MATTEO’s POV
Sitting behind my desk as my mind was racing, I thought of how the letter had disappeared from my home and how someone had betrayed me. Someone had access to my things and had taken the letter. It made me realize that I was not safe, that my life was in danger. My jaw tightened in anger as I thought of how my father had been killed and how I had barely escaped with my life.
It was a cruel thing to do, to involve my father in their schemes. I knew he and I had never seen eye to eye, but it didn’t mean he deserved to be caught up in all of this. The thought of Aria finding the letter made my stomach turn. I had never wanted to bring her into this, and I feared the consequences of her knowing the truth. I stood up, my anger boiling over, and kicked my chair away. The sound of it hitting the floor seemed to reverberate through the room. I turned to face the door, where a timid-looking man stood, holding a stack of documents. It was the same man I had seen talking to my wife at the event where my father was killed. I felt a surge of suspicion and distrust, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Did you speak to Jane about coming in here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. Jane had been my secretary for a while now, and in all that time, she had been quiet, efficient, and loyal. She was the type of person who never sought the spotlight, who was content to simply do her job well and stay out of the drama. I had specifically chosen her for that very reason, because I wanted a reliable secretary. I had come to rely on her, to depend on her for the smooth running of my office.
The last secretary I had hired had caused a scandal that nearly destroyed my career. She had spread lies and gossip about me, and it had taken all my strength and determination to rebuild my reputation. The thought of history repeating itself was more than I could bear at this point in my life where everything seemed to be going haywire.
“Jane wasn’t on seat.” He nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor, as if he couldn’t bring himself to meet my gaze.
“What do you want!”. I asked, with my hands in my pocket
“I’m sorry about Mr. Marino-” I didn’t even let him finish.
“Get out,” I said in a low voice, the thought of my father’s death haunting me. James hurried from the room, his apologies trailing behind him like a desperate plea for forgiveness. I sat back down in my chair, my mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions. I couldn’t stop thinking about Aria and the way she had looked at me with such concern and compassion. I wanted to see her, to hold her in my arms and never let go.
My hands began to fidget when my mind crossed the man I saw behind the bushes. The mastermind. The man behind the death of my father and also my wife’s lover. The man I wanted dead. The man who stole my joy from me. The man behind my emptiness. I wanted to see him dead with three bullet wounds on his head; one for Marino, one for Daya and the other for my wife, Aria, for putting her through all he did.
*
I leaped out of the car as it came to a stop outside the large compound. I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding in my chest. I burst through the door and raced up the stairs to Aria’s room. The door was unlocked, and I threw it open. I saw Carter, seated on the floor.. And there was Aria sitting on the bed, her back against the headboard, looking at me with wide, frightened eyes.
They both stared at me in shock, their expressions full of disbelief and confusion. Carter scrambled to his feet and mumbled a hurried goodbye, then left the room. As I saw them together, I felt a strange, unexpected wave of jealousy wash over me. I had never felt jealous of Carter before, but in that moment, I found myself wishing I was him. I wanted to be the person who could make Aria feel at ease, who could make her smile and laugh the way she was doing now. It was a strange and unsettling feeling, and I tried to push it away.
But it lingered, a nagging reminder of all the things I lacked. I turned to Aria, who sat on the bed, a book in her lap. It was the same book I had rested my head on just a few days before, when I had fallen asleep next to her. I watched as her eyes moved from the book to my face, a look of suspicion in her eyes. She was obviously confused about why I had come bursting into her room like that. Then, her gaze returned to the book in her lap, her brow furrowed in concentration. I could see that she was trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.
As I stood there, frozen in place, I felt a sudden urge to do something unexpected, something to break the tension and the silence that hung in the air. So I reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the book from Aria’s lap. I held it up in front of her, a mischievous smile on my face. As I stood there, frozen in place, I felt a sudden urge to do something unexpected, something to break the tension and the silence that hung in the air.
“Aria,” I said, my voice soft and gentle. “Come here.” She looked at me, her eyes wide and uncertain. But she took a step towards me, and then another, until she was standing right in front of me. I reached out and pulled her close, holding her tight against me. I looked into her eyes, and before I could stop myself, I leaned in and kissed her. It was a soft, gentle kiss, full of longing and yearning. When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing heavily.