Vaughn nodded. Before he could respond, Lucas stepped in from behind, his presence bringing an abrupt shift to the atmosphere.
“Vaughn, your grandmother is calling for you,” Lucas said, his voice firm, though there was an unspoken urgency in it, his gaze flickering briefly to Harvey with a hint of distrust.
Vaughn looked back at Harvey and smiled, waving his small hand. “I’ll see you later, Uncle,” he said innocently, before turning to follow Lucas.
As they walked away, Lucas kept his eyes on Vaughn, his steps quicker than usual, the tension between them unspoken but palpable.
“Vaughn, you shouldn’t talk to strangers,” Lucas said, his tone soft but carrying an unmistakable warning.
Vaughn looked up at Lucas, confused. “He’s not a stranger, he’s Mommy’s friend,” Vaughn replied, his young mind not yet understanding the complexity of the relationships swirling around him.
Lucas sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t want to burden Vaughn with the truth of the Falcones, of the web they had ensnared Amara in, but he also knew it was safer if Vaughn stayed away from them.
Still, explaining this to a child who only saw the world in black and white was futile. For now, he’d just have to keep an eye on him.
As Vaughn disappeared into the party with Lucas, a new, darker tension settled over the gathering.
Alessandro had been watching the entire interaction between Amara, Rowan, Vaughn and Harvey from a distance, his eyes calculating, his expression hardening with each passing moment.
His fingers twitched slightly, his jaw clenched, but he forced himself to remain still, letting the scene play out before him like a carefully orchestrated chess match.
Rowan’s presence, his growing influence, and his boldness in opposing him were grating on Alessandro’s already frayed nerves.
The whole day had been spent negotiating with business partners who had once been loyal to him but were now slipping through his fingers, one by one.
Most of them had rejected his deals, choosing instead to align with Rowan’s offers, deals that Alessandro couldn’t hope to match.. not without breaking his own empire in the process.
Rowan was undercutting him at every turn, and yet, despite the mounting pressure, Alessandro wasn’t panicked. He knew Rowan was making power moves, pulling strings behind the scenes, but Alessandro had been playing a different game all along.
A grander scheme, one that Rowan could never foresee, was already in motion.
Alessandro’s gaze lingered on Amara. She had no idea what was coming.
Soon, she wouldn’t have to choose between Rowan and him. He would make that decision for her. Amara would belong to him, and with her, everything that Rowan valued would crumble.
The thought of it stirred something dark and twisted inside him..
A mixture of desire and cold ambition.
Rowan had taken too much from him, and Alessandro would make sure he paid in full.
His plan was simple. Amara’s loyalty, her son, her very future, would be tied to him, not Rowan.
He had watched long enough, letting Rowan flaunt his power, his influence, even daring to encroach on what was rightfully Alessandro’s.
But Now, that dynamic would shift.
Amara’s son would bear Alessandro’s name.
The legacy that Rowan thought he could protect.. his family’s power, his control over Amara.. would all fall under Alessandro’s command. And Rowan’s position, everything he had worked so hard for, would be reduced to nothing.
Alessandro smiled to himself, dark and satisfied. He glanced at his watch.
The show was about to begin.
As if on cue, a hush began to spread through the room. The air thickened with anticipation, and heads turned as Alessandro moved toward the center of the gathering.
He approached Amara. Her back was turned, engaged in conversation with another guest, but Alessandro’s looming shadow soon caught her attention.
She stiffened, her smile fading as she felt his approach before she even saw him.
“Amara,” Alessandro’s voice was smooth, velvety, laced with an undercurrent of menace.
She turned slowly, her eyes meeting his, and for a brief moment, she felt a chill run down her spine. Alessandro’s smile was practiced, but there was something predatory behind it, something she had grown accustomed to, yet never fully comfortable with.
“Alessandro,” Amara replied coolly, keeping her tone neutral, even though her instincts screamed at her to get away from him.
“I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten me,” he said, his words dripping with false charm. “You’ve been so… distracted today.”
Before Amara could respond, Alessandro stepped closer, his hand reaching for hers in what appeared to be a gesture of affection, but there was nothing warm about it.
His grip was firm, possessive, as though he were claiming her right in front of everyone.
“May I have a word?” he asked, though it was less of a request and more of a demand.
Amara hesitated. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him, not with Rowan and Vaughn both here, not with the dangerous tension that was bubbling just beneath the surface.
But refusing him in public would only make things worse, and she knew that better than anyone.
“Of course,” she said, her voice steady despite the growing storm inside her.
Alessandro guided her away from the crowd, his hand never leaving hers, his touch a constant reminder of the control he thought he had over her.
As they moved through the hall, passing curious eyes and hushed whispers, Amara’s mind raced.
She needed to stay calm, to maintain her composure, but it was becoming harder with every second she spent in Alessandro’s presence.
Once they were out of earshot, Alessandro turned to face her, his expression darkening.
The mask of charm had slipped, revealing the true man beneath. the one who thrived on power and dominance.
“You’ve been avoiding me today so much,” he said, his voice low, but the threat was unmistakable.
“I’ve been busy,” Amara replied, trying to keep her tone light, though she knew it wouldn’t appease him.