Matteo’s study was a sanctuary of luxury, the walls lined with leather-bound books and the fireplace crackling with warmth. But on this particular evening, the atmosphere was tense, heavy with the weight of secrets and lies. Gia knocked on the door, her knuckles rapping against the wood with a sense of determination. She didn’t wait for a response. She pushed the door open and walked in.
“Matteo, we need to talk,” she announced, her voice firm but laced with a hint of sarcasm.
Matteo looked up from his desk, his eyes narrowing as he took in Gia’s stance. “What is it, Gia? I’m busy.”
Gia snorted and rolled her eyes. “Busy? Do you mean busy plotting your next move to keep Aria captive? Or busy conjuring up more lies to feed your ego?”
Matteo’s expression darkened, his jaw clenched in irritation. “Gia, you’re pushing your luck.”
But Gia didn’t back down, her wit and sarcasm her only weapons against her brother’s tyranny. “Oh, I’m shaking in my boots, Matteo. But let’s get to the point, shall we?” She asked, taking a sip from her brother’s glass. “You’re scared of losing Aria, aren’t you?”
Matteo’s eyes flashed with anger, but Gia continued, her words dripping with venom. “You’re terrified that she’ll leave you, just like Daya did. Just like Daya did before you killed her.”
The room fell silent, the only sound the crackling of the fireplace. Matteo’s eyes seemed to bore into Gia’s soul, his gaze a mixture of rage and shame. And in that moment, Gia knew she had hit the mark.
“Daya cheated on me,” Matteo said, his voice low and menacing. “She thought she could betray me and get away with it. But I showed her. I showed her what happens when you cross me.”
Gia’s eyes widened in horror. “You killed her because she cheated on you? With another man?”
Matteo’s face twisted, his eyes blazing in anger. “I killed her because she was a traitor. She was a liar and a cheat, and she deserved to die.”
The room seemed to darken, the shadows cast by the fireplace dancing on the walls like demons. Gia felt a chill run down her spine, her heart heavy with the weight of her brother’s real self. But she refused to back down, her voice steady and firm.
“And what makes you think taking lives should be taken into your own hands?”. Gia asked, but he shrugged.
“You’re a monster, Matteo. A monster with a heart of stone and a soul that’s long since been lost to the devil. And I won’t let you hurt Aria. I won’t let you destroy another life.”
Matteo’s eyes seemed to gleam with a malevolent light, his smile, cold and calculated. “We’ll see about that, Gia. We’ll see who comes out on top in the end.”
Gia shook her head, her eyes filled with a mix of disgust and pity. “I don’t know if you regret what you did, but I won’t let you destroy Aria like you destroyed Daya.”
Matteo smirked. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Gia. You don’t know the truth about Daya and I, ”
Gia cackled. “Oh, but I do, Matteo. I know all about your precious Daya and how she betrayed you for another man. You said it yourself. I know you killed her in a fit of rage. And I know how you’ve been using Aria as a substitute for Daya, trying to relive the past and make up for your mistakes.”
Matteo’s face turned white with rage, his eyes bulging with fury. “How dare you!” he spat, his voice low and menacing. “How dare you speak of things you know nothing of!”
Gia shrugged, her body barely fidgeting at the sound of his voice. “I know enough, Matteo. I know enough to see that you’re a monster, who took a life”
The room fell silent again, the only soun crackling of the fireplace. Matteo’s eyes portrayed anger and, at the same time, self-loathe. And in that moment, Gia knew she had won. She had won the battle of wits, the battle between her brother and her and she knew that she would do everything in her power to protect Aria from her brother’s clutches and she needed to figure out a way because she was leaving the next day.
Matteo looked at Gia, a small smile playing on his lips. “Thanks, Gia,” he said, his voice still shaky, that it made Gia feel sorry for him. “I’ll try to make Aria see reason when you’re gone,”
Gia’s face lit up with a forced smile, her eyes portraying disgust. “You’re not worthy of anyone’s love. I see why daya wanted to leave”
Those words pierced deep into Matteo’s heart that he stared at her for a good minute with his chest heaving and his breathing ragged. But then, he forced a grin, and it was one scary looking grin for sure. Then, it disappeared instantly. He rose and walked towards Gia with his hands in his pocket. He pulled out his cigar lit it up and took a long drag from it
“Maybe I’m not”. He said, holding Gia’s gaze
Gia’s eyes misted over, her heart swelling with love for her brother. “You might not be worthy, but you sure do want to be loved. You want to feel loved. You want someone to call you theirs. ”
“I don’t-“.
“You can’t keep it in forever”.
“I don’t need love from anyone”.
“Aria’s perfect for you. You just have to try harder”. When those words came out of her mouth. Matteo rushed in and hugged his sister.
“I didn’t want to hurt her like this”.
“Well, you made the wrong decision. Now fix it. I believe no one is above mistakes”. Gia said, releasing herself from her brother’s sring arms.
“How do I make her see reason”
“She’s a simple woman, Matteo. You’ve swept her off her feet once. Do it again”.
Matteo’s face set in a determined expression, his eyes burning with a newfound resolve. “I will, Gia. I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes to be the person Aria deserves.”
Gia’s expression turned serious, her eyes locking onto Matteo’s. “I’m leaving tomorrow, Matteo. But I’m not leaving Aria in your hands without a warning.”
Matteo’s smile faltered, his eyes dropping in a mixture of guilt and shame.
Gia’s voice was firm but gentle. “Take good care of her, Matteo. Be the person she deserves. And one day, she’ll forgive you. But it’s up to you to prove yourself worthy of that forgiveness.”
Matteo nodded, tossing his cigar aside. “I will, Gia. I promise. I’ll do everything in my power to make it right with Aria.”
Gia’s face softened, a small smile playing on her lips. “I know you will, Matteo. And when that day comes, I’ll be here, cheering you both on.”
The siblings exchanged a long, piercing gaze, the earlier tension and anger disappearing into a sense of hope and newfound understanding. In that fleeting moment, Gia saw a glimmer of redemption in Matteo’s eyes and knew that Aria’s unwavering support would be the strength guiding him towards a brighter future.