Chapter Five

Diego 

After dinner, I went up to find her. I needed to explain why I kept this important detail, so she doesn't hate me even more than she already does. She was sitting on the edge of the bed like she’d been waiting. 

The silence was unbearable. It was heavy - suffocating. Her back was to me, her shoulders drawn tight. She didn’t move when I stepped inside, didn’t look at me and she didn’t speak.

I walked over and took a seat on the small sofa by the window, trying not to fill the silence right away. I needed her to feel the weight of what I was about to say.

I sat watching her, trying to figure out the best way to start the conversation. I'm not the type to talk about my feelings and I knew this was going to be harder than I thought. 

“I had Calah a few years ago,” I said quietly, my fingers loosely laced together. “It was right after I lost my sister.”

She turned her head slightly, finally looking at me. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes - they softened.

“My sister was in a car accident. She didn’t make it. She was the only family I had left. After my parents… it was just her and me.” I paused, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. “I don’t talk about her. Not to anyone.”

She got up from the bed and walked over slowly. Her bare feet barely made a sound on the marble floors. She sat beside me, closer than I expected, and reached for my hands.

Her fingers were warm against mine - steady, grounding me. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, voice just above a whisper. “That must’ve been so hard.”

“It was,” I admitted. “After the funeral, I needed to get out of my own head. I ended up in some bar, halfway across town. That’s where I met Mira.”

She tilted her head, listening intently.

“We didn’t really talk. It wasn’t that kind of night. A few weeks later, she called to say she was pregnant. I didn’t believe her at first, but… once I saw Calah’s eyes, there was no doubt.”

She rubbed her thumb against the back of my hand. “You’ve done a good job raising her.”

“She’s the only family I have now,” I said softly. “Well… now including you.”

I looked at her, really looked at her. Her blue eyes were calm, but I could see the storm behind them. Confusion. Uncertainty. But also—something else. Something softer.

I stood up abruptly, the intensity of the moment threatening to pull me under. “I needed you to know all this. Before anything else happens between us. I hope you can accept Calah… she’s a part of me.”

She stood too. “Diego…”

I didn’t wait to hear more. I nodded, kissed the back of her hand briefly, and turned away.

“Goodnight doll,” I said, before walking out of the room.

I knew if I stayed any longer, I’d do something reckless. My patience with this woman was already hanging by a very tiny thread.

---

The Next Morning

Work couldn’t be avoided, no matter how much I wanted to stay and keep an eye on her. But leaving her all alone in the house didn’t sit right with me either.

The Romano Estate was a fortress, unpenetrable. But I needed be sure. I knew she'd protest but she doesn't understand the dangers that lurk in my world, and I wasn't ready for her to find out just yet. 

“They’re bodyguards, Elena. It’s just precaution.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she snapped, folding her arms.

“It’s not about you needing one. It’s about me needing peace of mind. I'll work and function better knowing you're completely safe.”

She huffed and turned away, muttering under her breath.

I caught her wrist gently. “Look, I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t care. Just… let me protect you.”

She paused, eyes narrowing slightly before she sighed. “Fine.”

I kissed her forehead before walking away, even though I shouldn’t have. I knew it confused her. Hell, it confused me too. But it felt natural. Needed.

She walks around my home like she’s been there her whole life, and every damn second gets harder. Harder to keep my distance. Harder to ignore the pull between us.

The sexual tension simmers just under the surface like a lit fuse. And God help me, I want to touch her - claim her, but not like this. Not yet. I don’t want to scare her off before we even begin.

---

Elena’s POV

I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel to find a folded note sitting on the nightstand. I didn't recognize the handwriting immediately - it was bold and clean.

> Had to leave early for work. Enjoy your day and don’t hesitate to ask Maria for anything. - D

I stared at it for a long moment, then sighed. Sweet gestures like these only made things more complicated.

I hated him, well at least, I told myself I did. I hated that he forced me into this marriage. I hated that he took away my choices, that he didn't give me time to understand the world I was getting into.

And yet…

He opened up to me last night. About Calah. About his sister. About pain he clearly didn’t share with anyone else.

He didn't have to.

I thought about calling my father to vent or maybe even ask for an explanation. But my phone was gone—confiscated, probably locked away somewhere secure. Diego had made it clear that, for now, I was to be cut off from the world.

All I could do was eat, talk to Maria, or drown myself in books. She had mentioned a library the day before. At the time, I hadn’t cared. Now, it seemed like the only escape I had.

---

The library was unlike anything I’d expected.

It was gigantic. Two floors of shelves stretched wall to wall, filled with everything from old leather-bound volumes to glossy new bestsellers. There were windows with thick velvet drapes, antique armchairs, and a grand fireplace that looked like it hadn’t been used in years.

My fingertips traced the spines of the books, brushing against titles I so wanted to explore. It smelled like paper and cedarwood.

I pulled out a novel, sat on the plush couch by the window, and before I knew it - I was lost in it.

Time slipped past me in this little haven, that I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until I felt strong arms around me, lifting me from the couch. I startled slightly, then stilled when the familiar scent of Diego’s cologne hit me. Warm. Spicy. Masculine.

He carried me like I weighed nothing. I should’ve told him to stop. I should’ve pushed away. But I didn’t. A part of me melted into his embrace. It felt… safe.

He didn’t speak. Just carried me all the way to my room and gently laid me down on the bed. His hands lingered a second too long at my waist, his eyes dark as they lingered on my face, then he turned to go.

But before I could stop myself, I reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked down at our joined fingers, then at me puzzled. 

“I want to understand,” I whispered. “Your world… your family. Everything. Before the wedding. Can you teach me?”

He didn’t answer at first. His jaw clenched. His eyes searched mine.

Then, with a slow nod, he said, “It will be my pleasure.”