chapter 4

ACROSS THE RED ROSE GARDEN

:THE DEPARTURE

Before I could process her words, the sharp, heavy clink of a fork hitting a porcelain plate instantly silenced the table. Mr. Hawthorne cut off our conversation without even looking up from his meal.

“Do not overwhelm the girl, Valentina. She is a Montaña, not a Hawthorne. At least, not yet.”

The warmth drained from Valentina’s face, and she quietly folded her hands in her lap, her eyes dropping to her plate. The sudden shift in the room made my breath hitch.

Mr. Hawthorne finally raised his sharp, dark eyes, fixing his gaze directly on me. “Your father made a promise to this family, Arabella,” Mr. Hawthorne said, his voice entirely devoid of the affection his wife had shown. “A marriage alliance is built on loyalty and duty, not just a signed certificate. I expect you to remember which house you belong to now. Alessandro’s reputation is flawless. I will not have a Montaña ruin it with childish behavior or scandals.”

My throat felt completely dry. I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice to reply, but the coldness of his words paralyzed me. Beside me, I felt Alessandro’s posture stiffen, his hand tightening into a white-knuckled fist against the wood of the table.

The coldness in his words cut deep, but a sudden flash of pride flared through my fear. My family was hurting, and my father had to make immense sacrifices for me and my sister. I wouldn’t sit here and let this man imply that we were a threat to their perfect name.

I forced my shoulders back and looked Mr. Hawthorne directly in the eye, keeping my voice as steady as possible. “I understand, Mr Hawthorne. But my father is a man of his word. He kept to his end of the bargain, and I am here now. I know exactly what my duty is to this family, and I have absolutely no intention of causing any scandals.”

Valentina let out a small, quiet gasp at my boldness.

Beside me, Alessandro didn’t move a muscle, but I could feel the sudden, intense heat of his gaze shifting from his father straight to my face.

Mr. Hawthorne stared at me for a long, agonizing moment. Slowly, a humorless smirk played at the edge of his lips. He looked like a predator evaluating a piece of prey that had unexpectedly tried to bite back.

“Good,” he murmured, picking up his linen napkin and wiping his fingers. “Then we understand each other perfectly.”

I looked down at my plate, my heart hammering so hard against my ribs that I was certain everyone at the table could hear it. My hands were shaking beneath the table, but I refused to let them see it. I had survived my first confrontation but I knew the walls of this mansion were closing in on me.

Before the silence could stretch any further, Alessandro leaned in close, his mouth an inch away from my ear.

“We will be leaving after breakfast. Prepare yourself.”

Startled by his sudden proximity, I turned my head to face him and immediately realized I had made a massive mistake. We were so incredibly close that the tip of my nose nearly brushed against his sharp jawline. I felt the warm, intoxicating heat of his breath brushing across my face, and upclose, the sheer perfection of his features were dizzying. For a second, time completely stopped while my heart did a violent flip in my chest. Panicking at how deeply his closeness was affecting me, I quickly looked away, staring down at my lap as a furious blush crept up my neck.

I managed a tight, frantic nod of my head. “Understood,” I mumbled, though my voice sounded much breathier than I intended.

Alessandro pulled back slowly, then stood up from the table, smoothed down his jacket, and looked at his parents, his expression completely neutral. “We will be going back to my penthouse today after visiting the Montaña estate,” he announced smoothly.

Valentina immediately pouted her lips, a look of genuine disappointment crossing her features. “Why do you want to return so soon? I mean, we haven't even spent time with Arabella here, darling,” she countered softly.

I couldn’t help but let a genuine smile touch my lips as I watched her. Despite the cold, imposing walls of this mansion and the terrifying aura of the men sitting at this table, Valentina was a good soul. She truly wanted to welcome me, and her warmth was the only thing keeping me grounded right now.

Mr. Hawthorne, however, merely offered a strict nod of approval, clearly agreeing with his son’s decision to get straight to business.

Alessandro’s dark eyes flicked down to me, catching the lingering smile on my face before I could hide it. His expression didn’t change, but his gaze held mine for a second. “We have matters to settle with the Montaña family, Mamá. And Arabella needs to get settled into her new home.”

Valentina nodded slowly, accepting her son’s decision with a heavy sigh.

Alessandro then turned his gaze back toward me.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded quietly and stood up from the table.

Valentina immediately rose as well, gliding over to wrap me in another tight, comforting embrace. She leaned into my ear, but her voice was loud enough for the whole room to hear. “If this big bully doesn’t treat you right, you tell me. I will shoot his balls off for you, cariño.”

A genuine laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it.

The sheer boldness of her threat against her own terrifying son was beautiful. “I will, Mamá.”

Valentina’s eyes completely lit up at the name, a brilliant smile spreading across her face.

“That’s enough, Mamá,” Alessandro groaned, rolling his eyes as he gently pulled me away from her. His hand snaked around my waist again, pulling my hip firmly against his.

We both turned to look at Mr. Hawthorne. The old man didn’t offer any words. He simply gave a single, strict nod of dismissal. Alessandro nodded back, and with his grip still tight around my waist, he guided me out toward the front entrance. Outside, a convoy of luxury black SUVs were waiting. The guards immediately opened the door and we slid into the back seat together, the door clicking shut behind us with a heavy, final thud.

As the car pulled out of the grand driveway, three security cars fell into formation right behind us.

Inside our vehicle, the silence was so thick it could be cut with a knife. I turned my face toward the window, watching as the Hawthorne mansion slowly disappeared behind us. I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to return to the place where my entire life would change forever.