116

116
Allesio’s POV
The moment I realized I was in too deep, it felt like the floor beneath me had given way. I’d spent years learning to control my emotions, perfecting the art of staying detached, of seeing people as pieces on a board rather than as individuals with lives I could ruin. But Rosa was starting to crack that armor, and I hated myself for it.
We were sitting on the balcony of her room, watching the city lights flicker like stars against the darkness. She had a glass of wine in her hand and her legs tucked beneath her on the lounge chair, looking more at peace than I’d seen her in weeks. The glow from the outdoor heater softened the angles of her face, and for a moment, she looked so vulnerable it hurt.
I told myself not to stare, but it was impossible not to. Rosa was magnetic in a way I hadn’t anticipated. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was smart, confident, and surprisingly kind beneath all her guarded edges. I’d thought seducing her would be easy-a game I’d played a hundred times before-but now, I wanted to know her in ways that had nothing to do with the job.
And that was the problem.
“You’ve been quiet,” she said, pulling me from my thoughts. Her voice was soft but carried that sharp edge she used when she was fishing for answers.
I shrugged, forcing a small smile. “Just tired.”
It was a weak excuse, and I knew she saw right through it, but thankfully, she didn’t push. Instead, she took a sip of her wine and turned her gaze back to the skyline, letting the silence settle between us again.
I should’ve been relieved, but all I felt was guilt.
That night, as I lay in bed, sleep refused to come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Rosa’s face-the way she’d smiled at me earlier, the way she’d trusted me enough to let her guard down. And all I could think about was how I was betraying that trust with every passing day.
Alaric’s words still echoed in my mind. “Keep pushing her. We need to know how deep her family’s connections run.”
It had seemed so straightforward when I first accepted the assignment. Get close to Rosa, earn her trust, and extract the information we needed to secure leverage over her family, find out if they are in any way involved in Dominic’s death. But somewhere along the way, I had gotten things complicated. She was no longer a piece on the chess board. She was Rosa-complex, frustrating, and painfully human in ways I hadn’t expected.
I wasn’t supposed to care about her, and yet, here I was, feeling like I was suffocating under the weight of my own lies.
I made up my mind right then and there. I had to stay away from her.
**
TWO DAYS LATER.
I walked into the kitchen, rubbing my face while still looking around the kitchen surroundings to make sure she wasn’t here. I had made sure to avoid the kitchen in times I knew she would be in there and she wasn’t now. Thank God.
I walked over to the coffee maker and made some for myself, waiting patiently for it to be done before getting a cup.
“You’re avoiding me.” Her flat, irritated voice caught me off guard as I was pouring myself a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
I turned to find her standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest and an expectant look on her face.
“I’m not avoiding you,” I lied, keeping my tone casual. “Just busy.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Busy doing what, exactly? You’ve been acting weird all week.”
I hesitated, knowing she wouldn’t let it go until I gave her an answer. But what could I say? That I was pulling back because I couldn’t handle the guilt of lying to her? That every time she looked at me like I was someone she could trust, it felt like a knife to the gut?
Instead, I shrugged and said, “It’s nothing. Just some stuff on my mind.”
“Stuff,” she repeated, her tone skeptical.
I nodded, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, stuff.”
She stared at me for a long moment, her gaze searching, and for a second, I thought she might call me out on my bullshit. But then she sighed and shook her head.
“Fine,” she said, though her voice lacked conviction. “But if you’re trying to pull away for some reason, don’t bother. I’m not that easy to shake, Allesio.”
Her words hit harder than I expected, and I couldn’t bring myself to respond. Instead, I watched as she turned and walked away, her frustration lingering in the air and choking me like smoke.
I decided to take refuge in the library and she found me there too, flipping through a book I wasn’t actually reading.
“Do you always hide out here when you’re brooding?” she asked, leaning against the doorway with a small smirk.
I looked up, caught off guard by the warmth in her tone.
“Who says I’m brooding?” I replied, raising an eyebrow.
She rolled her eyes and walked over to the chair across from me, settling in like she owned the place. “You’ve got that look. Like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.”
I forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to me. “Maybe I just like the quiet.”
She tilted her head, studying me in that way she did when she was trying to piece something together. “You know, for someone who’s so good at reading people, you’re terrible at hiding your own feelings.”
Her words hit too close to home, and I looked away, focusing on the book in my lap.
“Rosa,” I started, unsure of what I was even trying to say.
But before I could finish, she leaned forward, her voice softer now. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on, but… I’m here, okay? Whatever it is, you don’t have to deal with it alone.”
Her sincerity was like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. She was offering me something I didn’t deserve-trust, compassion, maybe even something more-and all I could do was sit there, paralyzed by the weight of my own guilt.
“I’ll be fine,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press the issue either. Instead, she gave me a small smile and stood up, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
My throat began to hurt and sting as I watched her leave. I thought about the way she’d trusted me enough to let me in, even when she had every reason to keep me at arm’s length.
And for the first time in years, I found myself questioning everything.
Was the mission really worth it? Was betraying Rosa worth the cost of losing her completely?
I didn’t have an answer, but one thing was becoming painfully clear: I was falling for her. Or I have already fallen for her instead. And if I wasn’t careful, it was going to destroy us both.