Straight

Erin’s POV

The morning sunlight came too early. It spread across the curtains and reached my face before I was ready to wake up. I turned on my side, groaning softly, but I couldn’t fall back asleep. My body was tired, but my mind wouldn’t rest.

The house was quiet again. Not peaceful, just quiet in that way that makes you feel like everyone is holding their breath.

I sat up slowly. The clock beside the bed showed seven thirty. For a moment, I just sat there, listening. Nothing. Not even the usual chatter of the maids or the faint sound of Luca’s laughter.

Something felt off.

I stood and walked to the window. The garden below looked calm, sunlight glinting off the wet grass, but two guards were already moving along the path. Their steps were slow, their eyes scanning the edges of the fence.

Even from here, I could tell they were tense.

I sighed and rubbed my face. The events of the past few days were starting to weigh on me. I didn’t know what to make of anything anymore.

The night before still played in my head. Michele standing by Luca’s couch, his voice softer than usual. The way he had looked at me when he said to be careful.

I told myself I was reading too much into it. That I was tired, and my mind was making something out of nothing. But every time I thought about his eyes on me, I felt that same confusion crawl back inside me.

I was straight. I knew that. I had always known that. But there was something about him that unsettled everything I thought I understood about myself.

It wasn’t attraction, I told myself. It was respect. Maybe fear. Maybe just how powerful he seemed.

But part of me knew that wasn’t the truth anymore.

I took a deep breath and left the room. The hallway smelled faintly of coffee. Somewhere downstairs, someone was making breakfast. I followed the sound, my steps soft on the wooden floor.

When I reached the kitchen, one of the staff was already clearing plates. She nodded politely. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” I replied. “Where’s Luca?”

“In the library with Mr. DeLuca.”

“Michele?”

“Yes. They’ve been there since six.”

That surprised me. He rarely started his day that early unless something was wrong.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

I poured a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. The warmth helped calm the cold knot in my chest, but not enough. The house still felt too tense.

One of the guards entered the kitchen. I recognized him — dark hair, always quiet. But something about the way he moved today was different. Stiffer.

“Morning,” I said.

He gave a short nod, his eyes avoiding mine. “Sir.”

He didn’t usually call me that.

Before I could ask anything, he turned and left again.

I frowned and glanced at the maid, but she looked away too quickly.

Something was wrong. I could feel it, even if no one was saying it.

I set down my cup and made my way toward the library.

When I reached the door, I stopped. Voices drifted out — low, serious.

“…doesn’t add up,” one of them said. I recognized Enzo’s tone. “We searched twice. If there’s another device, it’s inside.”

Michele’s reply came next, calm but sharp. “Then check every corner again. I want to know who has access to those rooms.”

“Yes, boss.”

I heard footsteps moving away. Then silence.

I hesitated before knocking.

“Come in,” Michele’s voice said.

I pushed the door open. The library smelled of paper and dust, sunlight spilling across the tall shelves. Michele stood near the desk, jacket off, sleeves rolled up. Luca sat on the floor beside a pile of books, drawing.

He looked up and smiled. “Erin!”

“Hey, sailor,” I said softly.

Michele’s eyes lifted to mine for a brief second. He didn’t look angry, but there was something behind his expression I couldn’t read.

“You’re up early,” he said.

“I couldn’t sleep much,” I replied.

He nodded, as if he already expected that answer.

Luca showed me his drawing — something about castles and knights. I smiled and knelt beside him for a minute, listening to his explanations.

When he ran off to find more colored pencils, Michele said quietly, “I heard you met one of the guards this morning.”

I blinked. “You heard that?”

“I hear everything in my house.”

I looked down. “He was acting strange.”

“I know.”

He closed a folder on the desk. “I’m having him watched.”

“You think he’s involved?”

“I don’t think anything yet. But I don’t ignore instincts.”

I nodded slowly. “You shouldn’t.”

He studied me for a moment. “And what about you? What does your instinct tell you?”

I hesitated. “That something’s not right. Everyone’s walking on eggshells.”

He gave a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “They have reason to.”

I wanted to ask more, but he turned toward the window. His reflection in the glass looked tired. The bruise on his temple had darkened.

“Did you sleep?” I asked quietly.

“Enough.”

“That means no,” I said before I could stop myself.

He glanced at me, one brow raised. “You’re starting to sound like you work for me.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just said, “Maybe I do.”

He didn’t reply, but I saw the faintest trace of amusement in his eyes.

Luca came running back then, breaking the tension. “Papa, can we go outside today?”

“Not today,” Michele said gently.

Luca frowned. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s not safe yet.”

The boy crossed his arms, clearly unhappy. I crouched down beside him. “Hey. How about we build a castle instead? A big one. Bigger than before.”

That cheered him up. He nodded eagerly and ran to grab his blocks.

Michele’s eyes met mine briefly, a silent thank you.

We spent the next hour like that — Luca laughing, me helping him stack towers, and Michele half watching, half lost in his thoughts. It almost felt normal.

But normal didn’t last long in this house.

Around midday, a knock came at the front door. The sound was sharp and unexpected. Everyone in the room froze.

One of the guards appeared in the doorway a second later. “A delivery, sir. From the main office.”

Michele frowned. “I didn’t order anything.”

The guard hesitated. “It’s addressed to you directly. No sender.”

That was enough to make my stomach tighten.

Michele looked at Enzo, who had appeared behind the guard. “Scan it.”

Enzo nodded and took the small box. It was plain brown, sealed with clear tape. He carried it to the corner table and began checking it with a small device. The beep was slow, then faster.

“There’s no signal,” Enzo said finally. “No electronics.”

“Open it carefully,” Michele ordered.

He did. Inside was a single envelope and a white lily, fresh and damp.

The sight of it made Michele’s face harden instantly.

“What does it mean?” I asked quietly.

He didn’t answer right away. He took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper, blank except for one short line written in red ink:

We see what you protect.

My stomach dropped.

Michele folded the paper and placed it on the desk. “Take it to the lab,” he told Enzo. “Print, ink, everything.”

Enzo nodded and left with it.

I stood there, frozen. “They’re watching again.”

“Yes,” he said quietly. “And now they want me to know it.”

He turned toward me then, and for a moment his expression softened. “You and Luca don’t leave the house. No exceptions.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

He looked at the flower on the table again, his jaw tightening. Then he said, almost to himself, “They’re trying to make this personal.”

“It already is,” I said.

He looked at me again, and for a long moment, neither of us moved.

There was fear in me, yes, but also something else. Something strange and heavy that I couldn’t explain.

I wanted to tell him to be careful. I wanted to tell him that I trusted him, that I wasn’t as strong as he thought. But the words stayed stuck in my throat.

When I finally spoke, my voice was low. “You don’t have to face this alone.”

He gave a small nod, but I could tell he didn’t believe it. He never believed anyone could help him.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Guards moved in and out. Doors closed quietly. Luca played, unaware of the meaning behind the tension.

By evening, the house was calm again, but that calmness felt fake.

I walked out to the back garden just before sunset. The air was cool, smelling of wet soil and leaves. I sat on the steps, watching the sky turn from gold to gray.

For the first time, I admitted to myself that I was scared — not just of what might happen, but of how much I cared now.

Cared about Luca. Cared about this strange house. And somehow, cared about the man who carried the weight of both.

When the sun disappeared behind the trees, I stood and turned to go back inside. The lights from the house glowed warmly against the dark, but a movement near the far fence caught my eye.

A figure. Small. Moving slowly.

My breath caught.

“Who’s there?” I called softly.

No answer.

The figure turned slightly, just enough for the light to catch the side of their face.

It wasn’t a stranger. It was one of the guards. The same one from the kitchen that morning.

He saw me looking and froze.

Before I could say anything, he lifted a hand to his ear — a gesture too deliberate to be random — then turned and disappeared into the trees.

My heart started racing again.

I ran back inside, heading straight for the hallway. I found Michele near the study, talking with Enzo.

“There’s someone near the fence,” I said quickly. “The same guard from this morning.”

Michele’s face went still. He didn’t ask for details. He just said, “Stay here,” and walked past me, already calling for two men to follow.