Chapter 6

Alessia’s POV

After finally securing a ride for my children and me, I hurried back to where I had left them.

But the moment I got close, my steps slowed… then stopped completely.

My light brown eyes fell on a man I never wanted to see again.

He was standing there—unapologetically handsome, broad-shouldered, with well-defined abs and deep blue eyes that once brought me nothing but pain and humiliation. And to my horror, he was smiling warmly at my children.

Smiling with them.

Of all days… why today?

Why would Matteo Rinaldi choose today to reappear in my life?

A storm of emotions crashed through me as my eyes betrayed me and traced his face again. Then, almost against my will, my gaze dropped to his left hand.

There it was.

A wedding ring.

Not the one we once shared.

A different one.

I let out a bitter breath.

I should have known better than to ever be fooled by good looks.

A smile almost formed on my lips—until the memory of his betrayal slammed into me and wiped it away. I remembered the loneliness. The pain. The nights I cried alone after he walked away from me and married Giulia.

How could I have forgotten something so cruel?

I snapped back to reality and fixed my attention on my children.

“Renzo, it’s time to go,” I called softly. “Come on, everyone.”

“Our ride is here. Let’s hurry before we miss it,” I added, waving them toward me.

Without hesitation, they all ran to me with excited giggles.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” I said, crouching slightly as I checked their coats. “Are you cold?”

“We’re fine, Mommy,” Tino replied cheerfully. “Renzo took good care of us, right, Tiziana?”

Tiziana nodded. “Don’t worry, Mommy. That gentleman stayed with us. He was nice, and we weren’t bored.”

She pointed behind them.

All four of them nodded in agreement.

Before I could respond, Tiziana tugged gently at my coat.

“Mummy… who is he? Do you know him?”

My heart skipped violently.

I turned—only to meet his gaze.

Those blue eyes locked onto mine, and then he started walking toward us.

Enough.

“No, baby,” I said calmly, forcing a smile. “I don’t know that man.”

The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

“Let’s hurry,” I added quickly. “We don’t want to miss our ride.”

They believed me.

All of them—except Renzo.

I saw it in his eyes. The confusion. The quiet observation as he looked from my face… to Matteo’s.

I turned and walked faster.

“Alessia.”

His voice—deep, rich, familiar—called out to me.

I ignored him.

“Why can’t he crawl back to wherever he came from?” I muttered under my breath.

Anger and frustration burned through me as I tried to disappear into the crowd. I wanted to slap him. Scream at him. Make him vanish from my life forever.

What does he even want now?

After all these years?

As we finally reached the parking area outside the airport, my heart sank.

All my hopes of returning quietly—without my family knowing—were gone.

Because of Matteo.

And as if the universe truly hated me today, my luck took another cruel turn.

The car I had booked was wrecked.

A black Tesla had rammed into it, leaving it undriveable.

I stared at the scene in disbelief.

First the rain.

Then Matteo.

And now this?

Today was cursed.

I swallowed my frustration and walked up to the driver, who looked far calmer than I felt.

“Hey,” I said. “What happened?”

“That Tesla hit my car,” he replied apologetically. “It’s badly damaged. I’m afraid I can’t take you anywhere. The trip has to be canceled.”

My last shred of hope shattered.

“Damn it,” I muttered, slapping my forehead.

And behind me…

I could feel him still there.

“We need to leave now. I don’t even have a second to spare,” I said, glancing nervously at my kids. “There has to be a way to fix this, right?” I asked, hoping to escape Matteo Rinaldi, who was fast approaching us.

He tilted his head casually. “Nah, signora. It’s a dead end.”

“Damn!” I muttered, my mind racing. I had no plan, no backup, no idea how to get out of this mess.

“Can I…” Matteo’s voice came from behind me, calm but insistent. “Can I give you all a lift? I don’t mind. I can take you anywhere you need to go.”

I turned, shocked. That Matteo Rinaldi?

The man I once knew… the man who had never been kind?

My instincts screamed to walk away.

“Thank you, but my kids and I can manage,” I said coldly, masking the panic rising in my chest. “We’ll be fine.”

He didn’t back down. “Just let me help. It’s my Tesla that hit your car, so it’s only right I take responsibility and get you home safely.”

I gritted my teeth. Why is he pushing this?

“I don’t want to be a burden,” I said firmly, forcing my voice calm.

“I do not feel burdened, Alessia,” he replied evenly. “Just let me help you and the kids.”

I cursed under my breath. F**k!

Then my gaze fell on my children. They were shivering despite their thick coats. The sight tore at my heart. The cold was creeping in, and I couldn’t let them suffer.

“Look at them,” Matteo said gently, reading my expression. “Your kids are cold. Keeping them here while you find another car won’t do anyone any good. Let me help.”

I froze. Did he just… mention my children?

“Mummy, I’m cold,” Ruggero complained, hugging himself tightly.

I glanced at the others. Renzo, Tino, and Tiziana were all looking pitiful, small and vulnerable in the rain.

Fine. I hated that I was relying on him. Hated that Matteo Rinaldi was in my life again. But my kids came first.

“Okay,” I said through gritted teeth. “Fine.”

“You can take us home… on one condition,” I added, raising an eyebrow.

“Anything,” Matteo said with that infuriatingly confident smile, “just say it.”

“You must not let anyone know I’m in Italy. Not a single soul. Not my family.”

He brushed his lips as if zipping them shut. “Your secret is safe with me,” he promised.

I nodded and motioned for the kids to follow. We moved toward his car. As I lifted Ruggero into the back seat, I noticed the safety seats were all misaligned from the collision.

“Signor Rinaldi, I cannot accept a ride without properly secured seats,” I said, frowning.

“Don’t worry about that,” he said calmly. “I’ll fix it immediately.”

Moments later, Andrea, his chief of security, arrived with the seats properly installed. Finally, we could all get inside.

Relief washed over me. Soon my children would be warm, safe, and out of the rain. But the uneasiness in my stomach didn’t fade. Matteo was in the car with us. This was not a happy family moment—this was tension waiting to explode.

Nope. We were a happy family—without Matteo Rinaldi in it.