66Emilia’s POV I watched Francesca dart ahead of us, her curls bouncing as she ran toward the playground. She was all energy and excitement, a bundle of joy that seemed to radiate life in a way that made it impossible not to smile.Alaric walked beside me, his hands in his pockets, looking out of place in his casual clothes. He was dressed in dark jeans and a simple black t-shirt that somehow made him look even more intimidating than his usual suits. He hadn’t said much since we left the house, but that was typical of him.“Francesca,” he called, his voice softer than usual. “Don’t go too far.”She turned and gave him a thumbs-up before resuming her sprint toward the swings. I smiled at her enthusiasm, feeling a rush of warmth. This was a side of her I didn’t get to see often—a carefree child, just enjoying a day out with her dad.“She’s going to run herself out in the first ten minutes,” I said lightly, glancing over at Alaric.He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “Probably,”
67Alaric’s POV I stood crosslegged as I watched Francesca run ahead, her curls bouncing as she sprinted from the jungle gym to the swings. It was a good day for her, I could tell. She was laughing, smiling, so full of life that it almost made me forget the darkness we would be returning to.Almost.“Emilia, come push me!” Francesca called out, her voice cutting through my thoughts.I glanced over at Emilia, who was standing a few steps away, her arms crossed as she watched us. Her expression softened when Francesca called for her, and she moved toward the swings without hesitation. Francesca grinned, practically leaping into the seat. Emilia positioned herself behind her, giving her a gentle push.“Higher, Emilia!” Francesca squealed.Emilia chuckled, obliging her request with a stronger push. Francesca’s giggles filled the air loudly as she grinned at Emilia. My heart squeezed with an emotion I didn’t like at all. It wasn’t jealousy exactly, but it was close. It was the realization
68Emilia’s POV The park had started to empty out, the sun already setting. I sat on a bench, watching Francesca dart between the swings and the slides, her face lit up with a kind of pure, unbridled joy I hadn’t seen in a while. It was infectious, and despite the little argument between Alaric and me earlier, I found myself smiling.Alaric was standing a few feet away, his eyes following Francesca with a mix of protectiveness and something softer that I couldn’t quite place. There was no trace of the coldness and bitterness I had seen in him earlier. And even if his words really stung me, I understood. He looked… different here. More at ease, less like the ruthless mafia leader I’d come to know and more like just a man—a father watching his daughter. I couldn’t help but wonder who he might have been if his life had taken a different path.I got up and walked over to him, feeling the crunch of gravel beneath my shoes. He didn’t acknowledge me right away, but I knew he’d noticed. He a
69Alaric’s POV “Now where the fuck did I keep my card?” I murmured in annoyance, looking for my black Amex but I couldn’t find it.“I should probably ask Emilia if I got it back from her,” I murmured to myself though I doubt she was with it. I had to try though. Maybe she had seen it anywhere. I needed my card. It might have fallen when we got back to the house this evening and maybe she had picked it up. I hoped she had because I needed it urgently now.I walked out of my office and headed to her room. Deep down I knew it wasn’t with her. But I just wanted to see her once again. Maybe to touch her, to be sure if that spark I had felt this evening was imagined or it was real.I walked into her room and stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes flashing at the sight in front of me. She was lying on the bed naked, one hand between her legs and the other twisting her nipples in one hand. A slight moan escaped her lips that sent a jolt straight to my cock. I honestly couldn’t believe what I wa
70Emilia’s POV The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, lighting up the room. I blinked against the brightness, my body slowly coming back to life. The haze of sleep and the aftermath of last night made everything feel a bit surreal. My limbs were heavy, relaxed in a way they hadn’t been in a long time. I turned my head to the side and found Alaric lying next to me, one arm resting above his head, his eyes still closed.I found it quite hard to believe that he hadn’t left immediately after last night. Instead he stayed here with me, wrapping his arms around my waist. And in the middle of the night, he had woken up and fucked me again. I didn’t even remember how I got to his room.For a moment, I just watched him. He looked different when he was asleep. The hard lines of his face softened, the tension that seemed to cling to him had melted away. It was rare to see him like this—unguarded, peaceful. Vulnerable, almost. My heart clenched unexpectedly, a pang of something I d
71Alaric’s POV There was a light knock on my door, and I knew, without having to ask, that it was Emilia by the door. “Come in,” I answered, twirling the pen in my hands. I hadn’t seen her since she left my room this morning, and though I hadn’t been able to keep her out of my mind and all I wanted the most was to bury my cock in her once again, I had more pressing issues.She walked in, wearing a very provocating dress. It hugged her curves like a second skin and showed an alarming amount of cleavage.“You called for me?” She asked, closing the door behind her, turning around and giving me a view of her ass as she did so.God. Was she here to seduce me? To distract me? Because this was the first time I ever saw her wearing something as tight as this.“Yes.” I nodded. “It’s about Francesca. Sit.”She sat, folding her arms beneath her breasts and that only pushed her breasts out more. “what about Francesca?”“I needed your opinion on something. On her schooling,” I replied, going str
72Emilia’s POV The kitchen was filled with the smell of fresh coffee and eggs sizzling on the stove. I stood by the counter, pouring myself a cup of coffee, and watched Alaric out of the corner of my eye. He was sitting at the table with Francesca, who was chattering away happily about the park yesterday. His face was relaxed, a slight smile playing on his lips as he nodded along, responding in that soft, gentle tone he only ever used with her.I tried not to stare, but it was hard not to notice the difference in him. There was something lighter about Alaric this morning, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It was subtle, but I could see it in the way he sat back in his chair, his posture less rigid. The dark cloud that usually hovered over him seemed to have lifted, at least for the moment. It made him look… younger, almost.I took a sip of my coffee, leaning against the counter as I watched them. It was strange to see him smiling. Not the small, tight-lipped smirk I’
73Alaric’s POVThe phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. I stared at it for a moment, letting the screen vibrate against the polished wood of my desk. It was barely nine in the morning, and the calls had already started coming in. Business, disputes, and the usual mess that came with running a criminal empire. I took a long sip of my coffee, savoring the bitter taste as I mentally prepared for the onslaught.I finally picked up the call, putting it on speaker as I sifted through the stack of papers in front of me. “Talk.”“It’s Dante,” came the gruff voice on the other end. “We’ve got a situation at the docks. One of the shipments was flagged by customs. They’re asking questions.”“Didn’t we grease enough palms for this not to be an issue?” I leaned back in my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose. The headache that had been brewing since last night was starting to make itself known.“We did,” Dante replied, sounding just as frustrated as I felt. “But there’s a new officer on duty—some fresh
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.
299Rosa’s POV. I tried to keep it together. God knows I did. But no amount of pretending, no amount of running, could stop the inevitable.The moment we got back from our trip and crashed out at an hotel nearby, I felt it creeping in. The pain, the longing, the absolute stupidity of my heart. I hated the way I reached for my phone only to remember I’d blocked him, the way my chest tightened at the sight of a dark-haired man on the street, the way I found myself rereading our old texts like a fool.It all came crashing down on me right now.We were sitting on the bed, a ridiculous reality show playing in the background. She had a bowl of popcorn in her lap, her focus barely on me, but she must’ve sensed something was off because she suddenly turned to me with narrowed eyes.“You’ve been weird since we got back,” she said. “What’s wrong?”I shook my head. “Nothing.”She scoffed. “Right. And I suddenly am not angry with my husband.”That made me crack a smile, but it didn’t last. I pre
298Rosa’s POV. The sun was already high in the sky, glistening off the infinity pool as I stretched out on a lounge chair, soaking in every last second of this trip. Our trip. The trip that Emilia and I had taken to escape, to breathe, to exist without the weight of betrayal pressing down on our chests.Emilia sat beside me, oversized sunglasses covering most of her face, her drink in hand as she let out a satisfied sigh. “I’m not ready to go back.”I groaned in agreement. “Same. Reality sucks. We should just stay here forever, become beach bums.”She turned to me with a smirk. “Tempting. But I think Alaric would burn this entire resort down looking for me. And Allesio...” she trailed off, hesitating.I tensed but forced myself to act unfazed. “Allesio is the least of my concerns.”She didn’t believe me, obviously, but she let it slide. “Fine, fine. No men talk. Today is all about us, and we are going to make the most of it.”“Agreed,” I said, clinking my glass against hers. “One la