LOGINGiuliaâs POV As I walked into the grand foyer of our family estate, I made no effort to hide the frustration and anger weighing heavily on my heart. The space stretched before meâpolished marble floors gleaming beneath towering columns that rose toward a magnificent crystal chandelier. âWhy are you crawling behind me like a disfigured snail?!â I snapped at Belle, my assistant. She hurried to my side at once. I shot her a demeaning look and flicked my wrist gracefully, tossing my bags into her waiting arms. I knew she would handle them with the utmost care, no matter how badly I treated her. I strode deeper into the mansion. âYou there,â I barked at one of the housekeepers. âFetch me some water at once.â The maid rushed off immediately and returned moments later with a crystal glass filled to the brim. As she approached, I noticed the exhaustion etched into her face. âWhy do you look like an old hag?â I remarked coldly. Her expression faltered, but she remained silent as she h
Giuliaâs POV Finally! Something hopeful to start the day. The housekeeper at Matteo Rinaldiâs house, Marta (or whatever her name was), sent me a text in the wee hours of the morning saying she found something valuable to give me. She claimed it belonged to the sneaky woman she saw at Matteoâs place. I had no choice but to go meet her. I donât trust anyone enough to send someone on such matters. I strode down the sidewalk, my designer heels clicking against the pavement. My meticulously styled hair bounced with each step. I arrived at the sleek SUV parked in front of my condo, Marco, my chief security officer, and Belle stood waiting. Marco opened the car door and I got in. Belle sat some distance away from me, and Marco took the front seat beside the driver. Coursing through the bustling streets of Italy, I juggled a flurry of phone calls while Belle was busy responding to pending emails. âCanceled? But why?!â My voice was sharp with disbelief as I listened to yet another canc
Matteo Rinaldiâs POV As I stepped into my office, my mind was still consumed with thoughts of Alessia. Why the hell couldnât she understand my intentions? I sank into the leather-bound swivel chair that was meant to bring comfort, yet I felt none. Comfort was a luxury only a few thingsâfew peopleâcould give me. âExcuse me, sir.â Federicoâs voice broke through my thoughts. I shot him a cold glance. Years ago, he would have flinched under it, but time had toughened him. He no longer cowered like the others. âWeâve just received new intel on the lawyerâs case,â he began. My interest sharpened instantly, though my face remained unreadable. âThe investigation into the accident has revealed new evidence. The car was tampered with. The accident wasnât accidental at allâit was orchestrated.â âBy who?â I asked coldly. âWe donât have any concrete leads yet,â Federico replied. âBut whoever did this clearly had a lot to gain.â I closed my eyes briefly, forcing myself to th
Alessiaâs POVAs I settled into the backseat of the cab, my mind buzzed with racing thoughts and tangled emotions. I gently placed my hands over my rapidly beating heart, hoping to calm it.âEverything alright, maâam?â the driver asked.âYes, yes. Iâm very well. Thank you,â I replied.The driver nodded and focused back on the road.Matteo Rinaldiâs unexpected appearance had left me shaken, his words echoing relentlessly in my mind. What did he really want from me?His sudden warmth and sincerity were such a sharp contrast to the cold indifference he had always shown me before. It left me disoriented, questioning his intentionsâand my own feelings.I couldnât help but recall the countless times Matteo had treated me with utter indifference, his icy demeanor burned into my memory. From the day he had ordered meâyes, ordered meâto sign the divorce papers with those cold, unyielding eyes, to the many evenings when my attempts to please him with homemade meals were met with nothing but sil
Matteo Rinaldiâs POV I arrived at the forecasting company right around the time I calculated Alessia would be done with her interview. I waited in the car for a few minutes until one of the staff mentioned she had just stepped out of the building. The moment I got out of the car, my eyes locked with hers. Damn. How had I ever failed to notice how beautiful she truly was? The shock on her face was unmistakable. For a brief second, time seemed to freeze as we stared at each other, the noise of the world fading into the background. But just as quickly as she noticed me, she recovered. She looked away and continued walking, clearly intent on avoiding me. I couldnât allow that. Not again. I reached out and gently caught her arm, turning her around to face me. After a tense moment in my arms, she finally spoke. âMatteo?â Her voice was low and strained. âWhat are you doing here? Let me goâweâre in public.â âAlessia,â I said calmly, my voice firm but gentle, âwe need to talk.â Sh
Alessiaâs POV It had been more than a week since I arrived in Italy. I had been applying for jobs at several weather forecasting stations, but most of the lucrative offers demanded more from me than I could give. My children needed me. I had to be around them. I managed to land a couple of freelance gigs, but I wanted something more worthwhileâsomething stable. Last night, I refreshed my email repeatedly, hoping to see something⌠anything. And to my amazement, I found one. I had been invited for an interview based on a recommendation. Jackpot. The job offer was exactly to my likingâremote, great pay, and plenty of incentives. Almost too good to be true. As I meticulously prepared for the interview, my mind wandered. Who had recommended me? Whoever it was had to be highly placed to put my name forward to such an outstanding company. The offer they made was top-notch. Whew. The prospect of a remote job thrilled me. It meant flexibilityâbeing there for my kids while still w







