Emilia’s POVI tapped my leg continuously on the floor, my hands pressed tight together as I tried to stop them from shaking. My eyes were locked on the doctor's, and I could hear him talking, but I wasn’t even listening. All that was on my mind was thoughts of how I was going to get twenty-five thousand dollars for Matteo’s surgery. Twenty-five thousand dollars! A shudder ran through me. And that wasn’t all. I still had to pay for the other hospital bills apart from the surgery fee.It seemed like my life was just going haywire at this point, and there was absolutely nothing that I could do to stop it.“Miss Abramo?” The doctor called, snapping her fingers in my face twice. I jumped and then gave her an apologetic smile.“You were saying?” I asked.“Are you okay, Miss Abramo?” She eyed me warily. “You’ve been zoning out.”“Yeah, I’m okay,” I lied, nodding. My hands began to shake, and I clasped them together once again, taking in a deep breath as she continued.“Miss Abramo, it’s get
Alaric’s POV.I watched the girl scurry off to the elevator, her hair falling loose from the bun it was tied in and the horrible skirt she was wearing flowing behind her.The elevator doors closed behind her, and I watched as she disappeared, her figure swallowed up by the steel doors. I clenched my jaw, suppressing the irritation bubbling under the surface. Emilia. That woman was a complication, a thorn that hadn’t been there this morning and yet somehow had made her way into the very heart of my day.“Are you sure she’s not Mommy?” Francesca’s voice was small, almost like she was asking herself rather than me.I looked down at her, the tears glistening on her cheeks, her bottom lip trembling. I was used to Francesca’s questions and the way her curiosity would fixate on the strangest things, but this... this fixation on a woman she’d only just met? Unusual, even for her.“Yes, Tesoro,” I replied, keeping my voice firm but softened just enough for her, though I could feel her slipping
Emilia’s POV.I was pacing in the hallway outside my brother’s room, my thoughts tangled and all about the brutal men that I had just encountered in the hallway. I had gotten into the elevator, only to go and take the second route, where they wouldn’t see me, and gone back to Matteo’s room, though I didn’t enter. He’d see through me, and I didn’t want him getting worried. My mind kept replaying the scene in the hospital lobby—the little girl who looked at me like I was the answer to something, and her father, his presence as intimidating as it was magnetic.I was lost in those thoughts when I felt someone grab my arm. I jerked around, ready to defend myself however I could, only to find a tall, muscular man gripping me tightly. He was dressed sharply, but his eyes were cold, businesslike. Allesio. He was the one holding the gun to my head.“Let’s go,” he said, his voice low but firm.I tried to pull away. “Excuse me, who do you think you are? Let me go!”“You’re coming with me,” he re
Emilia’s POV I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, relief washing over me even as a new wave of anxiety took its place. I’d just agreed to work for a man who practically oozed power, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.“Good,” I said, trying to sound confident. “When do I start?”“Immediately,” he replied, his voice as decisive as ever. “Francesca is waiting for you.”The suddenness of it left me stunned. “Now?”He raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a pressing engagement?”I shot him a look, and he merely smirked, clearly unfazed by my reaction. “Fine,” I muttered. “But this doesn’t mean I’m at your beck and call.”A flicker of amusement crossed his face. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”Somehow, I didn’t believe him.With a sigh, I turned around, feeling his gaze follow me as I moved. I turned back to look at him, my heart racing despite my best efforts to stay calm.“One more thing,” I said. “I’ll be honest with Francesca. I won’t lie to her or make promises I ca
5Alaric’s POV Emilia had surprised me, and it took a lot to do that. Most people I dealt with were quick to nod, to obey, and to walk away as fast as they could manage. But Emilia? No, she had come back with demands of her own. The moment she’d lifted her chin, fire in her eyes, and laid out her terms, I’d felt an unexpected flicker of admiration.I watched her closely from my office, just across the hall. Through the glass door, I could see her kneeling on the floor, surrounded by a sea of crayons and papers, fully engaged in whatever imaginary world my daughter had conjured up. Francesca had always been spirited, a handful even on her best days, but in Emilia’s presence, she softened. She was calm, happy even, and that made me feel lighter.Emilia was resourceful. She didn’t waste time coddling Francesca, but instead, she encouraged her to express herself, to chatter away about every little thought that crossed her mind. She listened intently, nodding at all the right times, react
6Emilia’s POV. The moment Alaric walked into the room, his presence overpowered me, clouding my senses, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I lost my wits and became clumsy around him. It was a strange thing, to be both grateful and cautious around him, like standing in front of a storm—beautiful from a distance, but dangerous up close. He stood across from me, a small, self-satisfied smile playing at his lips, and when he spoke, his words stopped me in my tracks.“I’ve taken care of your brother’s bills,” he said, casually, as if he hadn’t just thrown a lifeline to the person I loved most in the world.For a second, I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened, my heart raced, and all I could think was that Matteo was safe—that Alaric, despite being the cold, impenetrable man he was, had actually kept his word. I felt tears prick the back of my eyes, and I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to gather myself.“Thank you, Alaric. Really, I…” My voice broke, and I looked down, sud
7Alaric’s POV I stepped into the house, a frown forming on my face at how quiet the house was. And it made me very very uneasy. Normally, by the time I stepped through the door, Francesca’s laughter would echo down the hall, and I’d catch glimpses of Emilia chasing her around, a small, stubborn smile always tugging at her lips. But tonight, it was so quiet, almost as if something was wrong.I hung my coat by the door and glanced around, half-expecting Emilia to appear, carrying Francesca in her arms or perhaps ushering her to bed. But instead, when I found them, Emilia barely looked up. She sat with Francesca on the couch, brushing through her silver hair with a gentleness that looked at odds with how stiff her shoulders were.“Daddy!” Francesca squealed, but she didn’t get up from the couch, keeping still as Emilia continued brushing her hair. I grinned at her in reply.“Good evening,” I said, keeping my voice even as I stepped closer. Emilia didn’t respond. Not immediately, anyway
8Emilia’s POV. It was very quiet morning as I took care of Francesca, a peaceful kind of silence that I didn’t often experience in this house. She was babbling on the living room rug, caught up in her own little world with her toys spread out in front of her. Her tiny fingers reached for blocks, stacking them with a level of concentration I couldn’t help but smile at. Moments like these were rare, and as her nanny, I’d come to savor each one.I leaned forward to help her with stacking the bloks, but then a sharp voice – Alaric’s voice – cut through the silence. I tensed at the roughness in his fone. I didn’t know who he was talking to but the way his words bounced off the walls, sharp and intense, made it clear that he was anything but pleased.“…I’ve told you before, I don’t want excuses,” he said, his voice filtering through the slightly open door. “If this can’t be resolved by tonight, I’ll find someone who can do it properly. I don’t have time for incompetence.”Francesca looked
326Gianna’s POV Forgiving him should be easy.But it isn’t.It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s a battlefield in my mind, where every step forward is met with a reminder of why I built these walls in the first place.I sat at my desk, staring at the half-written email on my screen. A simple reply to a client, something I could normally do in my sleep, but my mind wasn’t here. It was stuck on him.Matteo.I hated that he had this effect on me.That he could say one thing—one brutally honest, open-hearted thing—and suddenly, I was unraveling.I slammed my laptop shut, rubbing my temples.I needed air.I grabbed my coat and left my office, striding down the hall with purpose. If I stayed in that room any longer, I’d drive myself insane.As I walked, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, heart skipping a beat when I saw the name.Matteo.I hesitated.I could ignore it. Pretend I was too busy.But my fingers moved before my brain could catch up, and suddenly, I was answering.“
325Gianna’s POVI had every intention of avoiding him today.Really, I did.But Matteo had a way of ruining my best-laid plans. It started with a simple meeting—one I couldn’t get out of. He sat across from me, tapping his pen against the table, his eyes flicking to mine every few minutes. I ignored him. Or at least, I tried toThen there was lunch. I walked into the office kitchen, and there he was, leaning against the counter, stirring sugar into his coffee like he knew I’d be there.“Gianna,” he greeted, far too casually.I exhaled. “Matteo.”He smirked. “Good to see you.”I grabbed my coffee, turned on my heel, and walked right back out.But then came the real problem—when I was finally alone in my office, attempting to regain some semblance of peace. That was when he knocked.I could have ignored it but I didn’t.“Come in,” I called, already regretting it.Matteo stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. That was my second mistake because the moment he closed the door, I kne
324Gianna’s POV I should’ve gone home hours ago.Instead, I was sitting in my office, blinking at my laptop screen, while my brain slowly melted into useless mush.The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead. The building was nearly empty, the usual hum of conversation replaced by silence. It was late. Too late.And yet, somehow, I wasn’t alone.Matteo was still here.Because of course he was.I could hear him through the open door of my office, tapping away at his keyboard like some kind of overachiever. He was supposed to have left hours ago, but he was still here, still working. Or maybe just finding another excuse to get under my skin.Either way, I was too tired to care.I rubbed my temples, forcing myself to focus on the numbers on the screen. One last report. One last email. Then I could go home, crawl into bed, and forget this day ever happened.A yawn crept up my throat, but I stifled it.“Still alive in there, boss?”I groaned, tilting my head back against my chair. “Bar
323Gianna POVThe worst part was, I knew it was going to happen.It was inevitable.Matteo had always been funny—annoyingly so. He had this way of slipping humor into moments when I least expected it, making me laugh even when I didn’t want to.And now? Now he wasn’t even trying to be his usual cocky, persistent self.He was just there. Existing in my space. Acting normal.It was throwing me off.Because for weeks, I had been bracing myself for the full Matteo treatment—the relentless flirting, the smug little comments, the infuriating confidence. But instead, I got this version of him.Quieter. More patient. Still infuriating, but in a way I didn’t entirely hate.And then, of course, I had to go and ruin everything by laughing at his damn joke.It happened in the break room of all places. I had gone in for a much-needed coffee, barely holding on after a brutal morning of meetings. It was one of those days where everything felt heavier than it should have, where even the smallest inc
322Matteo’s POV Losing was never something I handled well.I grew up winning. Winning arguments. Winning people over. Winning her.But this? This wasn’t something I could win with charm or persistence.Gianna wasn’t some deal I could negotiate or some puzzle I could solve if I just tried hard enough.She was a person. A person I had hurt. And if I wanted any chance of having her in my life again, I had to stop trying to fix things my way and actually start listening.So, for once, I shut up.I stopped pushing. Stopped crowding her space, stopped making every interaction a challenge. And instead? I focused on being better.Not for her. Not to get her back.For me.It wasn’t like the shift happened overnight.I still wanted to reach for her every time I saw her. Still wanted to flirt, to test the boundaries between us, to make her feel something. But I didn’t.Instead, I started paying attention.To how tired she looked after back-to-back meetings. To the way she rubbed her temples wh
321Matteo’s POV Work events were always the same.Expensive suits. Polished smiles. The kind of fake enthusiasm that made my skin itch. I usually got through them with a drink in my hand and a carefully measured level of small talk. But tonight?Tonight, my attention was locked on one thing and one thing only.Gianna.She stood across the room, poised and composed in a sleek black dress that made my brain short-circuit. She was talking to some executive from finance, her smile polite but distant.Classic CEO mode.I wondered if she knew I was here yet. If she could feel me watching her the way I always did.She hadn’t spoken to me since the elevator. Since I’d laid out my cards and told her exactly what I planned to do.I’d meant every word.And if I had any doubts, they vanished the second her eyes flickered in my direction.There it was. That hesitation. That awareness. Yeah. She still felt it too.I made my way through the crowd, nodding and exchanging the usual pleasantries on m
320Matteo POVSome men would take a hint.Luckily, I wasn’t some men.I’d spent the past three weeks testing every possible angle with Gianna—banter, persistence, patience—but she was still treating me like a stranger. Like we hadn’t spent years wrapped up in each other’s lives. Like I was just another employee in this company she built from the ground up.It was driving me insane.But today, I had a feeling.I didn’t believe in fate or luck or any of that crap, but something told me that today was my shot.So I took it.I waited until the last meeting of the day, when the exhaustion was fresh in her bones and her defenses were a little lower. As everyone filed out, I fell into step beside her, casually like I wasn’t very intentionally blocking her path.“Matteo, you’re in my way,” she muttered, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder.I smirked. “I think you mean I’m in your head.”She shot me a sharp look. “Get over yourself.”I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just f
319Gianna’s POV Some days tested my patience.Today flat-out stomped on it.First, our finance team sent in projections so off I had to double-check if someone had been drunk while making them. Then, an investor decided to “pop in” unannounced, which meant I had to sit through an hour-long meeting I hadn’t prepared for. And to top it off, some executive—I couldn’t even remember his name, that’s how unimportant he was—decided to question my authority in front of the board.By the time I got back to my office, my head was pounding, and I was two seconds away from quitting my own damn company.I shut the door behind me, exhaled sharply, and closed my eyes for a brief moment of silence.It lasted all of three seconds before a voice interrupted it.“Wow. That bad, huh?”I snapped my eyes open. Matteo was leaning against the corner of my desk, arms crossed, looking like he lived to get under my skin.“What are you doing here?” I muttered, already exhausted.He shrugged. “You weren’t in yo
318Gianna’s POVThere was nothing a girls’ night couldn’t fix.Or at least, that’s what I told myself as I slid into the booth across from Vanessa, my closest friend and the only person in my life who wouldn’t hesitate to tell me when I was being an idiot.The bar was packed, music humming low in the background, the scent of citrus and expensive perfume mingling with the buzz of conversation. Vanessa was already halfway through her first drink, a smirk on her lips as she pushed a margarita toward me.“Drink up,” she said. “You look like you need it.”I sighed, picking up the glass. “It’s been a long week.”“Let me guess—Matteo?”I groaned. “I don’t want to talk about him.”“Liar.” She rested her chin on her hand, eyes gleaming with amusement. “You wouldn’t have made that face if you didn’t want to talk about him.”I took a sip of my drink, stalling. But Vanessa just waited, one brow arched, until I finally caved.“He’s been… persistent.”Vanessa snorted. “Of course he has. This is Ma