Chapter 2

A knock on the door jolted me awake the next morning, I opened my eyes, a wave of panic washed over me. Alessandro’s arm was wrapped tightly around me, pinning me against his hard chest. The warmth of his body was unmistakable, yet it confused me. Why was he holding me like this when he barely seemed to tolerate me? Did he get so drunk last night that he forgot his usual scorn?

I shifted just slightly, careful not to wake him, and risked a glance at his face. My gaze traced the sharp angles of his jaw and those powerful shoulders I’d seen dominate so many rooms—and so many people. Despite the bitterness i felt in our marriage, I couldn’t deny how magnetic he looked, even in sleep. His muscular arms were wrapped around me like a cage, each tattooed line height​en​ing his strength. His thick thighs tangled with mine, and the heat of his body pressed against me in a way that had my heart racing. I bit back a sigh, forcing my gaze away from his closed eyes, strong, and calm face. I felt the old ache—he was breathtakingly gorgeous, but I was the only one living with the ugly truth behind that perfection.

My mind flashed back to our wedding day, the very first moment I saw him and i fell hard, before I learned he was a devil in disguise. He’d barely shown me any act of kindness since we met. But here he was, holding me so close, as if I was someone he treasured instead of someone he barely noticed. After three years, I’d gotten good at reading his moods, but this gesture only left me more confused.

Swallowing hard, I gently removed his hand from my waist, slipping quietly out of bed. Still bare, I quickly dressed as the knocking grew louder. When I opened the door, Alessandro’s stepmother, Maria, stood there with that same pitying smile she always wore. I’d grown used to it, but that didn’t make it sting any less.

“Is Alessandro awake?” she asked, her voice soft.

“No, he’s still asleep,” I replied, keeping my tone respectful.

Maria’s hand gently clasped mine. She was one of the few people who showed me any empathy in this house regardless of the fact it lacked sincerity. “Well, he won’t be pleased if he’s late. Go on and make his breakfast. You know how he gets,” she said with a concerned smile.

I nodded and slipped past her, heading downstairs to start breakfast. As I rushed into the kitchen, Maria slipped into the room behind me. Little did I know, she had her own motives. She’d always held Alessandro’s trust completely, even though she used it to her advantage to constantly stir trouble between us, planting seeds of doubt and fanning the flames of his already unstable temper.

While I prepared his favorite dishes, Maria moved around the room, her mood shifting as she spotted something on the floor—my torn panties from last night. Her eyes narrowed, her fake smile slipping. She despised me and never wanted Alessandro to be happy with me, always finding new ways to pit him against me.

Eventually, Maria knelt beside the bed and caressed his head in a way that would look caring to anyone who didn’t know her tricks and could read through her schemes. Alessandro stirred, his hand smacking hers away in reflex. “What the hell?” he muttered, eyes still closed.

“Oh, it’s just me,” Maria said, her tone falsely innocent. “I was just checking in, dear. You’re usually up by now, and I was getting worried.”

He rubbed his eyes, still weak. “I came in late. I don’t have a meeting until this afternoon,” he grumbled.

“Oh, of course, silly me!” Maria laughed, pretending to slap her forehead in embarrassment. She then dropped her voice, barely masking her glee. “But I did see the credit card bill from yesterday… Aria spent nearly two million on shopping.”

Alessandro shrugged, uninterested. “Why should I care if my wife spends my money?”

Maria’s jaw tightened at his indifferent response, though she forced a lowly smile. She was the one who had actually used my card, yet she didn’t mind making me look like the irresponsible spender. Stupid old hag.

 She leaned in closer, whispering as if sharing a secret. “You’re such a generous husband. I don’t know why she feels the need to flirt with other men.”

That snapped Alessandro out of his sleepy state, his gaze darkening as he glared at her. “What did you say?”

“Oh, I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” Maria murmured, her voice trembling with fake worry. She backed away, knowing all too well how he’d react.

“Tell me what she did,” he ordered, voice hard.

Maria’s gaze dropped, her expression suitably apologetic. “It’s just… yesterday, at the store, she was chatting with this young, handsome salesman. I tried to warn her, but…” She let the sentence trail off, letting him fill in the gaps with his own rage.

I had no idea what awaited me as Alessandro stormed down the stairs, eyes blazing, jaw clenched. And in that moment, I realized just how dangerous Maria’s schemes could be—for both of us.