I couldn't stand still and listen to Bella's nonsense. I walked in, and Vincente's eyes fell on me, uncertainty written on his face. He was sipping on a glass of water while his mother talked to him. When she noticed Vincente's attention had shifted, she turned to see who had caught her son's eye."Hi..." she said with a forced smile that was painfully obvious. She couldn't even fake it convincingly."Hi," I replied curtly, my frustration with Bella growing. I shifted my gaze to Vincente, who continued sipping on his water, his eyes fixed on me."Ah, I'll leave you two," Bella said with a chuckle as she walked away. I continued to stare at Vincente, unsure of what to say.Since his return, it felt like he had been avoiding me. Even though I had my hands full with his brothers, stirring up various emotions, the growing distance between Vincente and me troubled me."I-""I am tired," he said emotionlessly, cutting me off. It hurt to see someone who had once made me so comfortable look a
"When?" I asked, praying it wouldn't clash with my date with Valentino."Do you have an appointment? Maybe—""No," I stopped him. If I allowed him to celebrate his birthday alone, I wouldn't live with myself. It might sound crazy, but Vicente was as important to me as Valentino."I don't have a prior appointment. Even if I do, I would cancel," I lied as he smiled. "I didn't know I became so important to you, Rose," he teased as my face reddened."Little slut," Arya said to me as I maintained a smile on my face."Well, I still feel you have a prior engagement. Would you be done by 9 pm?" He asked."Yeah, it's perfect," I said with a gleaming smile. I had just been worried for nothing. Everything was working perfectly, and it seemed too good to be true. I get to please both brothers, and no one gets hurt.Getting along with Vicente was as important as paying back a favor or satisfying my insatiable desire for his elder brother."Nice," he replied with a smile and moved close, planting a
"I—" I tried to say something but couldn't seem to complete my words. How could I say no when he was looking at me like that? Like his request was at the expense of his life."I'll stay…" I sucked in a deep breath and resumed stroking his head as his smile widened."Thank you, Rose," he said as I nodded and looked up at his mother's picture. Memories of how she left him as a kid flooded my mind."I'll stay for a while and go to Vicente," I thought aloud and willed myself to believe everything would turn out well."Would you like to hear some of my memories with my mum?" He asked, pulling me out of my reverie."Uh? Sure?" I nodded, with a genuine smile. It was perfect; at least talking about the dead would block all the nasty thoughts she was having, while Valentino was laying on her lap looking like a devilishly handsome puppy.Valentino sat up, his legs crossed as he started talking about different memories with his mother, jumping from one scene to another, smiling like a ten-year-o
VALENTINOI followed Vicente’s gaze and landed on Rose, who stood there looking like a helpless little girl, desperately thinking about what to do.I scoffed at first, followed by a short laugh, and then a continuous, loud laugh that made the three people in the room stare at me.“Sure. Let’s have a good fight, brother,” I pretended to straighten my brother’s clothes as he watched me with a confused look. “Don’t get hurt, though,” I added with an angry look and turned away, leaving without another word.All the while on my way to my room, I couldn't imagine my fears were coming to pass. The day my brothers would want to fight with me for Sabatini Internationals, the one thing I’ve lived for, apart from Rose, my mate. I don't know if she knew or felt it, but the attraction between the two of us was undeniable.I drew in a deep breath as I made my way to the bathtub and dipped myself in, trying to shove the troubling thoughts away, but they stuck to me as if glued. She was the reason for
VALENTINO"I have been driving for a while now, young master. Do you now have a particular destination to go to?" The driver asked through the speaker on his sound system. I stared out of the window as if his words were foreign to me."Boss-""Did I ask you to talk?" I responded in a low, lazy manner that showed my frustration."I'm so sorry, boss," he quickly apologized as I sighed for the umpteenth time.My thoughts turned to Rose; I needed a distraction from my current situation."Take me home," I finally said."Okay, boss," he replied as I closed my eyes, trying to push away the pain in my heart.I couldn't help but think of Rose—her soft body on my sheets, her lips, and the desire she ignited in me.She had a significant effect on me, and it frustrated me.When I finally arrived home and entered the living room, I found Bella sipping wine and engrossed in a TV show."You're back?" She asked, turning to look at me."Mind your business," I replied curtly, trying to hide the fact th
VALENTINO"What? No. I mean, you can't just decide to do something out of the blue-""You don't even know why I am here," she cut me short all of a sudden, as if she was trying to convey an emotion. But it didn't matter to me at that point. I hadn't really thought that Rose would stay here forever, but I hadn't thought of her leaving either."You are not the problem," I said with a calm tone, even if that was the hardest thing to do. I was desperate, seeing the resolute look on her face.She scoffed and shook her head. "Then what is?" she asked, and then I realized I was kidding myself. My brother and I are up against each other because of her.As she turned to leave, I held her arm and drew her back. "I—" I paused and pressed my lips together, the words hard for me to form because it's like making the biggest decision ever."I will leave the company for him," I said as she stared at me with newfound shock, which later transferred to a chuckle."Don't be silly, Valentino.""I am serio
VALENTINO"What's Rose got to do with it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow."It's nothing," he cleared his throat and waved off the question."Really?" I pressed, but he seemed more focused on avoiding my gaze, which was even weirder."We were talking all of a sudden, and Rose's name suddenly popped up," I said again as he stood up."I have a meeting with some business associates. Don't let what happened at the court earlier repeat itself. Vicente is hurting as much as you," he said as I bit my lower lip. The old geezer had skillfully changed the subject, but what did he mean by Vicente was hurting?"Hurting? Then what would you call what I experienced in the states all this while?" I asked when he was halfway towards the door.He turned to look at me. "How about talking to him for once? You might just find out some things you can't imagine," he stated and finally left.I sighed and placed my hand on the desk, looking down, contemplating hard on what to do."Do you want to?""I don't," I
"He's gone," she said as I stared at her in shock, trying to process her words."What do you mean, gone where?" I asked as she handed me a paper.I took it and read through it."Hey, Rose. It seems I will never really find the love I yearn for, even if I have to beg. Maybe I'm in the next world or some other place. Vicente."I looked up from the piece of paper, studying Rose's distressed expression."I told you to treat him well," she said with a challenging look, and my mind flashed back to the board meeting and then to the conversation in the restroom."I didn't—""You couldn't just be selfish, huh? You act like the world only revolves around you, Valentino. Now look at what it's led to, making others feel like garbage!" She snapped angrily as I stared at her with a helpless expression.This is wrong. It wasn't my fault he left."Look, Rose. I don't know what anyone told you or anything, but I didn't do anything. Vicente left on his own accord," I said quickly."Ah…really?" She aske