272Alaric’s POVRage was a living, breathing thing inside me. It burned through my veins, consuming every rational thought, leaving only the raw, seething anger that had taken root in my soul since the truth came out. The Cruz family. Those bastards had killed Dominic. And Allesio—someone I trusted, someone who was supposed to be my right hand—had known all along. He had kept it from me. Lied to my face.I gritted my teeth as I sat in my office, gripping the armrests of my chair so hard that the leather creaked beneath my fingers. The image of my brother’s face flashed in my mind—Dominic, who had always had my back, who had always put family first. He was gone. And the people responsible had been breathing easy all this time.Because Allesio let them.I slammed my fist onto the desk, sending a glass of whiskey toppling over. The amber liquid spilled across the wood, but I didn’t give a damn. My chest heaved as I forced myself to calm down. It didn’t work.The sound of heels clicking
273Alaric’s POVFrancesca giggled as she sat on my lap, swinging her little legs back and forth. She had insisted on playing with my watch, her tiny fingers fumbling with the strap. I let her. Anything to see her smile.“Daddy, look!” she said excitedly, holding up my watch like it was the greatest treasure in the world. “It’s too big for me.”I chuckled, adjusting the strap so it wouldn’t slide off her wrist. “That’s because you’re too small, princess.”She pouted. “I’m not small. I’m big.”“Oh yeah?” I raised an eyebrow. “How big?”Francesca stretched her arms as wide as she could, her eyes sparkling with determination. “This big!”I smirked, tapping her nose lightly. “Still too small to wear my watch.”She huffed but quickly got distracted, playing with the buttons on my sleeve. I watched her, my chest tightening.She had no idea.No idea that I wasn’t really her father.No idea that the man she called ‘Daddy’ wasn’t the one who had given her life. And she never would have known i
274Alaric’s POVI sat in my office, fingers steepled as I stared at the map spread across my desk. The Cruz estate was marked with red, the layout burned into my mind. I had spent hours going over every possible entry point, every possible weakness. Alonso Cruz would not see me coming.I had been waiting for this moment.A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I quickly gathered the papers, shoving them into a drawer before calling out, “Come in.”The door opened, and Emilio stepped inside, his expression grim. “We’re ready.”I nodded. “Good. Lock the doors.”He closed the door behind him, locking it before moving toward the chair across from me. “Allesio still doesn’t know?”I clenched my jaw. “No. And he won’t.”Emilio frowned. “Alaric—”“No,” I cut him off. “He had his chance to be honest with me. He chose to lie. He chose to protect Alonso.”Emilio sighed but didn’t argue. He knew better.I had made my decision.“You’re sure about this?” he asked after a moment.I lean
275Emilia’s POVI needed a break.Desperately.Between Alaric’s mood swings, the tension in the house, and the unshakable feeling that something was being kept from me, I was losing my mind. And I knew Rosa could sense it too because she was the one who suggested this trip.“Two days,” she had said, grinning as she packed a bag in my room while I sat on the bed, watching her like she had lost it. “No men. No stress. Just me, you, and Francesca.”I had hesitated at first. Leaving Alaric like this felt… wrong. But what was I even staying for? To keep watching him glare at his phone and snap at Allesio without telling me why?So here we were, driving up the coast, Francesca singing along to whatever pop song was playing on the radio while Rosa handled the wheel with her usual confidence.I sighed, leaning my head against the window as the salty breeze from the ocean drifted into the car.“Okay, spill,” Rosa said, shooting me a glance.I frowned. “Spill what?”“Whatever it is that’s been
276Emilia’s POV The house was quiet when I walked in, which was unusual. Normally, there was at least some noise—Francesca’s laughter echoing through the halls, the distant hum of conversation, or the occasional sound of Alaric’s men moving around. But tonight, everything felt… still. Too still.It wasn’t long ago that I returned from my trip with Rosa and Francesca, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. The time away had been refreshing, a much-needed break from everything. But as soon as I stepped inside, that feeling disappeared, replaced by a kind of suffocating feeling.I set my bag down and started toward the stairs when I heard voices coming from Alaric’s office. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the door was cracked open, and my name stopped me in my tracks.“She can’t know about this, not yet,” Alaric’s voice was sharp, controlled.I frowned and stepped closer.“I understand,” Allesio replied. “But are you sure about this? Going after Alonso like this… it’s going to start a
277Emilia’s POVI knew something was wrong the second I walked into the house. The energy was different—charged, electric, like the air before a storm. The staff avoided eye contact, moving quickly, their silence heavier than usual. My stomach twisted.Then I saw him.Alaric stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in all black, a gun strapped to his side, his expression cold and unreadable.My heart nearly stopped.No.No, no, no.I stepped forward, my voice sharper than I intended. “Where are you going?”He didn’t even flinch. Didn’t hesitate.“To finish what should’ve been done a long time ago.”I sucked in a shaky breath. I already knew what he meant, but I asked anyway, hoping, praying, I was wrong.“To kill Alonso.”A simple statement. Flat. Like he was announcing he was going out for coffee.Panic clawed up my throat. “Alaric, please—”“No.” His voice was sharp, final.I took another step toward him. “You can’t do this.”“I have to do this.”“No, you don’t!” I nearly sh
278Alaric’s POVThe night was still, the kind of stillness that came before a storm. The kind that made your gut twist in anticipation, like the world itself was holding its breath. I barely noticed.All I could feel was the fire burning inside me.I gripped the gun in my hand, my fingers tightening around the cold metal as I stepped out of the car. I stood in the front of Alonso’s mansion, watching as his guards moved around relaxed without suspecting anything at all.Good.He wouldn’t see me coming.My footsteps were steady as I moved up the driveway, my mind sharp, focused. Every part of me was locked in, my rage simmering just beneath the surface. The guards at the front barely had time to react before I took them down quick, clean, quiet.I didn’t come here for them.I came for him.The door to his house wasn’t locked. Arrogant bastard.I pushed it open without hesitation, stepping inside. The place was dark, but I knew he was here.I could feel him.A few more steps, and then—
279Alaric’s POVAlonso leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out like we were having a casual conversation instead of a standoff. His gun was still within reach, but he hadn’t gone for it. Neither had I.Not yet.“You’re awfully quiet,” he noted. “Did I hit a nerve?”I scoffed, keeping my gun trained on him. “You haven’t said anything worth responding to.”He smirked. “Maybe I should.”I narrowed my eyes, watching him closely. His demeanor had shifted slightly—not cocky, not smug. Something else. Something that made my instincts sharpen.Alonso exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against the table. “You think you know everything about why our families hate each other. But you don’t, Alaric.”I let out a humorless laugh. “You killed my brother. That’s all I need to know.”He shook his head. “That was an accident.”I stiffened. “Bullshit.”His eyes darkened. “You think I wanted Dominic dead? You think I went out that night planning for this to happen?”I said nothing, but my gr
314Matteo’s POV I wasn’t dumb enough to think flowers would fix everything.But I figured they wouldn’t hurt.Today was day fifteen, and I had a bouquet of her favorites—white lilies, blue hydrangeas, and those little yellow flowers she once told me the name of but I immediately forgot—delivered to her office. No big romantic gestures, no grand declarations, just something simple.And a note.Gianna, I meant what I said. I’m sorry. For everything. —MatteoShort. To the point. No extra fluff.I spent the next hour pretending I wasn’t thinking about it. Kept my head down, answered emails, even managed to sit through an entire meeting without checking my phone.Then my office door opened.I looked up, my pulse kicking up a notch, only to find Gianna standing there, holding the bouquet like it was a package she hadn’t ordered.“They’re nice,” she said.I waited, but that was it. No smile. No softening around the edges. Just a factual statement.“Glad you think so.” I tried for a smirk
313Matteo’s POV I should’ve seen this coming. I should have known that this would happened ever since she disappeared for two months without saying anything.The coldness. The distance. The way Gianna looked at me like I was a stranger, like I hadn’t once known exactly how she liked her coffee, how she twisted the rings on her fingers when she was overthinking, how she sighed my name when I kissed the spot just below her ear.I should have know this would happened. I should’ve been prepared for all of it.But I wasn’t.So instead, I did what any rational man in my position would do—I tortured myself by replaying every single moment we’d ever shared, as if overanalyzing the past would somehow change the present.There were the small things. The way she used to roll her eyes at me but smile anyway. The way she’d call me an idiot, but then pull me closer like she didn’t really mean it. The way she’d lean into me when she was tired, like it was the most natural thing in the world.Then
312Matteo’s POV Today was day five of trying to win her back. I waited until the end of the day.Not because I was scared, obviously. I just figured if I caught Gianna when she was about to leave, she’d have fewer escape routes.That was the plan. But, like most things involving Gianna lately, it didn’t go how I expected.She was already packing up when I walked into her office.“No knocking now?” she asked, barely sparing me a glance.I ignored that. “We need to talk.”She clicked her laptop shut and slipped it into her bag. “No, we don’t.”I exhaled. “Gianna.”She finally looked up, arms crossed, expression unreadable. “Matteo.”There was a time when her saying my name like that would’ve meant something else. Something teasing, warm, familiar. Now, it was nothing more than acknowledgment. And I hated it.I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “I just want to apologize.”She blinked. “For what?”That threw me off for a second. “For everything.”Her lips pressed together like she was
311Matteo’s POV I am nothing if not persistent.Or maybe just stupid.Either way, I wasn’t going to let Gianna’s newfound ice-queen routine scare me off. Not yet.So, this next morning, I tried again. Showed up at her office with another coffee—because I’m thoughtful like that—and set it on her desk without a word. I figured a silent approach might work better this time. Less room for her to verbally rip me apart.She didn’t even blink. Didn’t look up, didn’t say thanks, didn’t acknowledge me at all. Just kept typing like I wasn’t even there.Alright then.I leaned against the edge of her desk. “Before you tell me you already have one, I checked. Your cup is empty.”Still nothing. But I saw the slight pause in her typing. A crack in the armor.Progress.“And before you say you don’t want it, this one isn’t coffee.” I nudged the cup closer. “It’s tea. Herbal. The kind you used to drink when you worked late.”That got her. The tiniest flicker of hesitation in her expression. Then, jus
310Matteo’s POVI waited until lunch.Not because I was nervous. Definitely not. I just figured if I approached her too early, it would seem desperate. And I wasn’t desperate.But as I walked toward her office, a coffee in one hand, a file in the other — a completely real, work-related file, by the way — I felt something tighten in my chest. Like I was heading into enemy territory without armor.Gianna’s door was open. She was at her desk, typing something with the kind of focus that made it clear she had no interest in interruptions. Or people. Or, possibly, happiness in general.I knocked on the doorframe anyway. “Boss.”She barely looked up. “Matteo.”Not Matt. Not Teo. Not even an annoyed sigh. Just my full government name like I was any other employee who needed something from her.Okay. Cool. Professional. I could be professional.I stepped inside, setting the coffee on her desk. “Thought you could use this. Since, you know, you used to actually enjoy caffeine before you left.”
309Matteo’s POV The office was buzzing the moment Gianna walked in.Not the kind of buzz that came with excitement. No. This was a different kind—muted whispers, stolen glances, people suddenly remembering they had work to do when she passed by. The kind of buzz that meant no one had expected her to show up today. Hell, I hadn’t expected her to show up today.And yet, there she was.Gianna Lorenzo, back in her corner office like she’d never left.Only, she wasn’t the same.I watched from my desk as she strode across the floor, her heels clicking against the tiles in sharp, deliberate beats. The last time I saw her, she was different. Softer, warmer, laughing at my stupid jokes even when she rolled her eyes. This version of her didn’t even glance at anyone. Didn’t offer a single smile. Just walked straight to her office, shut the door, and stayed there.Like a ghost returning to haunt its own life.“She’s… different,” Leo muttered beside me, tapping his pen against his desk.I didn’t
308Rosa’s POV The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the apartment. I sat on the couch, nursing a cup of coffee, my fingers drumming against the ceramic. I’d come back to the states three days ago to finally pack up and move back to Italy. Across from me, Emilia stared, her lips pursed like she was trying to figure out how to respond to what I’d just told her.“You’re leaving,” she finally said, and it wasn’t a question.I nodded. “Yeah. I think it’s time.”She exhaled, leaning back against the couch. “Time for what? To run away? To bury yourself in business deals and pretend like you don’t care?”I rolled my eyes. “I’m not running away.”Emilia shot me a pointed look. “Rosa, please.”I sighed, setting my cup down. “I need a break. And I need to be there for my father. He’s been handling everything on his own for too long. It’s about time I stepped up.”She folded her arms. “And Allesio?”My stomach clenched at the mention of his name. I forced mys
307Allesio’s POV The whiskey burned on the way down, but it wasn’t enough to numb the ache in my chest. Nothing was. The dimly lit bar around me hummed with the usual noise—clinking glasses, quiet chatter, the occasional burst of laughter that grated on my nerves. It was ironic how the world kept spinning, people kept living, and I was stuck in this endless loop of regret and self-destruction.I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, staring at it like it held the answers to my misery. Maybe if I drank enough, I’d finally stop seeing her face every time I closed my eyes. Maybe I’d stop hearing her voice in my head, the way she told me to stop chasing her like I was nothing more than an annoying shadow she couldn’t shake off.The bar stool next to me scraped against the floor, but I didn’t look up. I already knew who it was. Only one person would be stupid enough to come find me when I clearly wanted to be alone.Alaric sighed, loud and unimpressed. “How long are you going to do this?
306Rosa’s POV The jet lag hadn’t hit me yet, but I was already very exhausted and felt done for the day.Italy looked the same as it always did—beautiful, timeless, like it existed in a different universe from the chaos I had left behind. I inhaled the crisp evening air as I stepped out of the sleek black car, the grand estate standing wide in front of me. The Smith family mansion. My father’s empire.The guards stationed outside barely blinked at my arrival, nodding respectfully as I walked past them. I had never lived here full-time, but it was still home in some ways. A piece of me, whether I wanted to admit it or not.The grand doors opened before I could even knock, and there he was—Romano Smith. The infamous Don. My father. He looked the same, even though it seemed he had grown older since the last time I saw him. He was dressed in his usual crisp three-piece suit, his silver hair combed back, his sharp eyes studying me the way they always did, like he was seeing everything I