ログインChiara’s POV “It’s not,” Giacomo insisted, his gaze fixed on me now, more serious than before. “Everyone despises Silvia Romano.” The words hung in the air, heavy and sharp. I forced a small breath out, steadying myself. Whether it was true or not no longer mattered. What mattered was that it still had the power to stir something inside me, something I had been trying to bury ever since I walked away from Luciano De Luca. Caterina stepped closer, shooting Giacomo a warning look before turning to me. “Ignore him. People talk too much, especially when they have nothing better to do.” “They always will,” I said quietly, though my voice did not sound as strong as I wanted it to. Giacomo’s expression softened, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought you should know what people are saying.” “I figured as much,” I replied, giving a small shrug as though it meant nothing. As though my chest was not tightening with every word. But I wo
Chiara’s POV Of all the things Luciano De Luca could have come here to say, this was not what I expected. “Your family gathering? At Enrico and Giulia’s?” I asked, my brows drawing together in confusion. “Usually, yes,” Luciano replied, his voice steady but distant. “But this time, I’ll be hosting. Can you come?” I frowned slightly, studying him. This did not make sense. Luciano had already said he would handle everything regarding the divorce himself. So why this? Was he going back on that decision, or was there something else he was not telling me? He was holding back. I could feel it. In fact, he barely said anything beyond the request itself, which only made it more suspicious. If this was all he wanted, he could have simply called. Or sent Benedetto. There was no reason for the Alpha King to show up at my door like this. My first instinct was to refuse. The word “no” sat right at the tip of my tongue. But then Enrico came to mind. I had been worried about him ever si
Luciano’s POV The moment the question left my lips, I knew I had crossed a line. Doctor B and I were cordial, nothing more. We did not share the kind of familiarity that allowed for personal questions like that. She had just saved my father’s life. The least I owed her was respect. But tonight… everything felt heavier than usual. The pressure from Silvia Romano, the constant tension within the pack, the near loss of my father, and my mother being away, unable to return in time… it all pressed down on me at once. I was exhausted. And perhaps a little too human. “I’m sorry,” I started, ready to take the question back, but her voice stopped me. “Yes.” The answer caught me off guard. I blinked, turning fully toward her. I had not expected her to respond at all. “I did love someone once,” Doctor B continued quietly. The angle of her face made it seem as though she was looking directly at me, though I could not be sure. “But it didn’t work out.” Something in my chest tightened a
Chiara’s POV Luciano De Luca’s father, Enrico. I was rushing down to emergency when I joined the team already working on him. The moment I stepped through the doors, I froze for half a second, surprised to hear him yelling. “I told all of you, I’m fine! I don’t need this special treatment! Find someone who is actually sick and help them!” “Sir, we need you to calm down,” one of the Healers said. “Your heart rate is far too high. If you don’t relax, you could trigger an episode.” “He’s already in an episode,” snapped another Healer. “I’m telling you that I’m fine!” Enrico barked. I pushed my way through the Healers toward the front. One of them must have recognized me from television, though I didn’t recall ever meeting him before while wearing my Doctor B disguise. “Finally, a Healer who can tell all the rest of you that I’m fine. Tell them, Doctor B.” One glance at his chart told me everything I needed to know. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “We need to run some te
Chiara's POV Laugh just as much as me. It was a nice change of pace. Tonight, however, Caterina was working late when I let Giacomo into the house. He was carrying his usual vase of bright-colored flowers, but his smile wasn’t quite as bright as usual. “What's wrong?” I asked immediately. “I hoped you wouldn’t notice,” he admitted, smiling sheepishly. “We're friends now, Giacomo. I can tell when something is up.” With a sigh, he gestured to the couch. “Maybe we should move to the couch.” When I started running out of vases, Giacomo started bringing in his bouquets already in water. Blessedly, this one tonight was ready, so I could set it aside without worrying about it. I placed the vase on the coffee table as I sat on one end of the couch. When Giacomo sat on the other side, we turned to face each other. “I've heard some rumors,” Giacomo said. “Rumors about my family.” I braced myself. “About Luciano De Luca?” “In part.” “I don't know if I…” My defense was weak. Part of m
Chiara's POV While I continued to try to wrap up most of my life at home and at the office, preparing for my move, one of my key distractors, day after day, was the presence of Giacomo. Every single day after I broke my mating bond with Luciano De Luca, Giacomo sent flowers to Caterina’s house. Sometimes he would even show up to deliver them himself. If Caterina was there, she would glower at him. But Giacomo would just smile. “She told you she isn’t interested,” Caterina reminded him. “Maybe I’m just being friendly,” Giacomo replied. We all knew the truth. Giacomo had dove headfirst in trying to woo me. I didn’t totally mind, not really. Though I had no intention of giving in to his advances, which I told him time and time again, he still provided a pleasant distraction. It was nice to feel wanted for a change, after a long marriage of feeling like I was alone. Eventually, seeing that Giacomo’s presence didn’t bother me, even Caterina loosened up. Giacomo could make her laug







