Semua Bab Wedcuffed: Bab 261 - Bab 270

Sarah POVWednesday morning came wrapped in a sharp clarity that contrasted sharply with my feelings. I positioned myself before the mirror, adjusting a delicate cream blouse atop my navy pants, observing the slight remnants of the hickeys that had almost disappeared.The memory still burned not from pain, but from everything it signified. Alessandro’s mouth, his hands, his desperation.My weakness. My anger. The unspoken parts between us that still hadn't faded.And then... his silence. His gift.The cake sat on my counter for two days before I finally allowed myself to eat it. Not out of guilt. Not even hesitation. Just... fear. Fear of what it meant if I accepted that he knew me so well, still. That the Alessandro who held my body like a drowning man was the same Alessandro who remembered the exact seasonal cake from a tiny French bakery tucked away in Manhattan. The same one I hadn’t mentioned in over a year.Each bite was maddeningly familiar. Honey, orange zest, toasted chestnut.

Sarah POVThe vehicle remained quiet for a brief moment after the doors closed. Only the sound of traffic and the gentle whisper of the AC occupying the area.I gazed out the window, attempting to concentrate on the skyline instead of the constant noise echoing in my ears when Ester broke the silence first.“So,” she said slowly, “we’re pretending that didn’t happen?”I didn’t look at her. “If by ‘that’ you mean Jessica acting like she owns the man I used to love in front of a boardroom full of people? Then yes. I’d rather pretend.”Ester made a sound. Not quite a laugh. Not quite pity either. “She’s predictable. But him? I didn’t expect that from Alessandro.”I finally turned. “What are you saying?”“I’m saying…” she exhaled, looking out her own window now, “something felt off.”“Off,” I echoed flatly.“Yeah. The way he just sat there,” she said, shifting to face me, her tone quieter now.“Didn’t lean in. Didn’t smirk. Didn’t touch her back. That’s not how a man behaves if he wants s

Sarah POVSay it, Sarah.But I hadn’t.I hadn’t said a word.Because I was afraid?Because I was angry.?Because somewhere deep inside?I was still bleeding from all the wounds men had left in their wake, Adrian, my father, even Alessandro himself. And yet… he hadn’t asked me to forget.He had begged for forgiveness.He had only asked me to trust him.And I didn’t.I couldnt.Not even when it mattered most.Not when he was standing there, stripped bare in front of me, offering me a love that had cost him every ounce of pride and control.And at last he had departed. A constricting pain coiled in my chest, intense and urgent, anxiety scraping its way up my throat.You asked him to leave, Sarah.No, No!!I was really so stupid, my feet moved before I fully registered. I hurried through the apartment, trembling hands pulled the door and attacked the hallway. He reached the elevator and was in the elevator when the doors closed.His tall frame stood rigid, hands at his sides, sho

Alessandro POVI shouldn’t have said her name.The moment it left my lips, I saw it. The shift in Sarah’s face, the flicker of disbelief followed by fire.“And you're concerned because? With venom in every word, she snapped."My jaw tightened, but I held her gaze. “Because I know what it looked like. And I know how you see me now.”I stepped closer. I had to. “But you’re wrong.”She didn’t budge. Her eyes narrowed. “Am I? Because from where I was standing, it looked like she had her claws dug into you, and you didn’t even flinch. You didn’t move. You didn’t speak. You didn’t do anything to stop her.”“I didn’t know you were coming at that exact moment,” I said, sharper than I meant to. “I wasn’t performing for you, Sarah. I was trying to hold a boardroom together while she acted like a goddamn parasite.”Her retort came quickly and sharply. “Then you should’ve shoved the parasite off your lap. Instead, you let her play queen while I walked in looking like the fool.”The words hit like

Sarah POVManhattan | 8:00 PMThe rooftop was empty when I arrived, just the echo of my heels against concrete and the low hum of city noise below. Manhattan stretched out beneath me in a web of lights, oblivious to the storm I’d spent the day faking in that glass conference room.Then I saw him.Alessandro stood near the edge, framed by the night, his jacket off, sleeves rolled, hair slightly tousled like he’d run his hand through it more than once since the meeting. He turned at the sound of my approach, and in that moment, there was no tension. No company. No Adrian. No game.Just us.He murmured, "I'm glad you came," with a crooked smile that hadn't been on my face for weeks.Tired. Raw. Almost shy.I walked past him toward the table set up under the overhang, low lights, real candles, two plates, and a bottle of the Montepulciano I’d once said reminded me of Amalfi summers. Of course, he remembered."You're lucky I didn't throw this wine at you," I muttered as I settled into the