Chapter - Four

Aleena — POV

Father summoned me to his office. The second I stepped inside, I knew he already knew.

“You went sparring,” he hissed.

“Yes,” I said, showing no remorse.

His face twisted.

“Useless little shit.” The whiskey glass in his hand flew past me and shattered against the wall. I didn’t flinch, but my heart kicked hard against my ribs.

“I told you not to spar. Not to learn how to fight,” he snapped. “No coding either. You will be a good housewife. That is your role.

Haven’t I given you enough freedom already? You spent your life doing whatever you wanted. Now it’s time for you to focus on making my dream come true. Once the drug becomes a success, we can even break this engagement with the Bellini family and marry you to someone more worthy of the role to take Caruso.”

Enough freedom? My hands curled into fists. Like I was nothing more than something for him to use, just as he always had done with my entire life.

“I learned self-defense because I wanted to protect myself,” I snapped back. “Your men are useless. I couldn’t even stop Codi—”

“You shouldn’t have worn such provocative clothes and lured them in.”

I went cold. Completely cold. This was my father. The man who blamed me for almost being raped by his own men. Men who had tried to hurt me just to get revenge on him after he fired them over lost business. And somehow, he still defended them more than his own daughter. How could a parent be this cruel to his own blood?

“You better make this marriage work,” he said. “Persuade Nico to stay away from our business for a few months.”

“I’ll keep coding, and—”

His hand struck my face before I could finish. My head snapped to the side. I should have blocked it. I could have blocked it. But emotion made me slow.

“You love your sister,” he said coldly. “So do as I say, or I’ll make her life hell.”

The threat sank deeper than the slap. I walked out of his office with my jaw clenched, refusing to let the angry tears fall. Caldwell stood outside, watching me with an expression I couldn’t read. I hated that he had seen me like this.

Later, I showered and stepped out wrapped in a towel. I went straight for my clothes, already planning to grab my laptop and code until evening just to piss my father off more.

“Hey, sis.” El walked in wearing one of her new stylish tops with a skirt.

She stopped instantly.

“What are you doing walking around in only a towel?” she asked. “You forgot you have company.”

My gaze shifted toward Caldwell. He wasn’t looking directly at me, but I caught the slight movement of his eyes. I couldn’t care less.

“It’s not like I’m naked,” I said. “And if he touches me, I’ll kill him.” Caldwell’s eyes lifted to mine.

“El,” I said, turning back to my sister, “what are you doing here?”

Her smile faded.

“Sis… your face.” She stepped closer. “Who hurt you?”

I touched my cheek. The red mark was still there. Damn it. I should’ve put cream on it. My skin bruised too easily.

“I hurt myself,” I lied.

El’s eyes narrowed. “Liar. Dad hit you, didn’t he?”

Concern softened her face as she reached for the cream and gently applied it to my cheek.

“No, El. You got it wrong.”

But she hadn’t. She just didn’t know the full truth. She had never seen the worst of his abuse because I made sure she didn’t. If

Father got angry at El, he took it out on me instead. That was fine. I could handle it.

She was my baby sister. Mom told me to look after her, and I would. I would keep her safe until she married, left this family, and no longer had the Caruso name chained to her.

El stared at me with worried eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked, shaking me lightly. I blinked, snapping back to the room.

“I’m okay,” I said, forcing a bright smile.

She didn’t believe me.

“If you say so.”

Her gaze dropped to my laptop.

“Are you going to work?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t.”

I frowned. “Why the hell not?”

“Your engagement photoshoot was arranged at the last minute.”

I stared at her. “Who arranged that without telling me?”

El gave me a knowing look.

“Father.” Of course. He would do whatever he wanted. And I would have to endure it.

“I am here to help you look the part,” El said with a smile.

El’s smile is the reason I go through hell. She is my loving sister. Caldwell finally stepped out after El insisted he fuck off. He refused at first, standing outside my door like some guard statue, until El called Father and complained. Only then did he move away.

I changed into the off-shoulder yellow gown that flowed around me like liquid sunlight. Delicate lace traced the bodice and skirt, shimmering softly with every movement, giving me an almost regal grace.

“You look like a princess,” El said.

I smiled slightly.

The dress looked beautiful, but it still didn’t feel like me. What I really liked was my nerd look hoodies, glasses, oversized shirts. Invisible. Like a ghost, nobody notices. I stepped out of my room and saw Caldwell standing opposite the door.

His eyes moved over me from head to toe so quickly that if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have missed the flicker in his expression before his usual stoic look returned.

Interesting. I walked down the stairs, and at the bottom stood Nico.

He carried effortless charm in a soft beige suit, relaxed yet refined against his frame. A simple white shirt beneath and clean sneakers completed the look, while his calm stance gave him quiet authority without even trying.

The moment he looked up at me, his eyes stayed on me for longer than usual.

Too long.

Something in his expression shifted before he stepped forward and extended his hand toward me. Beside me, El giggled quietly.

“Told you,” she whispered in my ear. “Change your game a little and suddenly everyone has eyes on you, sis.”

I placed my hand in Nico’s. The media stood around us, cameras ready. Nico’s eyes looked warm, but I knew it was only for them. His gaze cued me to play my part. So I gave him a fake, warm smile.

He looked at me for a few seconds before returning to his role too.

I stepped closer to him. “You didn’t tell me there would be an interview,” I whispered.

“My father’s last-minute idea,” he whispered back, masking the annoyance I could still hear.

“Please take your seats. We’ll begin the interview,” the reporter said. “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Lily Lopez.”

We sat down.

“My first question is, who fell in love with whom first? Nico Bellini has many fans for his looks, and you are adored too, Ms. Caruso,” she said.

Forced.

I knew I wasn’t adored. She was lying.

“I fell for my geeky nerd,” Nico said with ease. For a second, his words caught me off guard inside, but I kept my in-love act on. He looked at me with those warm green eyes.

“And what about you, Ms. Caruso?” Lily asked.

“Nico and I were friends,” I said, looking at the cameras, not him. “I don’t know when our friendship turned into love.”

I could feel Nico’s eyes on me.

“Oh my, such a sweet story. Everyone will love this,” Lily said with a fake blush.

She asked more questions. Thankfully, I knew enough about Nico from when we were friends, so my answers sounded right.

Still, it felt like I was taking a test with every breath. This stupid deal.

I only needed six months. Just until El finished her graduation. Then she could be free. She could get a job and stay in London. I couldn’t let her dream stop. Father knew exactly how much El wanted to be a doctor, and he would use it if I failed.

“You’re zoning out, Alee.” My eyes snapped back to Nico. He stood too close now, close enough for me to catch his expensive scent, spice and something clean. His green eyes still looked warm.

“This is boring,” I whispered.

“I know,” he said calmly. “Endure it for today. After this drama, we’ll have time to breathe.”

I nodded. For some reason, he was making sense. He wasn’t letting his distant attitude play today, and that felt like a small relief. Then came the pictures.

Every couple pose.

Every fake smile.

Every touch.

My body froze when Nico’s hand settled gently on my lower back. This should be over already.I hated every second of it. Or maybe I didn’t hate all of it. Maybe it was his green eyes bothering me too much. That warm look was making me feel strange.

From the corner of my eye, I saw El tearing up with happiness, like she truly believed I had found love. Then my gaze shifted to another pair of eyes, blue. Caldwell. My bodyguard stood at the side, watching me. What was his deal? For a bodyguard, he looked more intimidating to me than anyone else in the room. Shouldn’t he be watching the perimeter instead of watching me?

“Look at me, Alee,” Nico’s voice was unfamiliar. Low commanding.

It sent a shiver down my spine. My eyes met his, and for once, I couldn’t read him. So many emotions sat behind his gaze, but none of them made sense.

That wasn’t like me. I could read people like open books. But Nico and that stupid bodyguard? They were impossible to decipher. And I hated that.

“We got a good shot,” the photographer said.

“Next pose, please.”

My body instantly went warm when he explained the next pose.

A kiss. My stomach twisted. I had no relationship experience at all. It was never something I wanted to explore, not after everything my life had become. Nico looked at me, reading my body language too easily. I was shaking. Stay strong, Aleena. Don’t give in. But then the dark memories clawed their way back.

“She’s beautiful. Caruso’s daughter just turned eighteen.”

“Shouldn’t we break her innocence?”

The disgusting voices echoed inside my head, ripping apart the leash I had kept on my pain for years.

“Alee.”

Nico’s voice sounded distant.

“I’m okay… Nico,” I tried to whisper.

But no sound came out. The room tilted. My breathing turned uneven.

Suddenly, muscular arms pulled me away from Nico. Caldwell. He lifted me into his arms bridal style. My vision is blurry.

I should have pushed him away. Instead, I found myself focusing on something stupid. His scent. Fresh-cut grass after rain. A quiet voice near me kept telling me to slow my breathing.

To breathe with him. I tried. Everything around me felt hazy after that. At some point, I felt someone taking me from Caldwell’s arms. The scent changed instantly.

Spice and expensive cologne. Nico. Even through the fog in my head, I could feel the cold tension between him and Caldwell. Their voices sounded sharper, but I couldn’t make out ‌what they were saying. The last thing I saw before darkness dragged me under was El crying. Trying to hold herself together.