87

87
Rosa’s POV
The sun was shining hard on my windshield as I turned into the long, tree lined driveway. I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer beauty surrounding me. The mansion at the end of the road lookedime something out a movie. Large and intimidating even though it was not supposed to be for someone with my background.
But this was where Emilia was staying. My best friend, my partner in crime (well, figuratively speaking), and the one person who could always brighten my day no matter what.
I parked my car right next to one of the many luxurious cars lining the parking lot and stepped out, smoothing down my dress and taking a deep breath. The idea of seeing Emilia after so long made my heart race with excitement, but there was also a small knot of unease in my stomach. Mansions like this didn’t belong to ordinary people, and Emilia’s vague descriptions of her “boss” who turned out to be Alaric Castillo, was anything but ordinary. One of the most feared and ruthless Capo in the mafia.
I walked towards the door, looking around to see where the guards were hiding but I didn’t see any one of them in sight. Was he that confident that no one would attack him in his own home so he refused to put guards around?
The large wooden door opened before I could even knock, and there she was. Emilia.
“Rosa!” she squealed, practically tackling me in a hug.
“Em!” I laughed, hugging her back just as tightly. She smelled like vanilla and something floral, her scent as familiar as ever.
“You’re here! Oh my God, you’re really here!” She pulled back, her face beaming with joy.
“Of course I’m here,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You practically begged me to come visit.”
“And I’m so glad you did,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. “Come on, you have to see this place. It’s insane.”
I followed her through the massive entryway, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Everything about the place screamed wealth and power, from the intricate moldings on the walls to the sparkling chandelier overhead.
“Em, this isn’t just insane-it’s ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head. “How do you even breathe in here without feeling like you’re being watched by a million security cameras?”
She laughed. “You get used to it. Besides, it’s not as bad as it seems. The people here aren’t all that scary.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “A mansion like this? I doubt Alaric Castillo and his men are baking cookies and singing kumbaya.”
She smirked but didn’t say anything, leading me further into the house. We passed a grand staircase and several closed doors before entering a cozy living room.
“Okay, spill,” I said, dropping onto the plush sofa. “What’s it like living here? Is your boss as terrifying as I’ve always heard?”
Emilia plopped down next to me, tucking her legs underneath her. “He has his moments, but he’s not that bad. Strict, sure, but fair. And Francesca-his daughter-is the sweetest little girl you’ll ever meet.”
A little girl. That was unexpected. Somehow, I’d pictured Emilia working for an arrogant Mafia boss with too much money and not enough personality. The idea of him having a daughter threw me off.
“Alaric Castillo had a daughter?” I asked, my brows raising so high that they could be touching my edges right now. I found it hard to believe. Why is it that I was just hearing that Alaric Castillo had a daughter? I knew of his dead brother, Dominic, who had a fiance who was pregnant, but I haven’t heard about Alaric having anyone pregnant for him. Or did I get my facts wrong?
“Yes. Why do you sound do surprised?” Emilia asked with raised eyebrows.
“That’s because I am surprised,” I murmured back with a frown. “I never knew he had a daughter.”
“Come on, Rosa. You’re deep in the mafia. You should know these things,” She said with a roll of her eyes. “Are you loving under a rock now?”
“Probably,” I answered still frowning. “Whatever.” I added, waving it off. I’ll only ask daddy when I’m back home. Daddy was the one who could give me the answer I wanted.
“So, you’re basically a live-in nanny for a mafia boss?” I teased, only half-joking.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like that. And he’s not-”
“Save it,” I said, waving her off. “I don’t want to know. The less I know, the better.”
She laughed again, and we fell into an easy rhythm of conversation, catching up on everything we’d missed in each other’s lives.
“I’ve missed you,” I said after a while, my voice softer.
“I’ve missed you too,” she replied, her smile tinged with sadness. “It’s been weird not having you around.”
Before I could respond, footsteps echoed down the hallway. I turned toward the sound, expecting to see a maid or another member of the household staff. Instead, I froze.
Standing in the doorway was Allesio.
My heart stopped, then started racing so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest.
It was him. The man I’d spent the night with-the man I hadn’t expected to see again.
For a moment, the world tilted. The polished floors, the extravagant decor, even Emilia sitting beside me-all of it blurred into the background.
His sharp dark eyes locked onto mine, and I felt the air leave my lungs.
No. This couldn’t be happening.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. All I could do was stare at him, my mind spinning with disbelief.
And he stared back, his expression unreadable but his posture tense, as if he hadn’t expected to see me here either.
The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
“Rosa?” Emilia’s voice finally broke through the fog, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him.
What the hell was he doing here?