107
Allesio’s POV
The world always seemed quieter after midnight. Maybe it was the stillness of the air or the absence of people rushing to be somewhere. Or maybe it was the way Rosa’s breathing slowed, her chest rising and falling steadily beside me.
I laid on my back, staring at the ceiling of her room. She’d fallen asleep a few minutes ago, or at least I thought she had. Her head rested on my shoulder, her body curled into mine.
I wanted to enjoy the moment. I should have enjoyed the moment. But there was no room for peace when you were playing both sides.
Her warmth pulled me back to reality. Rosa shifted slightly, her hand brushing against my chest, and for a fleeting second, I wondered what it would be like to live a life where this wasn’t a job.
“You’re quiet tonight,” she murmured, her voice soft and laced with sleep.
I looked down at her, startled. Her eyes were half-open, watching me with a hazy curiosity.
“Didn’t realize you were awake,” I said, my voice low.
“Hard to sleep when you’re overthinking so loudly,” she teased, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
I chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “You caught me.”
She shifted again, propping herself up on her elbow to get a better look at me. Her hair tumbled over her shoulder, framing her face in a way that made it impossible not to stare.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked.
“Just… life,” I said vaguely, not wanting to lie outright but knowing I couldn’t tell her the truth.
“Life, huh?” she echoed, her gaze narrowing slightly. “You’re a terrible liar, you know.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”
“Mm-hmm.” She smirked, leaning closer. “But I’ll let it slide this time.”
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, but it felt heavy still. Rosa settled back down, her head resting on my chest again, and I let my fingers trail absentmindedly through her hair.
“You’re different,” she said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“How so?”
“I don’t know.” She hesitated, as if searching for the right words. “You make me feel… safe. And that’s not something I’m used to.”
Her confession hit harder than I expected. For someone like Rosa, a lady born into this world, safety wasn’t a luxury, it was more of a constant battle. And here I was, the man sent to manipulate her, somehow making her feel protected.
“I’m glad I can do that for you,” I said, meaning it more than I should have.
She didn’t respond immediately, but I could feel her relax against me, her walls lowering just a fraction more.
We stayed like that for a while and I thought she’d fallen asleep again when she spoke up.
“My father’s not an easy man to please,” she said, her tone thoughtful.
The statement felt like a test, and I tread carefully. “Most men in his position aren’t.”
She hummed in agreement. “He has a way of getting what he wants, though. Always has.”
“Sounds like a man who knows how to play his cards,” I said, keeping my tone casual.
She lifted her head slightly, looking at me. “That’s one way to put it.”
I waited, sensing there was more she wanted to say.
“We’ve been in negotiations with the Genovese family for months now,” she said, her voice steady but her expression guarded. “They’re not exactly… cooperative.”
It was a small detail, nothing groundbreaking, but it was more than she’d shared before. I filed it away, careful not to let my interest show too much.
“Must be frustrating,” I said. “Dealing with people who won’t see reason.”
“It is,” she admitted. “But my father has a way of wearing them down. He says everyone has a breaking point, and it’s just a matter of finding it.”
I blinked in surprise. She had just willingly told me the method her family used to maintain power, and I don’t know if she realized that it was dangerous for her telling me, a rival familiy, that sort of thing. It wasn’t much, but it was something, a tiny piece of the puzzle I was here to solve.
I let the silence stretch, not wanting to push her further. Rosa was smart, too smart to not notice if I pressed too hard.
“Sorry,” she said after a moment, her cheeks tinged with the faintest hint of pink. “I didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”
“Don’t apologize,” I said. “I like hearing what’s on your mind.”
Her smile was small but genuine, and it sent a pang of guilt through me. I kissed her slowly, brushing her hair away from her face while praying to whatever god would listen to me and forgive me for playing with her trust and emotions like this. Rosa eventually drifted off, her breathing evening out as sleep claimed her.
I, however, couldn’t sleep. My mind raced, replaying her words and the way she’d looked at me, so open and trusting. It made my stomach churn.
I wasn’t supposed to care about her. She was a mark. She was a means to an end. But lying next to her, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against mine, it was hard to remember why I’d taken this job in the first place.
As much as I wanted to back out from this, I couldn’t. I had made a promise to Ric, I couldn’t break if. I couldn’t tell him to find another way to get the truth because this was the only way right now. I had no choice but to keep playing my part. To keep gathering the information Alaric needed. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I have gotten in too deep, that somewhere along the line, this had stopped being just a job.
And that scared me more than anything.
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and took a deep break before kissing her forehead. I forced myself to sleep.