49Emilia’s POVIt was the small things I noticed first. The subtle changes that whispered something was different, even if I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Extra men loitering by the gates, the usual staff looking a bit tenser than usual, and Allesio’s perpetual scowl seeming even deeper. Maybe it was nothing—Alaric always had a rotating roster of security, and after a while, you start to lose track of the familiar faces. But this felt different. It felt like there was a deeper reason behind the tighter security.I tried to brush it off. What did I know about Alaric’s business anyway? Maybe it was just a precaution, another one of his endless, layered defenses. Still, when I glanced out the window and caught sight of two new guards standing like statues at the end of the driveway, I couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling in my gut. I turned away, focusing on the task at hand: preparing Francesca for the charity event happening later today.It was supposed to be a simple gathering,
50Alaric’s POV I was shrugging off my shirt when Allesio walked into my room, his face calm but tired. “Emilia is in the study, she wants to talk.”“About what?” I asked, narrowing my eyes as I put my shirt back on and buttoned it.“I don’t know. She wouldn’t say,” he murmured with a shrug before walking out of the room, not caring if I had anything else to say. I decided to let that go. He was tired. Everyone was tired, even me. And I was supposed to be resting right now but since Emilia wanted to talk…I walked out of the room and headed straight to the study.The moment I walked into the study, I could tell something was off with Emilia. She was standing by the window, wringing her hands together. She always did that whenever she was worried. I’d seen it a few times before, but this was different—she looked almost sick with worry, like she’d been grappling with something for hours. My first instinct was to ask her what was wrong, but I held back, waiting for her to speak.I close
51Emilia’s POV My chest felt heavy, like I couldn’t get a proper breath. I made my way to the sitting room, feeling like a stranger in this mansion that had started to feel like home. Now it felt foreign and hostile, like the walls themselves were whispering accusations.How could I have been so careless?I sank onto one of the sofas, burying my face in my hands. The letter had been a threat, a direct one, against Francesca. And I had kept it from Alaric. I’d convinced myself I was doing the right thing, protecting his little girl from unnecessary fear. But now, after our conversation, I realized I’d only made things worse.I leaned back against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. The ornate molding blurred as tears filled my eyes. I’d been so sure of myself, so sure that I could handle this without needing to drag Alaric into it. I had underestimated the situation, and now the guilt was eating away at me.What if something had happened to Francesca? The thought sent a shiver down
52Alaric’s POV My phone buzzed on the desk behind me. I knew it was Allesio without even looking at the screen. He was the only one who would call at this hour unless it was an emergency.“Speak,” I said, answering the call.“Boss,” Allesio’s voice was low and urgent. “I’m outside. We need to talk.”I hung up without replying, already making my way to the front entrance. When I pulled open the heavy doors, Allesio was standing on the steps, his face shadowed in the dim light. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, and I knew whatever he had found wasn’t good.“Let’s go to the study,” I said, leading him inside. The mansion’s staff had long since retreated to their quarters, giving us the privacy we needed. As we entered the study, I closed the door behind us and gestured for him to sit.He didn’t. He paced instead, running a hand through his hair in a rare display of frustration. “Alaric, it’s worse than we thought,” he began. “The threats—it’s not just some lone wolf trying to sca
53Alaric’s POV The thrum of bass from the nightclub seeped through the walls like the beat of a pulse, filling the air with a low, steady vibration. The place was packed tonight, bodies moving on the dance floor like a mass of shadows under the shifting lights. I took a slow breath, letting the scent of sweat, perfume, and alcohol wash over me. It was familiar—too familiar. The kind of place where deals were made in whispers and secrets traded like currency.Allesio walked beside me, his face set in the hard, impassive mask he wore when we were on business. We cut through the crowd like a blade, the people parting instinctively as if they could sense the danger clinging to us. This was a place where people looked the other way, where nobody wanted to remember your face the next day. It was exactly why we were here.Our target was a small-time informant, the kind of rat that lived in the sewers of the city, scraping by with whatever scraps he could find. He wasn’t important in the gr
54Alaric’s POV I was in my study, going over the details of our latest shipments, when the knock came—two sharp raps, a pause, then a third. Allesio’s signal. I set down the file I’d been reading, already feeling the prickling sensation of unease.“Come in,” I called, pushing away from the desk.Allesio entered, his face set in a grim line, holding a small, nondescript brown package. It wasn’t the kind of thing you’d pay attention to in a pile of mail—ordinary, almost insignificant. But the stiffness in his shoulders told me everything I needed to know.“Found this at the front gate, sir,” he said, placing the package on my desk. “No return address.”I met his eyes. “Did you check it?”He gave a curt nod. “No explosives. It’s just paper inside, but it feels wrong.”Wrong. That single word was enough to send a jolt of cold rage through me. I grabbed a letter opener from the desk, slicing through the tape quickly, and pulled the flaps apart. Inside, there was a plain white envelope. I
55Emilia’s POV I didn’t plan on sneaking out. If was stupid to even plan on sneaking out when Alaric had tightened security like this, and placed the house on lock down. It was almost impossible. Almost. I knew it was only a matter of time before he doubled down on security, making it impossible for me to step outside the mansion’s walls without an armed escort.So, I made a choice—a reckless, stupid choice, but one that felt necessary. I couldn’t stand idly by, feeling like a caged bird while threats loomed over Francesca and me. I needed answers, and I had a contact – thanks to Rosa – who might be able to provide them.I waited until late evening when everyone was busy. Allesio was preoccupied, and Alaric had locked himself in his study again, probably strategizing. I slipped into a pair of sneakers, threw on a hoodie, and walked casually down the hall, forcing myself not to rush. I knew the patrol routes by heart, having observed them closely in the last few days. It wasn’t hard
56Alaric’s POV The moment Emilia stormed into my study, I knew we were in for it. Her face was flushed, eyes blazing with a mix of anger and something else—something that made me grip the edge of the desk a little harder. I’d just finished speaking with Allesio, trying to piece together the intel she’d risked her life for. I was barely holding onto my temper as it was.“What the hell were you thinking?” I snapped before she could even open her mouth.“What was I thinking?” she retorted, slamming the door shut behind her. “I was thinking that someone needed to actually do something, since you’ve been too busy hiding behind your walls to make any real moves!”“Hiding?” I pushed myself away from the desk, stalking closer to her. “You have no idea what I’ve been doing. You think I’m just sitting here, doing nothing? I’ve been working around the clock trying to keep you and Francesca safe.”“Then why don’t I feel safe, Alaric?” Her voice cracked, just slightly, but she recovered quickly.
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
305Allesio’s POV I couldn’t live without her.Not just in the poetic, tortured way people talk about when they lose someone they love. No, this was worse. This was physical, a gnawing emptiness in my chest that only got worse with each passing day. I had tried everything to forget her—drinking, fighting, drowning myself in work. But nothing helped. Nothing came close to filling the void she left behind.I had been a coward. A liar. A manipulative bastard. And now, I was paying the price for it.“Are you even listening to me?” Alaric’s voice cut through my thoughts, his irritation clear.I looked up from my drink, barely focusing on him. “Not really.”Alaric sighed, rubbing his temples. “I said, let her go.”I scoffed. “Like you ever let Emilia go?”His jaw tightened. “That’s different.”“Is it?” I leaned forward. “Because I remember a time when she hated your guts too. When she wanted nothing to do with you.”“And I gave her time,” he shot back. “I didn’t chase her down like a despe
304Rosa’s POV The moment I stepped out of the ballroom, I knew I should have just stayed in tonight. I should have ignored Emilia’s gentle nudging, should have turned off my phone, should have stayed curled up in bed with a book I wasn’t really reading. Because now, standing in the grand foyer of this ridiculous charity event, I felt like an idiot.I walked away from Allesio like he was nothing. Like seeing him after all this time didn’t shake me down to my bones. Like the way he said my name didn’t make my throat tight. But I did it. I walked away.And I should have kept walking. Should have gotten into a car and gone home. But no. I needed a damn drink first.I made my way to the bar, ordering a glass of champagne, something crisp and dry that wouldn’t sit too heavy on my tongue. Something to remind me that I was fine. I was moving on.And then I saw her.Tall. Elegant. Brunette. Draped in a silk gown that screamed old money and good taste. She laughed at something he said, her pe
303Allesio’s POV The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the grand hotel, its towering glass windows reflecting the golden glow of the city lights. I adjusted my cufflinks, barely listening to Alaric giving instructions to one of his men over the phone. Another pointless charity event, another night pretending to care about something other than the mess I’d made of my life.Inside, the ballroom was dripping in luxury—crystal chandeliers, waiters in crisp uniforms weaving through the crowd with silver trays, and the endless murmur of people pretending they weren’t all rotten beneath their polished exteriors. I grabbed a glass of whiskey from a passing waiter and took a slow sip, scanning the room with idle disinterest.And then I saw her.Rosa.My grip on the glass tightened. For a second, I thought I was seeing things, some cruel trick my exhausted mind was playing on me. But no, it was her. The curve of her jaw, the way her dress hugged her figure like it was made for her. Her
302Allesio’s POV The whiskey burned its way down my throat, but the ache in my chest didn’t ease. It never did, no matter how many glasses I downed, no matter how many fists I threw at nameless men in dark alleyways. I was becoming reckless, but I didn’t give a damn. Maybe if I pushed hard enough, if I destroyed myself enough, the guilt would stop gnawing at me.It never did.“You look like shit,” Alaric said, dropping into the seat across from me in the dimly lit bar. “And you smell worse.”I smirked, lifting my glass in a mock toast. “Cheers to that.”His jaw ticked. “This is getting pathetic.”“What’s pathetic is you tracking me down like a goddamn babysitter.” I tossed back another drink and signaled for another. The bartender hesitated, eyes flicking to Alaric, but I shot him a glare. He poured it. Good man.Alaric exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. “You’re fighting like you’ve got nothing to lose.”I chuckled darkly. “Because I don’t.”“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
301Rosa’s POVThe restaurant was nice. Upscale but not overly pretentious, the kind of place where the waiters wore crisp white shirts but didn’t look like they wanted to strangle themselves with their ties. Candlelight flickered across the polished wood table, catching the deep red of my wine as I swirled it in my glass. Across from me, Jason—or was it Jacob?—smiled, teeth perfectly straight, dimples popping like he had been genetically engineered to charm.I smiled back. It wasn’t hard. He was attractive, well-dressed, and had that effortless confidence that came with knowing you were objectively good-looking. He was saying something about his job—finance, obviously—and I nodded like I was interested. I should have been interested.Instead, my mind drifted to the last time I had sat across from a man at a restaurant. The heat in Allesio’s gaze, the way he had leaned back in his chair like he owned the whole damn place—and maybe he did. The way his hand had rested on my thigh under
300Allesio’s POV The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Alaric sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his jaw clenched, fingers drumming impatiently against the polished wood. Around him, his most trusted men stood at attention, awaiting orders.“She only took her car and even that’s untraceable. No flights booked in her name. No trace of her anywhere,” one of the men reported.Alaric exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I don’t give a damn how much it costs—find them. If they’re hiding, make them regret it.”I sat back in my chair, rubbing a hand down my face. This was getting out of control. I had been barely holding it together as it was, knowing Rosa had shut me out completely. The only thing keeping me from losing it entirely was the fact that Alaric was just as on edge. Maybe more. He was spiraling without Emilia, and I couldn’t blame him. It had been days. No calls. No messages. Nothing. And with Emilia being pregnant? Yeah, he was losing his mind.