99Rosa’s POV I ran my hand through my hair, not minding that I would get it rough that way. All I could think of was how I was going to get my father’s latest assignment done. And a certain, hot man that had been plaguing my mind ever since that damned one night stand.“Pass the salt,” I said, not looking up as I reached across the table. My eyes were focused on my phone, and while that was a bad habit while we were all having dinner, I didn’t think anyone cared in particular.Before my hand even got close, the small silver shaker was already in front of me, Allesio sliding it into place with a faint smirk. “Always in a rush, Rosa.”I narrowed my eyes at him but didn’t say anything, my fingers brushing against the cool metal. “Thanks,” I muttered.“Anything for you,” he said, and though his tone was light, the words carried an undercurrent I couldn’t ignore. This had been going on for a few days now. Him helping me out when with the littlest things like this. Any other woman would h
100Allesio’s POV “Allesio!”I halted on my tracks, turning around to look at her. She was hurrying after me, one hand fiddling with the low neckline of her dress. Her hair looked even worse that it was a few minutes back when I had left her. It looked like she had ran her hands through it and tugged at it a million times after I had left her there.“Rosa,” I murmured, giving her a tight smile. She stood in front of me, her mouth opening and closing like she didn’t know exactly what to say.“I’m sorry,” she said at last in a weak voice I didn’t like at all. I took a step closer to her.“For what?” I asked her with a raised eyebrow. She gulped visibly.“You were just trying to be nice and polite to me and I…I blew you off,” she murmured, avoiding my gaze.“I wasn’t just trying to be nice or polite to you, Rosa,” I murmured back, rubbing my face. “I like you. I really like you and you’re making it feel like it’s a bad thing to like like you. I don’t understand why.”“You shouldn’t,” sh
101Rosa’s POV The feeling and warmth of Allesio’s arm draped across my waist was strangely comforting, and yet, it didn’t lull me into the kind of contentment I should have felt after a night like this. His breathing was even, calm, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. But my mind was a storm.There was something about his questions —subtle, harmless on the surface, but they lingered in my head long after he asked them. Things about my family’s business, about me, about my father, about decisions I didn’t think someone like Allesio should care about.I stared at the ceiling, wondering. He shifted slightly beside me, his grip tightening just a fraction as if he knew I was awake. Or maybe he was just dreaming. Either way, I had no plans to wake him.Slipping out from under his arm, I moved quietly, grabbing the oversized shirt he’d left tossed on a chair and pulling it on. It smelled like him—something rich and woodsy with a hint of spice—and for a second, I let myself enjoy
102Allesio’s POV I walked into Alaric’s office and I felt the air change. Literally. It was colder than the rest of the house. Maybe it was the dim lights, the heavy dark furniture or the way the air seemed to thicken with tension when I stepped inside. Because I already knew what he was going to ask.Alaric leaned back in his leather chair, his expression unreadable as he swirled a glass of whiskey in his hand. The soft clink of ice against the glass was the only sound in the room until he finally spoke.“How’s it going with Rosa?”I stood near the window, crossing my arms. I didn’t want to answer the question but I had no choice. “It’s going,” I said after a pause, my tone clipped.He raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze slicing through me. “That’s not an answer, Allesio.”I turned to face him fully, crossing my arms. “She’s careful. She’s not going to hand over her family’s secrets on a silver platter.”“Then make her trust you,” Alaric said, his voice calm but edged with steel.I c
103Rosa’s POV “You’re not listening to me,” Emilia said, her voice tinged with frustration.She was sitting across from me, a frown on her face and her arms crossed. Today was another episode of her reminding me that Allesio is a dangerous man. And I wasn’t interested. This wouldn’t be happening if I had been more careful and she hadn’t seen me sneaking out of Allesio’s room this morning.I sighed, setting my fork down and giving her my full attention. “I’m listening, Emmy. I just don’t see what the big deal is.”Emilia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The big deal is Allesio. He’s—” She paused, as if searching for the right word. “Dangerous.”“Dangerous how?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.She gave me a pointed look. “Rosa, you’re smarter than this. He’s manipulative. Charming when it suits him. Allesio doesn’t do anything without a reason.”“Neither do most people,” I replied, keeping my tone light, though I couldn’t ignore the way her words made my chest tighten.“This isn’t
104Allesio’s POV The house was quiet and kind of empty. Allesio had taken Emilia and Francesca out for the night, which was exactly what I needed. Irene and the rest of the house workers had retired to their own wing of the house for the night. No distractions for me and Rosa tonight.She sat with one leg tucked under her, nursing a glass of wine she’d poured for herself. I watched as she tilted the glass slightly ajd took a sip from it.“Do you ever stop staring?” she asked, not looking at me but smirking as she caught me watching her.I leaned back in my chair, shrugging with mock innocence. “Not when there’s something worth looking at.”She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she took a slow sip of her wine, letting the silence stretch between us.“Why do you do that?” I asked after a moment.Her brow furrowed. “Do what?”“Deflect,” I said simply. “Every time someone pays you a compliment, you brush it off. Like it doesn’t matter or like you don’t believe it.”Rosa looked
105Rosa’s POV The quiet knock on my door had me raising my head from my documents with a slight frown. Emilia wasn’t in the house, she couldn’t be the one. And it wasn’t any of the house workers or Irene. I just knew it. And I wasn’t expecting any visitors. So who could it be then?I picked up the documents, walked to the closet and locked them in it just as another knock sounded on the door then I went to get it.Opening the door, I found Allesio standing there, an uneasy expression on his face and it seemed like he was just about to walk away.“Hi,” I greeted, resting against the door and folding my arms.“Hey,” he grinned at me but he still looked uneasy.“What’s wrong?” I asked, raising a brow. It bothered me that he wasn’t his usual jovial self.“I…um well…I wanted to go into the city for a stroll. Clear my head. And I was wondering, do you want to come along or are you busy?” He asked, rubbing his hair casually but it wasn’t casual. He was nervous. Since when was he nervous?I
106Allesio’s POV The night was colder than usual, the kind that seeps into your bones no matter how many layers you’re wearing. The city streets were quieter too, save for the occasional hum of a car or the faint chatter spilling out from a bar a few blocks away. Rosa was ahead of me, walking with purpose, her steps quick but not rushed.I shouldn’t have followed her, not like this. It was an unspoken rule not to meddle in someone else’s business unless it served the family. But Rosa had a way of making me break my own rules. Maybe it was the way she carried herself when she was leaving the house. Like she was up to nothing good and she didn’t want anyone knowing what it was. If not she wouldn’t have sneaked out without telling even her best friend where she was going.I stayed close enough to keep her in sight but far enough not to crowd her. She’d made it clear she didn’t need a shadow. I ignored her.When she turned down a quieter street, I quickened my pace, closing the distance
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