LOGINThank you so much for reading, loves! I’d really love to hear what you thought of this chapter, Alera’s feelings are all over the place right now 😭 Tell me, do you think she’s really done falling for Dante or is she just fooling herself?
𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀 Forks freeze midair. He looks so sober. And that’s how I know he’s about to give us a great show. Alera’s gaze instantly shoots to mine. And I see the fear and unease in them. But for some reason, it makes me feel warm. Probably because she hasn't looked at me all through this dinner. Luciana breaks the silence first. “We are not going to talk about that evil woman. It's a celebratory night. Let's keep it that way.” Mama turns sharply. “Don’t call her evil.” Luciana looks at her like she’s lost it. “Mama, let's be real, I know how much you loved her, but remember she was poisoning you. If we hadn’t caught her, you wouldn’t be here. So, she is evil and I don't want to talk about her.” Mama’s face drops. The tension around the table thickens. All eyes shift back to Rowan. He exhales shakily,“I don’t even know how to say this.” He lowers his head. Then his shoulders start to shake. At first, it looks like he’s holding it together, but then like a dam, he b
𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀 I heard her crying last night. It started low, barely there, but I know the sound of pain when it’s trying to hide. I’ve spent my life surrounded by silence; it makes you sensitive to what breaks it. And she broke it. All through the night I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, counting the seconds between the muffled sobs. I could picture her hand pressed over her mouth, her chest shaking. It shouldn’t matter. I told her what this was. I didn’t lie. I didn’t promise her anything. Still, guilt made it's abode in my chest. This arrangement was clear. This was just business, so why the hell do I feel this affected? I drag a hand through my hair and stare at the wall of screens in front of me. Ten feeds, different angles, all in the same room. Gabriele sits cuffed to a chair, his eyes dead and skin slick with sweat. Matteo paces behind him like a wolf running out of patience. “Why did you disappear?” Matteo’s voice cuts through the static. “Who gave the order?”
𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙍𝘼 Dante's so close I can feel his breath brush against my lips. I've missed him so much. I can't even hide my excitement. My heart's pounding like it’s trying to escape my chest. I close my eyes, waiting for his lips to finally find comfort in mine. But for a while, all I feel is cool air on my lips. Why?I open my eyes and meet his. To my dismay, he doesn’t kiss me. Instead he rests his forehead against mine. His gaze lingers on mine, searching. My pulse thrums painfully in my throat. If I just rise a little, if I reach for him, I know he won’t stop me. But I can’t. I don’t want to be the one chasing again. I want him to choose it. I want him to choose me. He exhales softly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “What am I going to do with you, Alera?” My heart screams, You can love me, or don't love me, just fucking kiss me Dante. But I keep silent. He steps back, the warmth of his body fading from the air. He didn't choose me, are the thought's that cross my mi
𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀 My heart stutters at once, the kind of beat you feel in your throat instead of your chest. I read the message again. They’ve found him. The truth is so close. I glance at Luciana, whose grin hasn’t faded since we left the hospital. She’s still beaming like someone who just got handed a miracle. “We should go to the villa,” she says, turning to me, her eyes wide and excited. “Everyone needs to hear this. It’s such great news.” “Didn’t you just call them?” I ask, looking back down at my phone. “I need to see them. We should tell Mama… imagine how she’s going to feel… Dante, there won’t be a funeral.” She lets out a laugh. My lips slightly lift. I resonate with her excitement. But I still can’t shake this dread off. I look up from my phone. “You go ahead,” I say evenly. “But we should probably keep this quiet until the next tests confirm everything. We don’t know what’s really happening yet. She has to pass the year first before we celebrate.” Luciana groans
𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀 Alera walks closer to me. My eyes don't leave hers as she makes her way here. "Those are transaction ledgers linked to Rina." For a long time, neither of us speaks. Alera’s laptop sits between us, the glow of the screen painting her face in faint blue light. I scroll slowly, reading, then reading again, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. Multiple wire transfers. Same beneficiary name. Rina. Every amount is higher than the last. Each one perfectly timed with the month Alera and I moved to Milan. My throat feels dry. “Where did you get this?” Her voice is small when she speaks. “From the company’s internal records. I was checking the vendor payments from last quarter, and it led me there. I didn’t mean to find it. It just happened.” I keep my eyes on the screen. “And you thought it was worth bringing to me?” She hesitates. “I don't know. It's just weird, Dante. You remember that night we had that fight? Well, that day I overheard Rowan, and he men
𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙍𝘼 I burst into a nervous grin, "Hi. Yes...still working." I chirp even as my fingers tremble. Sweat trickles down my spine even though the air conditioning is in full blast. I keep my fake smile in place, pretending to scroll through the spreadsheet like everything’s fine, like my heart isn’t pounding in my throat. The progress bar at the bottom of the screen blinks 93%. Just a few more seconds. Rowan leans against the doorframe, smiling like a man who’s caught me in the middle of something but isn’t sure what. “I didn’t expect to see you still working,” he says easily, voice warm and smooth. “What are you working on?” I lift my head slowly, “Uhm, nothing serious. Just checking somethings with the vendors.” He walks into the office fully, the scent of his cologne cutting through the faint smell of coffee and paper. He moves like Dante, slow, sure and unreadable. “You know I've been looking for you,” he says. “You’ve been a tremendous help lately. I’m thinking we mig







