257

257
Emilia’s POV
I wasn’t supposed to hear it. I wasn’t supposed to be standing there, half-hidden behind the door, my heart thundering in my chest like I’d been caught in the act of some great betrayal. But there I was, standing in front of the door to Alaric’s office, listening to him speak with a coldness in his voice that made my stomach drop.
“I don’t care what it costs. I’m not going to let Alonso win. I’m not going to let anyone threaten her again.”
The words hit me like a slap. I didn’t need to hear any more to understand what was happening. I knew the kind of man Alaric was-the kind who would do anything for those he loved. But this? This felt like something darker. More personal. I wasn’t naive enough to think I didn’t know how far Alaric would go, but I had no idea how far he was willing to take it.
My breath caught in my throat, and I stepped back, stumbling slightly. I had to get away. But my legs wouldn’t move. Instead, I leaned against the doorframe, trying to steady my mind, trying to sort through the whirlwind of emotions that had exploded inside me. Betrayal. Fear. Anger. I felt them all curling in my chest, choking me.
His voice continued, like the words weren’t meant for my ears. “I’ve made my decision. Alonso doesn’t get to touch what’s mine. I’ll end it. Once and for all.”
My heart seemed to stop beating for a moment, and I pushed away from the door, rushing down the hallway before my emotions could betray me further. I needed space to think, to breathe, but all I could feel was a surge of fury building up inside me. How could he? How could he make a decision like that without talking to me? Without asking me what I thought?
I didn’t want to hear any more, but the damage had already been done. I had to confront him.
Alaric was sitting on the couch in his office, looking over papers, his jaw tight, his eyes focused. He didn’t look like someone who had just decided to kill my father two hours ago.
I stood in the doorway for a moment, gathering my words, trying to ignore the way my hands were shaking. My heart raced in my chest, beating faster with each second that passed.
“Alaric.”
He didn’t look up, his gaze still on the papers. But he didn’t need to look up for me to know he heard me. I could see his body stiffen, like he was bracing for something.
“Alaric,” I repeated, my voice sharper this time.
He finally looked up, his gaze meeting mine. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something-guilt, maybe, or recognition that he’d been caught-but it was gone before I could fully process it.
“You knew I was going to do this,” he said, his voice calm, almost cold. He knew I knew. Good. There was no need beating around the bush now.
I wasn’t sure if I was more hurt by the fact that he had been planning something like this without me, or that he didn’t seem to think I had any right to be upset about it.
“I overheard you,” I said, my voice tight with anger. “You and Allesio. What you were talking about.”
Alaric’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t say anything. I could feel his frustration, his irritation rising, but I didn’t care. He had crossed a line. He’d made a decision for both of us without even consulting me, and that was unforgivable.
“You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?” I asked, my voice shaking with fury. “You’re going to take matters into your own hands and end Alonso for good, without even thinking about what this will mean for me. For us.”
“Emilia,” he began, but I wasn’t ready to hear his excuses. Not yet.
“No,” I cut him off, my voice rising. “Don’t you dare try to explain this away. You think this is just about Alonso? About you keeping me safe? Do you really think that’s all it is?”
I crossed the room, feeling the anger burning in my veins, but it wasn’t just anger-it was fear too, a deep, suffocating fear that he was making decisions that would tear us apart.
“I know you want to protect me,” I said, my voice quieter now, but the edge of pain still there. “I know you’re trying to keep me safe. But you’re going about it the wrong way. You think if you eliminate him, everything will be okay. But it won’t be. It won’t fix anything, Alaric.”
His jaw clenched. “You don’t understand.”
“I understand more than you think,” I snapped. “I’ve lived my entire life in the shadow of men like Alonso. Men who think they can control everything. And now you’re doing the same thing.”
His face hardened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to tell me I was wrong. But he didn’t. Instead, he got up from the couch.
“You don’t get it, Emilia,” he said, his voice low, filled with an edge I hadn’t expected. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If Alonso is a threat, he’s gone. End of story.”
“But it’s not that simple!” I shouted, stepping closer to him. “You can’t just eliminate people you don’t like, Alaric. That’s not how things work. That’s not how we work. You can’t just take away everyone who stands in your way.”
“I’m not doing this for me,” he said, his tone suddenly icy. “I’m doing it for you. For us. I will not let anyone hurt you again. I won’t let Alonso or anyone else-”
“You don’t get to decide for me!” I interrupted, tears welling up despite myself. “You don’t get to make all the decisions without even considering what I want. This is my life too, Alaric, and I don’t want to live it in constant fear of someone else making my choices for me!”
Alaric’s eyes softened slightly, only for it to harden back. “I know you’re angry. I know you don’t understand why I’m doing this. But you have to trust me. I will protect you. No matter the cost.”
“Trust you?” I laughed bitterly, wiping at my eyes. “How can I trust you when you’re doing exactly what you said you’d never do? You’re becoming just like him. Just like Alonso. You’re choosing violence over peace. You’re choosing to take everything into your own hands, and I’m not going to stand by and let you destroy everything we have.”
He stepped toward me, reaching out as if to touch me, but I flinched away, not wanting his touch. Not right now. Not when I felt like everything between us was falling apart.
M
“I’m doing this because I love you,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe, Emilia. You have to know that.”
But I didn’t know anymore. I didn’t know if I could keep believing that he was making these decisions for the right reasons. I didn’t know if I could keep trusting him when he wouldn’t even trust me with the truth.
“I don’t want this, Alaric,” I whispered, my voice small and shaking. “I don’t want any of this.”
His eyes softened, but I could see the pain in them. “Then what do you want?”
“I want you to stop,” I said. “I want you to put down the plan. I want you to choose peace, not violence. I want us to be able to live without this constant fear hanging over us. Is that too much to ask?”
For a long moment, he said nothing. His gaze was intense, his mind clearly working, and I couldn’t tell if he was listening or already planning his next move. But when he finally spoke, my heart shattered all over again.
“I can’t just walk away from this,” he said, his voice raw. “Not when I know what’s at stake.”
“Then we’re both lost,” I whispered, my heart breaking. “Because I’m not walking down this road with you.”
And that was when I realized I might lose him, too.