Valentina.
“Planning a party isn’t the hardest thing in the world,” Caterina’s voice was the only sound I could hear in this library. It was steady, almost clinical, as she rattled off the list of responsibilities that now fell on my shoulders. “I’m pretty sure you watched your mom do it.”
It had been two weeks. Two weeks since I almost left the estate for good.
Two weeks since I saw someone who had something to say about my sister.
Two weeks since Matteo came after me in the pouring rain, stopping me from walking away. Two weeks since that kiss.
I still couldn’t stop thinking about it. How his lips had been soft yet commanding, claiming me with a force that left me breathless.
It was the first real sign of emotion he’d shown toward me since I had been dragged into his world. His cold, dominating exterior had cracked for just a moment, and I had seen something raw underneath. Desire, yes – but something more.
Something darker. Unresolved.
“…. and the guest list will have to be finalized by tomorrow,” Caterina continued, her pen scratching across the notebook she held.
I blinked, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. I was supposed to be learning how to plan the upcoming event – an annual gathering of the powerful figures associated with the Nevarro family.
Men and women Matteo knew since he was a baby.
It was my responsibility now, as his wife, to ensure everything went off without a hitch.
This was my test also.
“Are you listening, Valentina?” Caterina asked, raising an eyebrow.
I forced a smile. “Yes, of course.”
She gave me a pointed look, her gaze sharp as always. Caterina was being paid to teach me the ins and outs of a world as complex as the one I had found myself in. There was no room for error when it came to me.
“What did I say then?” She asked.
“Guest list will be finalized tomorrow.”
As much as I wanted to focus on her instructions, my mind kept wandering back to that night.
The rain pouring down, Matteo’s firm grip on my arm, the intensity of his eyes as he pulled me down. His kiss had been unexpected, overwhelming, and it left me reeling for days.
Yet, after that night, he disappeared. Not a word, not a glance. Like I didn’t exist. The distance between us felt greater now, and I hated that it made me feel…. abandoned.
“Valentina,” Caterina’s voice cut through my thoughts again, pulling me back to reality. “This party will be your first test. If you fail, it will reflect badly on both you and Matteo.”
I nodded, even though the words didn’t fully sink in.
How could they when all I could think about was him? Matteo was a mystery I couldn’t solve, a man who held me in one hand and pushed me away with the other. And the worst part was that I couldn’t tell if I wanted to run from him or to him.
“… the decorations should be understated but elegant,” Caterina continued. “Matteo prefers things that don’t attract unnecessary attention.”
Understated. Elegant. Just like Matteo himself, I thought bitterly. He didn’t want attention, yet everything about him demanded it. The way he commanded a room, the way his mere presence sent shivers down my spine. I could feel his absence now, as if the air was thicker without him near me.
“Caterina, do you know where Matteo has been?” The question slipped out before I could stop myself.
She glanced up, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I have no idea how that has anything to do with what we’re discussing. Matteo has been busy. He has many….. responsibilities.” When she saw the look on my face, her eyes softened. “Don’t bother yourself with his whereabouts.”
It was a subtle reprimand, but I could hear the message loud and clear.
What Matteo did was not mine to question. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that clouded over me that something was wrong. He hadn’t been seen around the estate in days, and none of the men he placed around the house told me anything.
“… and make sure the seating arrangements are precise. Some of these men have old rivalries, and we can’t afford any disruptions.”
Caterina’s voice faded into the background once more as I stood and walked to the window. The sky outside was darkening, clouds swirling ominously. A storm was definitely coming, both outside and within me.
The door to the study creaked open, and I turned just as one of the household staff stepped inside, looking hesitant.
“Mrs. Navarro,” he said quietly, “I believe you should come with me.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not supposed to tell you this…. but your husband…. Mr Nevarro… he’s been hurt.” He kept on glancing towards Caterina like he expected her to rush towards him. “He requests your presence.”
The words hit me like a punch tobthe gut, and without thinking, I rushed past Caterina and followed the staff member through the winding halls of the estate. My mind faced as I struggled to process what he had said.
Hurt? Matteo was hurt?
How? When? Why hadn’t anyone told me sooner?
We reached my room, and the staff stepped aside, gesturing for me to gonin. My hands trembled as I pushed the door open.
There, sitting on the edge of the bed, was Matteo. His suit was rumpled, his face bruised, and there was blood staining the white shirt beneath his jacket. His usual controlled, composed appearance was shattered, and for the first time, he looked… vulnerable.
“Matteo,” I breathed, rushing to his side.
He didn’t look up at me immediately, his jaw tight with pain. His hand was clutched against his side, blood seeping through his fingers. I knelt beside him, my heart pounding in my chest. The sight of him like this, so wounded and broken, made something inside me twist painfully.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He finally turned his gaze toward me, his eyes dark and filled with something I couldn’t quite place. Anger? Frustration? Regret?
“It’s nothing,” he muttered, wincing as he shifted in his seat. “Just… business.”
I frowned. “This isn’t nothing, Matteo. You’re bleeding.”
He shook his head, his expression hardening again. “I said it’s nothing. I’ve dealt with worse.”
I didn’t believe him for a second. Whatever had happened, it had been serious. The cuts on his face, the bruises, the blood-it wasn’t something that could be brushed off as “business.”
But I knew better than to push him. Matteo was a man who kept his walls up, who never let anyone see behind the mask he wore. Not even me.
Still, I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. Without a word, I grabbed a first aid kit from the bathroom and began cleaning the wound on his side. He flinched at the touch, but didn’t say anything, his eyes focused on the floor.
As I worked in silence, the air between us grew heavier. The tension that had always been there simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. And then, as if he couldn’t hold it back any longer, Matteo spoke.
“I didn’t want this for you,” he said quietly, his voice rough. “I never wanted you to get involved in this life.”
I froze, my hand hovering over the bandage I had just placed on his wound. His words were unexpected, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond.
“You didn’t have a choice,” I said softly, meeting his gaze. “And neither did I.”
His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. But instead, he looked away, the mask slipping back into place.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.
It was the first time he had ever apologized to me. And in that moment, despite everything that had happened between us, I felt something shift. Matteo wasn’t just the cold, calculating Don I had been forced to marry. He was a man-flawed, damaged, and perhaps even more lost than I was.
He had come to me. At his lowest point, Matteo Nevarro had chosen me.