Semua Bab His Queen,Their War: Bab 31 - Bab 40

Alessia's POV The sound of the bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. Finally! School is over!I exhaled a long breath and packed up my sketchbook, slipping it carefully into my bag. The day had stretched on forever, my nerves tied up since that strange run-in earlier. Every time I blinked, I could still see him,tall, sleeves rolled, tattoos curling over his skin like shadows that had memorized his body.I shook my head hard. Stop it, Vittoria.The name still felt strange on my tongue, like wearing shoes that didn’t fit but pretending they did.I stepped out of the building, the golden hue of evening spilling over the courtyard. The moment I spotted Matteo’s car at the gate, relief washed through me. He leaned casually against the hood, arms crossed, dark hair slightly messy, eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on me.“Hey, you survived another day,” he teased as I approached.I rolled my eyes. “Barely.”He opened the car door for me with that quiet protectiveness that alwa

The sight before me hit harder than a bullet.Matteo was tied to a chair. His head hung low, arms bound tight behind him with thick ropes that dug into his sleeves. His lip was bruised, blood staining the corner of his mouth. My heart stopped cold in my chest.“Matteo?” I whispered, stepping forward.That’s when I heard it,the cocking of guns!Dozens of them.The sound of metal being cocked filled the air. From the corners of the dimly lit room, men began stepping out of the shadows, all dressed in black suits, black gloves, black expressions. Each one held a gun. Each one pointed it straight at Matteo!I froze again.My throat tightened, my pulse pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.“W–Wait,” I stammered, my gaze darting from face to face. “Who the hell are you? And what the fuck is going on?”Matteo lifted his head weakly, his eyes meeting mine for the briefest second. The look he gave me wasn’t pain,it was warning,and it said… Don’t move.I didn’t. I couldn’t. My feet felt g

The first thing I felt was the sting in my neck. Then, the heaviness in my head. When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing familiar,no white curtains, no sea breeze fluttering through the windows, no soft hum of the waves I’d grown used to. Just silence.I blinked slowly, my vision adjusting to the faint glow of moonlight streaming through long glass doors. My body ached, and when I pushed myself up, a small gasp escaped my lips. I was dressed in a silk nightgown, it felt soft and thin against my skin and it didn't feel like what belonged to me.My gaze swept the room, studying the environment. It was wide, gosh it was too wide,with marble floors that reflected the moonlight, gold accents glinting faintly on the furniture. The scent of expensive cologne and faint tobacco hung in the air. At the far corner, I saw my luggage, my clothes, my things... neatly arranged.He brought me here? Of course he did.I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady my breathing. “Where am I?” I whispered, t

Alessia’s POV Morning came too quickly. I totally forgot that I woke at midnight yesterday to explore and I discovered something that shook me.I groaned, burying my face into the pillow as if it could swallow me whole and save me from the reality I had to face. The sunlight slipped through the curtain and his name appeared in my head, Salvatore.Salvatore is my bodyguard. Damn it! It was a dream. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. The thought alone made my stomach twist. Of all the men in the world, of all the bodyguards Lorenzo could’ve chosen, it had to be him. The one man I wanted to forget. The one man my heart refused to let go of, no matter how many times I cursed it.I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, muttering under my breath. “This is a nightmare.”When I started dressing, my hands trembled slightly. Not because I was scared — no, I’d faced worse — but because I knew I’d have to see him again and again and again! I would be near him. I would breathe th

Alessia’s POV I got into class just in time, the teacher was already mid-sentence, chalk squeaking across the board as she explained the structure of the upcoming competition. I slid quietly into my seat, pulling out my sketchpad like my mind wasn’t somewhere else entirely. But it was.Why didn’t he follow me?Salvatore always followed. He always had something to say and yet this time, he hadn’t even moved. He just stood there and he let me walk away like I was some stranger. Maybe Francesca was right there for a reason. Maybe… they were dating?The thought made my stomach twist in the most annoying way. Why would I even care? He was my bodyguard. My bodyguard. That was all. Still, the image of them talking, her laughing, her hand on his arm, replayed in my head like a loop I couldn’t shut off.“Focus,” I muttered to myself, flipping to a fresh page in my sketchbook.I started sketching,the competition was next week, and I needed something that screamed power and perfection. I let my