117Allesio’s POV Rosa had a way of finding me when I least wanted to be found.I’d been avoiding her again, not because I didn’t want to see her—I always wanted to see her—but because I didn’t trust myself to be around her. Not when I was torn between the pull of what I felt for her and the guilt of what I was supposed to do.I thought I was safe in the garden, tucked into one of the stone alcoves overlooking the manicured hedges. The air was cool and smelled faintly of lavender.. But then I heard the click of heels against the flagstones, and before I could even try to slip away, she was standing in front of me, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.“Okay, what the hell is going on?” Rosa said, her tone sharp enough to cut through the evening air.I looked up from where I sat, trying to summon my usual charm. “Nice to see you too.”“Don’t,” she snapped, stepping closer. “Don’t deflect. You’ve been acting weird for days now, and I’m done pretending not to notice. So, spill.”Her gaze was unr
118Rosa’s POV The room was alive with muted laughter and the hum of low conversations, the clinking of glasses underscoring the melody of a live string quartet tucked into the far corner. These events were always the same—syndicate families gathered under the guise of camaraderie, but everyone was watching, calculating, angling for a sliver of power.I’d attended these events for years, long enough to know every handshake, every fake smile, and every whispered word carried an undertone. Tonight was no different, but it felt different, at least to me.I glanced over at Allesio, standing a few feet away, the dark suit he wore clinging to his frame like it was made just for him. He looked sharp, polished, and effortlessly confident, the kind of man who drew attention without even trying. My father certainly noticed, which was no small feat.“You’ve brought someone impressive this time,” he had said earlier, his gaze lingering on Allesio in quiet evaluation.“Allesio isn’t someone I bro
119Allesio’s POV I’d finally decided to stop running away from Rosa and spend more time with her instead. Staying away from her wouldn’t change what I felt about her. It wouldn’t make Alaric think otherwise. So why torture myself with trying to make it look like I didn’t feel shit for her? Because that was exactly what it was. Torture and nothing else. We were seated on the balcony of her room, a bottle of wine between us and the city lights sprawling out below. It was a rare moment of calm, one I hadn’t planned for but wasn’t about to waste.She leaned back in her chair, a distant look in her eyes. Her hair was loose, spilling over her shoulders, and there was a tension in her posture that hadn’t been there earlier. Something was weighing on her, but I knew better than to push too soon. Rosa was like a safe with a complicated lock—push too hard, and she’d shut tighter.I poured her another glass of wine, sliding it across the small table between us. “You’re quiet tonight,” I said c
120Rosa’s POV The wine was warm in my glass, the edges of the city lights blurring as the night deepened. It had been one of those rare evenings when everything seemed to align—quiet laughter over dinner in my balcony, a shared look that lingered too long, and the comfortable rhythm that only comes when someone feels like less of a stranger and more of a constant.Allesio leaned back in his chair, his eyes on me, his gaze heavy with something I couldn’t quite name. He had this way of looking at me, like I was a puzzle he couldn’t wait to solve. Tonight, though, I didn’t mind being seen. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was just him, but my usual guard felt lighter.“Your family fascinates me,” he said, breaking the silence. His voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it, something calculated.I raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. “Fascinates you? That’s an interesting word for it.”“Well, it’s true,” he said, shrugging as if the words didn’t weigh much. “You’re like this unst
121Allesio’s POV I leaned against the balcony railing of my room, staring out at the sprawling estate below, its manicured lawns and glimmering lights feeling more like a gilded cage than a place of power. The phone in my hand buzzed again, Alaric’s name lighting up the screen.I let it ring, debating whether I even wanted to answer.Eventually, I swiped my thumb across the screen and held the phone to my ear.“Finally,” Alaric snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut glass. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten how to pick up a damn phone.”“Been busy,” I replied evenly, staring out at the darkened horizon.“Busy cozying up to Rosa, I assume?” he said, his tone laced with something between sarcasm and irritation. “Because that’s the job, Allesio. Or have you forgotten that, too?”My jaw tightened. “I haven’t forgotten.”“Good,” he said. “Then maybe you can explain why I’m hearing whispers that you’re dragging your feet. You’re supposed to be gathering intel, not playing house.”“
122Rosa’s POV The drive was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt alive, charged with words unspoken. Allesio sat beside me, one hand resting on the door, the other draped casually over his thigh. He was watching the road, though I could tell his mind was elsewhere, as it often was.I wasn’t sure what made me think of this place or why I’d decided to bring him there. Maybe it was the look in his eyes lately—like he was carrying something too heavy to say out loud. Or maybe it was the growing knot in my chest, the part of me that wanted to trust him, even as another part whispered caution.“Where are we going?” he finally asked, his voice low but curious.“You’ll see,” I said, glancing at him briefly.He raised a brow but didn’t push further. That was one of the things I liked about Allesio—he never demanded. He just waited, giving me the space to come to him on my terms.The road narrowed as we left the city behind, winding through a stretch of trees until the car was surrounded by not
123Allesio’s POV The air between us was heavier than it had ever been. I could feel her warmth next to me, the way her fingers brushed against mine as we sat together in the quiet corner of her room. We’d just returned from her spot in the countryside, and though she seemed at ease, I was anything but.Every time she looked at me, I felt a little piece of my resolve crack. Her trust, fragile and tentative, had started to grow. And for the first time, I didn’t know if I wanted to keep chipping away at it for Alaric’s sake—or if I wanted to protect it, selfishly, for my own.“Everything okay?” Rosa’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.Her dark eyes were on me, searching. She wasn’t like the others in her world. She didn’t hide behind bravado or manipulation. When she asked a question, it was because she genuinely wanted to know.“Yeah,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just tired.”“You’ve been saying that a lot lately,” she said softly, tilting her head. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and
124Allesio’s POV The day started like any other, but I had a strange feeling in my gut—one that had nothing to do with the usual syndicate tension and everything to do with Rosa. She’d told me we had plans, but she hadn’t been specific. That alone should have been a warning. With Rosa, surprises were rarely casual.When she appeared in the doorway, wearing a tailored navy suit that managed to look both lethal and elegant, I knew whatever was coming wasn’t small.“You clean up well,” I said, giving her a slow once-over.She smirked, fixing one of her earrings. “You’re not so bad yourself. You ready?”“For what?” I asked, slipping my jacket on.Her smirk deepened, and she walked past me, the faint scent of her perfume lingering in the air. “You’ll see.”She led me outside, where her driver was already waiting. As we settled into the car, I kept my face neutral, but my mind was racing. Rosa had a way of pulling me into her world without warning, and today felt like one of those days.“
266Allesio’s POVIt had been a week since I made that promise to Rosa. Since I promised her that I won’t tell Alaric. And each day felt like a weight pressing down harder on my chest. The guilt of keeping the secret, the guilt of betraying Alaric, was gnawing at me, and I couldn’t escape it. The promise I’d made to her—I won’t tell Alaric, I won’t tell anyone—had started to feel less like a vow and more like a cage I couldn’t break out of.I spent more time at the mansion than her condo now, hoping to bury my thoughts under the grind of work. I told myself that keeping my focus on Alaric, on what I owed him, would keep my head straight. But every time I looked at him, every time I saw his face, the guilt flared up again. It didn’t matter that Rosa was the one I loved. I had a duty to Alaric that I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much my heart pulled me in the other direction.This war with myself—loyalty versus love—was eating away at me.I had just stepped off the elevator when I bum
265Rosa’s POVIt was late when Allesio finally came back into to the condo. The air between us wasn’t just tense—it felt fragile, like a glass already cracked and on the verge of shattering. But this time, it wasn’t about the Cruz family or Dominic’s death. Something else weighed on him.“Allesio?” I called softly, setting my book down on the nightstand. He paused in the doorway, his hand resting on the frame like it was the only thing holding him up.“Rosa.” His voice was low, almost hoarse, and I knew whatever he was carrying wasn’t just another argument waiting to happen.I stood, crossing the room until I was close enough to see the faint lines of worry etched on his face. “What is it?”He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. “There’s trouble at the docks.”My stomach clenched. “Again?” I breathed out.“Yes. Again,” he murmured in reply.“What happened?” I asked.“Alaric got word that a shipment went missing. Weapons, high-grade. Some of the guys think it’s a setup.” His jaw tight
264Allesio’s POV.“You’re lying to yourself, Allesio. And it’s going to destroy you.”Rosa’s voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade, sharp and deliberate. I looked up from the glass in my hand, the amber liquid trembling slightly as I set it down. Her words hung in the air, daring me to respond, but for a moment, I didn’t. I couldn’t.Instead, I leaned back against the chair, exhaling slowly. “What am I supposed to say to that?” I muttered, my tone edged with exhaustion. “You want me to admit you’re right? That I’m falling apart? That I don’t have the first clue how to fix any of this?”“I want you to stop pretending you can carry all of it alone.” Rosa crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. “Because you can’t. And if you don’t realize that soon, it’ll cost us everything.”I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration boiling over. “And what exactly do you suggest, huh? Just tell Alaric the truth and hope he doesn’t tear the world apart looking for revenge? Because that’s exa
263Allesio’s POVI felt like I was losing my grip on reality. Every time I saw Rosa, it was like the walls were closing in. Her confession still hung over me like a storm cloud, and no matter how much I tried to shake it, the weight wouldn’t lift. The guilt wasn’t just about keeping secrets from Alaric—it was the deeper betrayal I couldn’t even admit to myself. The tangled mess of Dominic’s death, the Cruz family, and Rosa’s insistence on her and her family’s innocence had my head spinning.The worst part? I wasn’t sure if Alaric had picked up on it yet. If he hadn’t picked up on it that I already knew and I was hiding it. He wasn’t blind, and he definitely wasn’t stupid. The man could read me like a book on my best day, and I wasn’t even pretending well anymore.I couldn’t avoid him forever, though. I was in his office, and the air felt even more suffocating than usual. He was flipping through some papers at the scattered on the table, his focus seemingly on anything but me.Meanwhi
262Allesio’s POV“Do you ever think about how things might’ve been if Dominic were still alive?” I asked, my tone casual, though my heart thudded heavily in my chest. I was at Rosa’s condo today too. It was where I was spending most of my free time now. And I decided that I wanted to know everything today. Maybe, just maybe she doesn’t know anything and I don’t have to choose between her and Alaric.She raised a brow, giving me a somewhat confused look. “Dominic?”“Alaric’s brother. Do you think if Dominic was still alive, Alaric would have been a better man than he is now?” I asked her, observing her intently. “Do you ever think about how things might have been I’d Dominic were still alive?”Rosa froze for a moment, her glass hovering mid-air. “That’s a loaded question, Allesio.”I shrugged, keeping my gaze steady. “Is it? Alaric does. A lot. He doesn’t say it, but I know he’s still haunted by it.”Her eyes flicked to mine, wide and uncertain. “Haunted how?”“Like he’s carrying some
261Allesio’s POVSecrets have a way of sinking into your bones, of twisting around your every thought like a barbed wire. No matter how much I tried to focus on the present, the weight of the decision I’d made not to share Rosa’s information with Alaric clawed at me.It wasn’t like I didn’t understand the stakes. Alaric and I had been through enough together for me to know how he operated. Loyalty wasn’t just a requirement in our world—it was the lifeline that kept you breathing. And yet, I chose Rosa.It wasn’t a decision I’d made lightly, but every time I thought about the way her eyes brightened whenever she saw me, I knew I couldn’t throw her into Alaric’s crosshairs. Not when she trusted me.Alaric was already seated in the dimly lit bar when I arrived, a whiskey glass in his hand and an air of impatience hovering around him.“You’re late,” he said, his eyes cutting toward me as I slid into the seat across from him.“Traffic,” I lied smoothly, signaling the bartender for a drink
260Rosa’s POV.The afternoon sunlight was warm on my face as Allesio and I walked back to the apartment. The day had been full of small joys—ice cream, bookshops, and just the comfort of him being with me, but something was very off about him. It was just too obvious. And it had been for a few weeks now and I couldn’t figure out what the issue was.Allesio wasn’t himself.Sure, he laughed at my jokes and indulged me when I dragged him into yet another store to look at scarves or quirky trinkets. He held my hand and kissed my temple like always, but there was a distance in his eyes. It was like his mind was somewhere else, wrestling with something I couldn’t see.“Are you okay?” I asked again, keeping my tone light as we climbed into the elevator lifting us up to our apartment. I just couldn’t let it sit still, seeing him so obviously bothered.“Yeah,” he said quickly, a little too quickly.I let it slide, but my curiosity sharpened. This wasn’t the first time I’d felt him pulling awa
259Allesio’s POVRosa was standing in the kitchen, by the stove and starring a pot with one hand while the other rested on her hip. Currently we were at her new condo she just moved into. She has this small smile on her face, so beautiful and so effortless that it struc me how lucky I was to have her in my life.“You’re staring,” she said, glancing at me over her shoulder with a teasing smirk.I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “And if I am?”“You’re distracting me,” she replied, though the smile playing on her lips betrayed her mock annoyance.I pushed off the doorframe and walked over, wrapping my arms around her waist. “If I’m distracting you, it’s only fair. You’ve been distracting me since the day we met.”She laughed again softly and warmly and leaned into me. “You’re such a charmer, you know that?”“Only for you,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.Moments like these felt almost too good to be true. The simplicity of being with her, the ease of her presence—it
258Alaric’s POVI watched her from across the room. She was sitting there, her arms crossed, looking down at her lap as if trying to collect herself. Her shoulders were trembling ever so slightly, and I could feel the guilt gnawing at me, making my chest tighten with each passing second.I had messed up. Big time. I had let the rage and the need for control cloud my judgment, and now she was sitting there, hurt, angry, and devastated because of the choices I had made without her. Without her.I was so damn stupid.“Emilia,” I said, my voice low but firm, my feet taking me toward her before I even realized what I was doing. She didn’t look up when I said her name, but I knew she heard me.She didn’t respond, though. She just kept looking at her hands, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. I could feel the distance between us, like an invisible wall had gone up the moment I’d made the decision to move against Alonso without even telling her.I could feel her anger radiating fro