CHAPTER 13

Jamie did not go back to sleep. He couldn't.

He lay on the vast bed, staring at the ceiling, every shadow in the room feeling heavier than it had the night before. The sheets still smelled faintly of Matteo—clean, dark, familiar in a way that now made his stomach twist.

He never came back to the room after dropping him off.

Jamie stared awake until the rays of the sun hit his eyes reminding him how he need rest. He groaned out at his bad decision making skills when he slept with Matteo.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it again.

Not details. Not faces.

Just the certainty in Matteos eyes. The certainity as he ended a life.

The certainty that Matteo Alfonso De Luca was not a man you stumbled into by accident. He was not a mere summer fling. Not a dangerous fantasy. He was something real, something that existed in the world with rules and consequences Jamie didn’t understand

When the golden rays finally broke out from the sky, it brought no relief.

Jamie showered, hands shaking as warm water slid over his skin. He scrubbed himself till his skin turned red as he he wanted to remove any trace of Matteo the night before.

He dressed quietly, choosing neutral clothes, as if blending in might make him safer. When he stepped out into the hallway, the mansion was awake again—staff moving silently, the sound of distant voices, the smell of coffee drifting through the air.

As if a man didn't just die. As if a man wasnt just killed by their boss.

Normal.

That was the worst part.

At breakfast, Lucas was already seated at the long table, animated for once, cheeks flushed with life. Enzo sat across from him, calm and attentive, dark eyes following Lucas’s movements like a tether.

“Jamie!” Lucas waved him over. “You vanished last night. Are you okay?”

Jamie forced a smile onto his face and slid into the seat beside him. “Yeah. Just… tired.”

Lucas frowned slightly, studying him. “You look pale.”

“I didn’t sleep well and hungover. Wait... how do you not have a hangover you drank like a fish.” Jamie said quickly.

Enzo’s gaze shifted—sharp, assessing—but he said nothing.

" Genetics I guess." Lucas replied breaking the tension.

Moments later, Matteo entered the room.

Jamie felt his presence before he saw him.

The air seemed to tighten, his chest constricting as Matteo crossed the room with his usual effortless confidence. He was immaculate—dark shirt, sleeves rolled casually, expression composed. If Jamie hadn’t seen what he’d seen, he might’ve believed this was the same man from the club. The same teasing voice. The same controlled smile.

But now Jamie knew better.

Matteo’s eyes flicked to him.

Just once.

It was enough.

“Good morning,” Matteo said smoothly.

Lucas greeted him cheerfully. “Morning. You missed a wild night.”

Matteo chuckled softly. “So I heard.”

His gaze lingered on Jamie for half a second longer than necessary. Jamie kept his eyes down, stirring his coffee even though his hands trembled.

They spoke of ordinary things—plans for the day, the weather, the coast. Matteo suggested a drive. Enzo mentioned a quiet beach. Everything sounded harmless. Civil.

But Jamie felt like he was standing on a live wire.

At one point, Lucas leaned in and whispered, “Did you and Matteo… you know? Cross off a number on your bucket list?”

Jamie stiffened. “No,” he said too fast. Then softer, “I mean—nothing happened.”

Lucas accepted it easily, distracted by Enzo offering him another drink. But Jamie saw Matteo watching him from across the table, eyes dark and dangerous.

He looked away.

Later that afternoon, Jamie found himself alone in the east wing of the mansion, pretending to admire art he couldn’t focus on. He jumped when a voice spoke behind him.

“You’re quiet today.”

Matteo stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets.

Jamie’s heart raced, but he forced himself to turn. “Just tired.”

Matteo hummed. “Youve been saying that a lot today.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and unbearable.

‘ gee I wonder why ‘ Jamie thought irritated.

“I didn’t mean to wander,” Jamie said suddenly, the words tumbling out. “This place is…like a maze. I won’t do it again.”

Matteo studied him carefully.

“ You did nothing wrong” he said.

Jamie swallowed. “You— you didn’t have to stop me like that. I was scared... I mean last night.” he added when Matteo looked confused by his words.

Matteo stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Fear is necessary. It keeps people alive.”

Jamie flinched.

Matteo’s expression softened—not kindly. “You saw something you weren’t meant to. That happens sometimes.” He tilted his head. “But you were smart enough to run.”

Jamie’s stomach dropped. “So you know.”

Matteo smiled faintly. “I know everything that goes on in this place.”

Jamie hugged his arms around himself, suddenly cold. “Are you going to… do something to me? To us?”

Matteo’s eyes darkened, not with anger, but in deep thought. “No.”

Jamie looked up in surprise.

“You didn’t betray me,” Matteo continued. “You didn’t speak. You didn’t challenge me.” He paused. “And you’re not involved in my world.”

Jamie exhaled shakily. “I don’t want to be.”

Matteo stepped even closer more now, close enough that Jamie could feel the warmth of him, the presence that had once felt thrilling and now felt dangerous. His hands stroking Jamie's cheek.

“When you stepped on that beach you already entered my world.” Matteo said quietly as if talking to himself

Jamie wondered what he meant.

Matteo reached out—not to grab, not to restrain—but to straighten Jamie’s collar. The gesture was intimate. Possessive. Chilling.

“You’re safe here,” Matteo said. “As long as you remember where you belong.”

He stepped back, the moment gone as quickly as it came.

“For dinner tonight,” Matteo added casually. “Wear something warm.”

Then he walked away.

Jamie stood there long after, heart pounding, understanding something terrifying and undeniable:

Matteo had spared him.

No.

Matteo had claimed him.