim lighting in the room. Her pulse pumped and her head ached. Didn't they say this was a safe place, reinforced and impenetrable? So what was this man doing standing inside the supposedly secured room and glaring at her? How did he break through the mansion’s security?

“Who…who are you? What do you want?” Her voice cracked, shaking with fear.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he fixed his sharp eyes on her, assessing her like a predator examining its prey. He stepped forward and Liya willed herself to move but her legs refused to cooperate. Her eyes flitted to the monitors but they were black and without any image. The room which had once felt like a refuge suddenly felt like a snare.

“I–I’ll scream,” she stuttered in a quivering but feisty voice.

The man raised his brows, a light smile on his lips. “You could, but I wouldn't advise it,” he said in a smooth and calm voice, sounding bored by the interaction.

Before she could respond, rushed footsteps sounded from the hallway. She let out a sigh of relief as Aldo appeared in the doorway, his body filling the room with a bossy energy. She felt slightly at ease with Aldo’s presence.

The intruder turned to face Aldo, his gaze unclear. Aldo’s hand grazed the gun tucked in his holster, ready to strike if it got to it.

“You’ve made an error coming here today,” Aldo said in a low and threatening voice.

The intruder raised his hand slightly in mock surrender. “Chill Marino, I'm not here to exchange blows, I don't have time for that.”

“Then what’s your mission here, what part do you play in this game?” Aldo questioned in a bone-chilling voice.

The intruder smirked, loving to see Aldo riled up. “To deliver a message from Damian.”

At the mention of his name again, Liya paled and felt irritation building inside her at the same time. What was this charade? What exactly was Damian playing at? The entire game didn't make sense to her. First, the man at the study tried to attack her and then took his life after delivering a message from Damian. Now, this man who looked unafraid and like he wasn't here to harm her came bearing another message from Damian. What kind of setup was this?

“Careful,” Aldo warned pulling out his gun as the man reached into his jacket, slowly pulling out a folded piece of paper and holding it up. “Relax, it’s just a letter,” his tone taunting.

Aldo pulled the paper from his hand with his gun still aimed at the man. He opened it, eyes sweeping through the page, and Liya watched his jaw tightening and posture tensing as he read the contents.

“What does it say?” Liya asked, her voice eager.

Aldo didn't answer. He continued to analyze the letter with a calm expression. He then folded the letter attentively and kept it in his pocket.

“Leave,” he said to the intruder in a commanding and final tone.

The man chuckled, the sound uneasy. “Always so blunt, Marino. You haven't changed at all.” He turned his attention to Liya, his eyes remaining on her for a while longer. “Take care, Mrs. Marino. I'm sure we'll meet again. Soon.”

Liya’s stomach rolled as the man exited the room, his confidence unnerving. The nerves in her body didn't settle until his footsteps faded down the hall.

Aldo sheathed his gun but avoided her eyes. His demeanor was colder than she had seen in the last few hours.

“What did the letter say?” she asked as she took cautious steps towards him.

“It doesn't matter to you,” Aldo said sharply, cutting off any further arguments she had but she wasn't backing down.

“It definitely does! I'm caught in the crossfire so it does.’ she snapped, her panic giving way to rage. “If Damian keeps sending people after us then I am entitled to know.”

Aldo snapped his gaze to her, his eyes filled with a mix of exasperation and something deeper that she couldn't quite put her finger on. “This isn't about entitlement Liya, it's about survival. The more you know, the more involved you get and the less you know, the safer you’ll be.”

She shook her head in defiance, hands fisting at her side. “You can't keep protecting me from the truth Aldo, I didn't want to be here, but here I am. I deserve to know what's happening.”

Aldo's gaze softened a bit, and the hard edges of his appearance seemed to lessen. “You believe knowing will make you safer?” he asked in a calm voice. Not waiting for her reply he continued, “It won't. It'll only make you a bigger target.”

Liya stared at him with an intense look, her chest rising and falling like waves in a storm. She hated how little he saw her, how helpless she felt in a world where Damian and Aldo controlled the strings.

“I’m already a target. The least you can do is make me understand what I'm up against.”

Aldo's eyes scrutinized her carefully and for a moment she thought he’d open up to her. But then he shook his head, his cold mask taking its place.

“You should rest. Melinda will show you to your room.”

He said dismissively.

Liya opened her mouth to argue but the look he gave her silenced the words in her throat. He was only shutting out, he was protecting her the only way he could.

———————————

Seconds flew by as Liya sat at the foot of the giant bed in the room Melinda had shown her, staring at the elaborate design on the rug. The mansion was surprisingly silent but she couldn't for a moment let go of the thought that the threat still prowling outside the walls.

Her mind filled with dread, confusion, and irritation. She replayed the day in her head and remembered the intruder in the study, the man in the “secured” room who delivered Damian’s letter, and Aldo and his change in expression as he read the letter.

And then her mind drifted to her brother, Liam, the reason she was here with Aldo, and in the middle of all this. Was he safe? What was he up to? Had Damian gone back on his word and was holding him hostage, to have leverage over her?

Soft tapping on the door broke her out of her thoughts, frightening her. She got up, her heart in her mouth as she approached the door. She should know better, but before she could get closer, Aldo stepped into the room.

He appeared…different. The cold aura he usually carried was replaced by another expression she couldn't quite put her finger on. He held a glass of whisky in one hand and the first three buttons of his shirt undone, displaying a glimpse of his well-defined chest.

“Having issues sleeping?” he asked in a calm voice, nothing like the one she had gotten used to.

Liya nodded hesitantly, “yeah, I've got too much on my mind.”

Aldo stepped further into the room, putting his glass on the nearby table. He glanced around the room, his attention focused on the window. “I have tightened the security outside. No one is getting to you again.”

“I’ve heard that before, but it's not the house I'm scared of.” She said, her eyes briefly moving to look at him.

Aldo looked at her, not saying anything for a moment. “You’re stronger than I'd thought,” he finally said, ignoring her taunting.

Liya was surprised by what he just said. “I don't feel that way,” she said.

“Strength is not about how you feel. It's more about what you do, and you proved how strong you are tonight,” Aldo said.

Liya suddenly felt shy as he looked at her. “ Trust me, I was terrified,” she said.

“Good, fear will keep you alive,” he said with an almost unnoticeable smile.

Their eyes met again and she witnessed another emotion aside from the usually cold one. “What are you keeping from me, Aldo?” she could see the conflict in his eyes about wanting to keep her in the dark or bringing to light what he was hiding.

Before he could answer, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, a frown taking over his face as he looked at the screen. He answered the call, anger filling his face. “Understood,” Aldo said in a cold voice.

“What's wrong,” Liya asked, her fear returning.

“Damian just made another move.” Having said that he turned and exited the room before she could ask more questions.