58Emilia’s POV It was nearing midnight and I was pacing around Alaric’s office, trying to wipe away all the bad thoughts. It wasn’t working.Alaric had shot those three men right in front of me. I didn’t know why that shocked me, but it did. More than I’d like to admit. But what shocked me more was that I didn’t feel any form of empathy for these men. If anything, they deserved it. And I’d have done it myself if I had a gun on me.Alaric had been unusually silent since we got back from the safehouse, and I knew that meant he was grappling with something he wasn’t ready to say out loud.I took a deep breath, steeling myself before speaking. “We need to go over what we found.”He didn’t turn to look at me, his gaze fixed on something far beyond the window glass. “I already did,” he muttered. “And it doesn’t make any sense.”He was lying. It made too much sense, and that’s what scared him. I crossed the room, placing the worn leather ledger on the desk between us. It looked like any or
59Alaric’s POV This was a set up. A fucking set up. And as much as I hated to admit it, it was a mistake from my side. I should have seen it coming. This was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission—get in, find the intel we needed, and get out. But the moment we breached the door of the hideout, we walked straight into an ambush.The air was so thick with the metallic tang of gunpowder and smoke, so heavy I could almost taste it. My ears rang from the explosion that had gone off moments earlier, shattering what little quiet we’d had left. Everything had descended into chaos faster than I’d anticipated.I glanced to my left. Emilia was crouched behind an overturned table, her face a mask of fierce concentration as she returned fire. There was nothing delicate about the way she moved. She had a gun in her hands, her body angled for the cleanest shot, and there was something wild in her eyes—something that matched the thrum of adrenaline in my veins. And it also made me wary. Wh
60Alaric’s POV The look on Allesio’s face had my heart beating too hard in my chest. Too hard that I feared that it might jump out. He was holding a file, thick with evidence—something he’d been working on while we were at the hideout. I could tell from the grim line of his mouth that whatever he had discovered, It wasn’t good.I leaned back against the edge of my desk, crossing my arms as I waited for him to speak. The silence stretched thin between us, almost suffocating. I could feel the cold fury building inside me, an icy current that threatened to spill over.“Just tell me, Allesio,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “Who is it?”He looked down at the file, almost like he couldn’t bear to meet my eyes. That single hesitation told me everything I needed to know. My heart dropped, a heavy weight settling in my chest. Whoever it was, this betrayal was going to cut deep.“It’s Dominic,” Allesio said finally, his voice low.For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Dominic. Of all the p
61Alaric’s POV There was a stillness in the air, the kind that usually made people uncomfortable. It was quiet. But not a peaceful kind of quiet. I could tell that the men were whispering amongst each other. They were used to violence, yes, but this was different. Tonight, I was making an example of one of them. One of us. Dominic.I stood in the grand hall, my back to the assembled lieutenants and guards, staring out the tall windows. The city lights stretched far into the distance. I clenched my jaw, my shoulders stiff and threatening to fall, but I forced myself to straighten.Weakness was not an option tonight. Dominic had made his choice. Now, I had to make mine.“Bring him in,” I ordered, my voice cutting through the silence like a knife. Allesio nodded, his expression a grim mask as he disappeared down the hall.I didn’t turn around. I needed a moment—just one—to gather myself, to let the anger and disappointment harden into something useful. A weapon. Because if I faltered,
62Emilia’s POV The mansion was quiet now. The kind of silence that only comes after chaos, when everything finally settles and the dust starts to fall. I leaned against the cold marble pillar in the hallway, trying to catch my breath, not just physically but emotionally. The events of the past few days had left me raw, exposed. For the first time, I’d seen Alaric look genuinely vulnerable.The door to Alaric’s study was slightly open, the dim light spilling out into the dark corridor. I could hear the faint clink of glass—he was drinking, probably whiskey. I knew I should leave him alone, give him the space he clearly needed, but something pulled me towards that door. Maybe it was the part of me that couldn’t stand the thought of him hurting alone.I pushed the door open and stepped inside. He didn’t look up immediately, just kept his eyes trained on the amber liquid in his glass as he swirled it. The room smelled like leather, smoke, and the faint trace of Alaric’s cologne. I close
63Alaric’s POV I was sitting in my office, staring at the same stack of paperwork I’d been staring at for hours, my mind elsewhere. The mansion was quieter than usual, the kind of quiet that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It was the calm after a storm.I couldn’t concentrate. Not on business, not on the next move I needed to make. My thoughts kept drifting back to everything that had happened—the betrayal, the punishment I’d meted out, the look on Emilia’s face when she saw the toll it took on me. I’d managed to maintain a mask of strength, but inside, I felt like I was bleeding out, slow and quiet, in a way no one could see.A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts.“Enter,” I called, leaning back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face.The door swung open, and Allesio stepped in. He looked different today—not as tense, not as tightly wound as he usually was. It was subtle, but I noticed it immediately. He’d ditched the suit jacket and tie, opting instea
64Emilia’s POV I’d been in my room all day, wrapped up in the thick comforter like it could shield me from everything going on outside. The walls felt like they’re closing in, the silence so heavy it was almost oppressive. I haven’t eaten, haven’t moved much except to roll over and stare at a different spot on the ceiling. It was the kind of day where time felt elastic—every minute stretches out endlessly, but somehow, hours have slipped by.It was very hard to get my thoughts straight. They were a tangled mess spinning around my head, refusing to settle. Everything felt different now, like the floor has shifted beneath my feet and I’m trying to find my balance again. I should have left the mansion—gone for a walk, cleared my head—but instead, I’ve just stayed here, letting the memories wash over me like waves crashing against a rocky shore.I closed my eyes and my mind drifted back to the look on Alaric’s face when he confronted Dominic. It was a mask of cold fury, the kind that wo
65Alaric’s POV The sun was just beginning to set and I could hear the murmur of voices from the kitchen, where Allesio was going over the latest shipment logs with our suppliers. I stood by the window in my office, watching the sky darken each passing second as I took a slow sip of whiskey, savoring the burn. The house felt strangely calm tonight, despite everything that had happened over the past few weeks.I needed that calm, even if it was just an illusion. Too much had gone down the drain recently, and I could feel the tension coiling beneath the surface. It was only a matter of time before something snapped.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Only one person knocks with that specific kind of confidence, like he owns the place.“Come in, Guiseppe,” I called out, nearly rolling my eyes as I set my glass down on the table.The door swung open, and Guiseppe walked in, his sharp gaze sweeping the room before it settled on
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.