Valentina.
The weight of the note settled over me like a storm cloud, lingering in the back of my mind even as I prepared for my evening with Matteo.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, smoothing out the fabric of the sleek, black dress I had chosen, while Matteo watched me from the side.
I wondered for the millionth time if he knew what was happening in my mind.
“If you want to know where Isabella is, meet me tomorrow at midnight. Alone.”
it took me five minutes to leave the room once Matteo abruptly left.
Who could have left it? And why now?
Was it a trap? A way to manipulate me?
Or had it been meant for Matteo? A way to manipulate him?
I took a deep breath, reminding myself that tonight was supposed to be a date with Matteo.
My husband.
Another attempt at the boundaries we created when he came back, to get closer, to figure out what our relationship would lead to.
I glanced subtly at Matteo, contemplating whether or not to tell him about the note.
He had promised to help me find out the truth about Isabella. He had the means.
“But did you trust him with your sister?” The thought whispered in my mind.
What if the meeting tomorrow led to something more dangerous?
The last thing I needed was to drag him into another mess more than what he was already dealing with.
Matteo walked toward me, his eyes getting progressively darker as he scanned me appreciatively.
“You are stunning,” he said, his voice low, sending a wave of warmth through me that settled on the lower part of my abdomen. “Simply too stunning. Wow.”
I didn’t have to force the smile. It appeared the moment Matteo started talking.
“Thanks.” Heat rushed to my cheeks, turning it into a dark crimson.
He stepped closer, his hand finding a resting spot on my lower back, pulling me slightly into me. “We could miss the dinner.” He whispered, letting his lips brush against my ears.
A shiver ran through me.
I laughed. “Matteo!!”
Even I didn’t sound convincing.
“Let’s go.”
I couldn’t let him seduce me to another dance in bed. Even though that was what I really needed at the moment.
As we left the estate, my gaze lingered on the shadows outside his room, half expecting to see another note waiting.
But there was nothing.
I couldn’t say I was disappointed. The weight of the one I already had, tucked away, kept pressing against my consciousness like a constant reminder.
***
The restaurant Matteo had chosen after his business dinner was different from the other. Intimate and secluded, nestled in a quiet corner of the city.
It was the kind of place that exuded luxury, with soft lighting and velvet booths that promised privacy.
As the waiter left us to our table and I laughed at another of Matteo’s inappropriate jokes, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of ease.
Here I was, sitting across from the man I was married to, who had claimed me not just with words but with his body and actions – and strangely, that stupid gnawing feeling about him belonging to Isabella was gone.
Matteo reached for my hand across the table, pulling my attention back to him. His thumb brushed gently over my knuckles, his eyes dark and focused on me.
“You’re quiet tonight.” It wasn’t a question. Just an observation.
I blinked my thoughts away, forcing my mind to focus. “I’m just…. thinking.”
His brow furrowed slightly. “Penny for those thoughts.” Concern etched lines into his perfect face, as he removed a penny
I hesistated, the words sitting on the tip of my tongue. Where would I even start from?
The note? The meet-up?
Confiding in him the way any normal couple would.
But then again, we weren’t some love struck pair sharing secrets over dinner. We were having dates after we were married for a month and more now.
We had our first sexual activity yesterday.
“Just…. things.” I finally said, looking away, my stomach twisting at how hollow the words sounded.
I saw the light dim a bit from his eyes. Matteo didn’t push, though.
Instead, he leaned back, his eyes studying me as if he could see the battle raging beneath the surface. “You don’t have to hide things from me, Valentina.”
I stiffened.
His tone was soft and caring, which only made me feel more unsettled.
Here was the man who had wanted nothing to do with me when I arrived a month back, pushing me to the sidelines of his world, now doing everything to understand me.
I didn’t know how to handle him.
“I’m not hiding anything,” I lied, yet the smile reached my eyes.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but let it drop. The tension between us thickened as we ordered our drinks, the conversation slipping into small talk about his business deals, the estate, and other things I barely registered.
“There was no way for me to know he had no idea that would happen.” Matteo joked about the first time he and Luca went on an ice cream shopping. “Sophia was so mad, we had to buy her ice cream for weeks.”
I snorted. “Well, you should have invited her in the first place.”
“She shouldn’t have tried to force her way into it.”
It was moments like this that I wanted. Moments where he shared childhood memories with me made me laugh that mattered.
“Isabella loved ice cream. There was never an ice cream date without her…”
My fingers itched even more to pull out the note again, to study it and dissect every letter. To show Matteo.
“Tesoro?” Matteo’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. “You’re somewhere else tonight.”
That nickname.
Treasure.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, suddenly feeling exposed under his scrutiny. “I’m sorry. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. “You’re thinking about Isabella again, aren’t you?”
My heart stuttered at the sound of her name, guilt flooding through me. I nodded, unable to lie this time. “I can’t help it.”
Matteo leaned forward, his voice dropping low so only I could hear. “I told you, I’ll find out what happened to her. You don’t have to carry this alone.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of deception. But there was none. Just the same steady, determined gaze that had unnerved me from the beginning. I wanted to believe him, but something deep inside warned me not to rely on anyone but myself.
“I know.” I whispered, though my chest felt heavy with doubt.
Matteo’s hand tightened around mine. “Trust me.”
The irony of his words didn’t escape me. Trust. It was such a fragile thing, and between us, it had never really existed.
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur. I ate the food, I listened to more talk about Matteo’s half siblings, and I had my own quips at all the right moments.
It was easy.
By the time we finished, Matteo suggested we take a walk outside the restaurant. The night air was cool against my skin, and for a moment, I felt like I could breathe again.
But as we strolled through the quiet streets, Matteo’s arm draped around my waist, the note burned a hole in my purse.
“I know where our next date should be at?” Matteo whispered in my ears, his voice enough to make me breathless.
I rolled my eyes. “Where?”
Matteo’s hand tightened around my waist, pulling me closer. “A private villa in paris where we can fuck at every part and no one would bat an eye.”
“Matteo!!” I screeched, scandalised.
Because in the estate, Matteo kissed me until I was breathless, his hands touching every inch of me. Every curve. Every insecurity.
And for a few more hours, I was able to forget the note that burned a hole in my dress pocket.
“Midnight. Alone.”