103

103
Rosa’s POV
“You’re not listening to me,” Emilia said, her voice tinged with frustration.
She was sitting across from me, a frown on her face and her arms crossed. Today was another episode of her reminding me that Allesio is a dangerous man. And I wasn’t interested. This wouldn’t be happening if I had been more careful and she hadn’t seen me sneaking out of Allesio’s room this morning.
I sighed, setting my fork down and giving her my full attention. “I’m listening, Emmy. I just don’t see what the big deal is.”
Emilia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The big deal is Allesio. He’s-” She paused, as if searching for the right word. “Dangerous.”
“Dangerous how?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.
She gave me a pointed look. “Rosa, you’re smarter than this. He’s manipulative. Charming when it suits him. Allesio doesn’t do anything without a reason.”
“Neither do most people,” I replied, keeping my tone light, though I couldn’t ignore the way her words made my chest tighten.
“This isn’t funny,” she said, leaning forward. “You don’t know him like I do. He’s loyal to Alaric first and foremost. If you think he’s being nice to you out of the goodness of his heart, you’re wrong.”
I folded my arms, meeting her gaze. “So what are you saying? That he’s some kind of spy? That he’s using me?”
Her silence was answer enough.
I laughed, though it sounded forced even to me. “You’ve been spending too much time with Alaric. You’re starting to see conspiracies everywhere.”
“Rosa,” she said, her tone softening, “I’m serious. I don’t want you to get hurt. Allesio isn’t someone you can trust.”
“Trust isn’t exactly my strong suit,” I said, brushing her concern off with a shrug. “But I can handle myself, Emmy. You don’t need to worry about me.”
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “That’s the thing. You think you can handle him, but Allesio’s not like the men we’re used to dealing with. He’s… different.” I sighed. I’ve heard this before.
“Different how?” I asked, genuinely curious now.
Emilia hesitated, as if she wasn’t sure how much to say. “He’s dangerous because he’s good at what he does. And what he does is whatever Alaric tells him to do.”
I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I let her words hang in the air, weighing them against what I knew-or thought I knew-about Allesio.
“Look,” I said finally, “I appreciate the warning. I really do. But you don’t have to protect me. I’m not some naive little girl.”
“I know that,” she said, her voice almost pleading. “But I also know how easy it is to get caught up in someone like him. He makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room, like you matter. And before you know it, he’s gotten exactly what he wanted.”
Her words hit a little too close to home, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I forced a smile and reached across the table to squeeze her hand.
“I’ll be careful,” I said, my tone meant to reassure her. “But I’m not cutting him off just because you’re worried. I’ll figure this out on my own.”
Emilia didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue further. She just sighed and sipped her now-cold coffee then dropped the mug on the table. “I really hope you don’t get caught up in his bullshit. I’d hate to have to choose sides when shit hits the drain,” she murmured at last, getting up from the chair and walking away briskly. The words left a hole in my chest.
I threw the pen I was holding against the wall, and the documents followed suit. Burying my face in my palms because I was trying so hard to not scream of frustration right now.
I found myself replaying Emilia’s words in my head, no matter how hard I tried to push them aside. Was she right? Was Allesio just another player in this twisted world we lived in, one who was better at the game than most?
I hated to think that Allesio had been getting close to me simply because Alaric had told him to. Allesio…his words…his reactions seemed like he was doing it because…because he was genuinely interested in me.
I ran my hands through my hair and got up from the chair, picking up the pen and documents and keeping it in the closet as I always did because none of the house staff ever entered my closet without me here.
I walked out of the room and headed straight to the library. Maybe there’d be something there that’d snag my interest and keep my thoughts away from Allesio and Emilia.
I walked into the library, closing the door behind me and headed for one of the shelves before I stopped dead in my tracks. He was here. Lounging in one of the armchairs with a book open in his lap. And his eyes on me.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he said, his tone as smooth as always.
I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened at the sight of him. “It’s a library. People tend to show up here.”
He smirked, closing the book and setting it aside. “Touche. What are you looking for?”
“Not you,” I shot back, though there was no heat in my words.
His grin widened, and he leaned back in his chair, watching me with an intensity that made it hard to focus. “You wound me, Rosa.”
I ignored him, pretending to browse the shelves, though I was acutely aware of his presence behind me.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight,” he said after a moment. “Just like last night. And the night before. Are you sure everything’s fine?”
“Just thinking,” I replied, pulling a random book off the shelf and flipping through it.
“About what?”
I hesitated, then turned to face him. “Do you always ask so many questions?”
“Only when I’m interested in the answers,” he said, his gaze steady.
I wanted to scoff, to brush him off the way I usually did, but something about the way he looked at me made it hard to keep my defenses up.
“Why are you so interested in me?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard.
“We’ve already been through this,” He murmured.
“Why are you so interested in me?” I asked again, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he sighed.
“Don’t play coy,” I said, crossing my arms. “You and I both know this isn’t normal. Men like you don’t just… pay attention to women like me without a reason.”
He stood then, closing the distance between us in a few measured steps. I tensed, my instincts telling me to step back, but I held my ground.
“Maybe you’re right,” he said softly. “Maybe I do have a reason. Or maybe I just like being around you.”
I searched his face for any hint of insincerity, but he was a master of his craft. If he was lying, I couldn’t tell.
“Emilia thinks you’re dangerous,” I said, testing the waters.
He chuckled, the sound low and rich. “She’s not wrong.”
The admission caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond.
“But I’m not dangerous to you,” he added, his voice serious now.
“How do I know that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You don’t,” he said, his gaze locking onto mine. “But I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove it.”
I hated how easily he could get under my skin, how his words had a way of disarming me even when I knew better.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, turning away before he could see the effect he had on me.
I took in a deep breath, shutting my eyes and trying to keep myself calm. “I like you, Rosa. I like you a lot. There’s no shady reason behind this. I hope you eventually get that and I hope it’s not too late before you do,” he said quietly as I walked away from him.
My heart pounding in my chest, I was very confused now. I didn’t know if Emilia was right. Or if Allesio was manipulating me. Or if there was something real between us.
Either way, I knew one thing for sure-I was in deeper than I ever intended to be.