102

102
Allesio’s POV
I walked into Alaric’s office and I felt the air change. Literally. It was colder than the rest of the house. Maybe it was the dim lights, the heavy dark furniture or the way the air seemed to thicken with tension when I stepped inside. Because I already knew what he was going to ask.
Alaric leaned back in his leather chair, his expression unreadable as he swirled a glass of whiskey in his hand. The soft clink of ice against the glass was the only sound in the room until he finally spoke.
“How’s it going with Rosa?”
I stood near the window, crossing my arms. I didn’t want to answer the question but I had no choice. “It’s going,” I said after a pause, my tone clipped.
He raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze slicing through me. “That’s not an answer, Allesio.”
I turned to face him fully, crossing my arms. “She’s careful. She’s not going to hand over her family’s secrets on a silver platter.”
“Then make her trust you,” Alaric said, his voice calm but edged with steel.
I clenched my jaw. It wasn’t that simple. Rosa wasn’t like the others I’d manipulated in the past-sycophants, pawns, people too blinded by their own greed or lust to see through my charm. Rosa had walls. Strong ones. And every time I thought I was making progress, she’d redirect, deflect, or simply shut me out. She knew I was up to something.
“She’s not stupid,” I said. “If I push too hard, she’ll see right through it.”
Alaric took a slow sip of his whiskey, setting the glass down on the desk with deliberate precision. “I’m not asking you to push, Allesio. I’m asking you to be smart. You’ve done this before-hell, you’re the best at this. So why is she any different?”
Because she was different.
But I couldn’t say that out loud.
Instead, I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. “She’s more guarded than I expected. That’s all.”
Alaric leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Guarded or not, we need answers. The Smith syndicate’s movements have been too quiet lately, and I don’t like it. If Rosa knows anything about their plans-or about Dominic’s death-I need to know.”
Dominic. His name hit like a punch to the gut, as it always did. Alaric needed to find who murdered his brother. And I’d promised to help him do it. I couldn’t go back on my promise now.
“Understood,” I said, through gritted teeth.
Alaric studied me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re not getting soft on me, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good,” he said, leaning back again. “Because if Rosa is involved in Dominic’s death-if her family had anything to do with it-I want to know. And if she’s not… well, it doesn’t hurt to have leverage, does it?”
The ease with which he said it made my stomach churn. But I nodded anyway, because what else could I do?
When the meeting finally ended, I stepped out into the cool hallway, exhaling a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I rested against the wall, taking in deep breaths to calm myself before I pushed myself off the wall and began to walk.
Rosa’s laugh echoed in my memory, soft and unguarded from this morning when we had breakfast. Just she and I alone. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about her favorite childhood bakery. The way she teased me, like she didn’t care about the power dynamics between us.
And then there was the way she looked at me yesterday nigh, when we were tangled together in bed. Like she had lowered her walls for me. Trust. Vulnerability.
I’d seen it before in others. Hell, I’d cultivated it in others. But with Rosa, it wasn’t just an act. It wasn’t something I’d planned or calculated.
And that scared me.
Back in my room, I poured myself a drink, letting the burn of the whiskey distract me for a moment. But it didn’t help.
The truth was, I didn’t want to keep manipulating her. Not because I was afraid of getting caught, but because I was starting to care.
I drained the glass in one gulp, setting it down with a little more force than necessary. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to matter. She was a means to an end, a pawn in a much larger game.
But every time I looked at her, I forgot the rules.
I found myself in the kitchen earlier than usual, nursing a cup of coffee and trying to shake off the lingering haze of guilt. Irene was moving around, making our breakfast with unusual quietness that I appreciated. If was like she knew that I wasn’t in the mood to interact this morning, and she was respecting that. Or maybe she just wasn’t in the mood too.
“You look like you didn’t sleep,” she said, not bothering to look up from her work. I fought back a groan. Spoke too soon.
“Thanks for the observation,” I muttered, taking another sip of coffee.
She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Maybe you should try being honest with yourself for once. Might help with the bags under your eyes.”
I didn’t respond. What was there to say?
A moment later, I heard footsteps, and when I looked up, Rosa was standing in the doorway. Her hair was slightly mussed, her expression groggy but still undeniably stunning.
“Morning,” she said, her voice softer than usual.
“Morning,” I replied, leaning casually against the counter.
She walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee, her movements unhurried. Irene handed her a plate of fruit and toast without a word, clearly used to her routine.
“Thanks,” Rosa said, offering a small smile before sitting at the kitchen table.
For a while, we just sat there in silence, the only sounds coming from Irene’s cooking and the occasional clink of silverware.
And yet, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“Sleep well?” I asked finally, breaking the quiet.
She glanced at me over her coffee cup, her expression unreadable. “Well enough.”
I nodded, not pushing further.
But as the breakfast went on, I found myself watching her more closely. The way she picked at her food, her mind clearly elsewhere. The way she avoided looking directly at me, like she was wrestling with something she didn’t want to say.
When she finally left the kitchen, I felt an ache in my chest I couldn’t quite explain.
I was in deep, and I knew it.
But the question was, would I be able to get out before it destroyed us both?
I doubted that very much.