Chapter 10

I sighed deeply, the end credits of The Godfather rolling across the screen. The movie had given me a temporary escape, but now reality was waiting.

I stood and stretched, realizing I’d left my phone upstairs. I padded up the steps, my mind wandering back to the message from Prestige Global.

Once in my room, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and instinctively opened I*******m. Without much thought, I typed "Dino Alessandro" into the search bar. His profile popped up instantly blue checkmark and all.

“Of course, he’s verified,” I muttered, clicking on his account.

At first, I only skimmed his recent posts business photos, fancy dinners, charity events. The curated life of a rich man. But curiosity got the better of me, and I kept scrolling. And scrolling.

Until I saw her.

The photo was old, buried deep in his profile. Dino stood with his arm casually slung around Sandra Hill, the reigning queen of our high school back in the day. Sandra had been beautiful, popular, and as cruel as Dino when it came to tormenting me.

My chest tightened. She was smiling in the photo, leaning into him like they were the perfect couple. Memories came rushing back, her mocking laughter echoing in the halls, the way she’d team up with Dino to humiliate me in front of everyone.

I stared at the image, trying to read Dino’s expression. He looked carefree, proud even.

The itch on my shoulder returned, and I rubbed it absentmindedly. I had spent years trying to bury those memories, yet here they were, unearthed by a single photo.

Why did he keep this? Why hadn’t he deleted it?

I scrolled further, but Sandra only appeared in a handful of older posts. There was nothing recent, no sign of her in his current life. It didn’t mean much, but a small part of me felt relieved.

Still, seeing her face again brought back a wave of anger and hurt I wasn’t prepared for.

I locked my phone and tossed it onto the bed, pacing the room. “Why does he still have this hold on me?” I whispered to myself.

I had to get out of my own head. Maybe some fresh air or...

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Jessica:

"I’m outside your house."

I blinked, rereading the message. Before I could process it, another text popped up:

"Get down here before I drag you out myself."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Jessica was persistent, once she had a plan in her head, there was no talking her out of it. I grabbed my hoodie and headed downstairs.

Sure enough, there she was, leaning against her car parked in the driveway. Jessica wore her signature bright smile, the kind that screamed, You’re about to have no choice in this matter.

“Seriously?” I asked as I approached her. “You didn't tell me you were coming.”

“I knew you’d be sulking and overthinking,” she said, straightening up. “So, I decided to intervene.”

“I wasn’t sulking,” I lied.

“Sure,” she said with a smirk, opening the passenger door. “Get in. We’re going out.”

“Jess, I really don’t—”

“Save it,” Jessica interrupted, shoving me gently toward the car. “You’ve been spiraling ever since the whole Dino situation came up. It’s time to hit pause on the drama and just breathe for a bit. Trust me, you need this.”

I sighed, crossing my arms. “Fine, but I need to shower first.”

Jessica smirked, following me as I opened the front door. “Perfect. While you’re busy scrubbing away your existential crisis, I’ll just raid your kitchen.”

“Help yourself,” I muttered, heading upstairs.

As I made my way to the bathroom, I could hear Jessica rummaging through the fridge and muttering something about my lack of snacks. Her casual presence in my house was comforting, even if she was annoying half the time.

The warm water hit my skin, washing away the tension from my shoulders. I tried not to think about Dino, about the scar on my shoulder, or the job waiting for me at Prestige Global. I just focused on the sensation of the water, hoping to clear my head.

When I came back downstairs, hair still damp and dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a soft sweater, Jessica was sprawled on the couch, munching on a bag of chips she’d apparently unearthed.

“I thought you were going for coffee,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

She waved the bag at me. “Pre-game snack. Ready to go?”

I grabbed my bag and nodded. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Jessica grinned and hopped up, leading the way to her car.

On the drive to wherever she was taking me, Jessica hummed along to the radio, while I stared out the window. My thoughts wandered back to Dino, to high school, to that smug smirk he’d worn in the office.

Jessica glanced at me. “Penny for your thoughts?”

I shook my head. “Just…thinking about the job.”

“You mean thinking about Dino,” she corrected, a knowing glint in her eye.

“Can we not?” I sighed.

“Fine. But you know you’re going to have to deal with him eventually, right? Might as well rip off the Band-Aid.”

“Thanks for the pep talk, Jess,” I said dryly.

“Anytime,” she replied with a wink.

When she finally parked the car, I realized we were outside one of our favorite spots, Luna’s Loft.

“I figured we’d grab some junk, talk things out, and maybe stalk Dino’s I*******m together,” she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I groaned, slumping in my seat. “Absolutely not.”

Jessica laughed, effortlessly hopping out of the car and opening my door. “Come on, you need this. Let’s just have some fun.”

Reluctantly, I followed her into the café.

We grabbed a corner booth by the window. After ordering our usual, fried mozzarella sticks, fries, and milkshakes. Jessica leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “Okay, spill. What’s really going on in that overthinking brain of yours?”

Before I could respond, she snatched my phone off the table and shifted to sit next to me, her eyes gleaming. “Okay, let’s stalk Dino Alessandro,” she said, practically vibrating with excitement.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Jessica was already swiping through my I*******m. Dino’s profile popped up first, as I had left it open from earlier. My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly masked my reaction.

“I see someone’s already doing the stalking,” she teased, raising an eyebrow and grinning. “Caught red-handed.”

“It’s not what you think,” I muttered, suddenly very aware of the growing tension in my chest.

Jessica, ever the persistent one, ignored my protests and continued scrolling through Dino’s photos. “Oh, come on, Eloise. It’s only fair that we get a glimpse of what’s been on your mind. I mean, the man is literally everywhere, right? CEO of Prestige Global, former high school bully, and now...a walking nightmare?”

“Please don’t make it worse,” I groaned, slouching down in my seat. But Jessica was already too deep in her mission to listen.

She flicked through a few more pictures, pausing every now and then to make exaggerated faces. “Okay, okay, I get it. He’s a big deal. But is he still that guy from high school?”

I clenched my fists under the table. The question brought everything rushing back, the taunts, the embarrassment, the scars, both visible and invisible. Seeing Dino’s smirk in those photos made my stomach churn. But I kept my voice steady as I answered, “It doesn’t matter. He’s not that person anymore... I think.”

Jessica shrugged, clearly not convinced. “Well, that was cryptic. But seriously, Eloise, you can’t just keep running from this. He’s part of your reality now.”

Before I could argue, she tapped on a photo from a party. “Who’s this?” she asked, zooming in on a woman standing beside Dino.

I squinted at the screen. “That’s...Sandra. Dino’s girlfriend back in high school.” My voice faltered as I said the name. It was hard to admit, but there it was. A face I knew too well.

“Ah,” Jessica said, her tone softening. “I see. It all makes sense now, what happened to their relationship, you never told me.”

I sighed. “I don't know. It's just...complicated.”

Jessica didn't seem satisfied with my answer, but she let it go for the moment. She kept scrolling through Dino’s I*******m feed, flipping past a few photos of his business events and casual selfies. I just stared at the table, unable to look at the screen. My stomach was still twisted, the unease bubbling up every time I thought about Dino.

Suddenly, Jessica’s voice broke through the tension. “Woah.”

I snapped my head up, confused. “What?”