261

261
Allesio’s POV
Secrets have a way of sinking into your bones, of twisting around your every thought like a barbed wire. No matter how much I tried to focus on the present, the weight of the decision I’d made not to share Rosa’s information with Alaric clawed at me.
It wasn’t like I didn’t understand the stakes. Alaric and I had been through enough together for me to know how he operated. Loyalty wasn’t just a requirement in our world-it was the lifeline that kept you breathing. And yet, I chose Rosa.
It wasn’t a decision I’d made lightly, but every time I thought about the way her eyes brightened whenever she saw me, I knew I couldn’t throw her into Alaric’s crosshairs. Not when she trusted me.
Alaric was already seated in the dimly lit bar when I arrived, a whiskey glass in his hand and an air of impatience hovering around him.
“You’re late,” he said, his eyes cutting toward me as I slid into the seat across from him.
“Traffic,” I lied smoothly, signaling the bartender for a drink.
He didn’t buy it. Alaric’s gaze was sharp, assessing, like he was peeling back the layers of my excuses to see what was really underneath.
“You’ve been distracted lately,” he said, his tone casual but pointed.
I shrugged, forcing a smirk. “You’re always saying I don’t take things seriously enough. Isn’t this an improvement?”
“Don’t play games with me, Allesio,” he snapped, his voice low but firm. “You’re not yourself. And don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you’ve been around Rosa.”
The mention of her name sent a jolt through me, though I worked hard to keep my expression neutral. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Alaric leaned back in his chair, his gaze narrowing. “It means you’re in love with her.”
“We’ve been through this, Alaric and I’m really not ready for this conversation. Not again,” I answered flatly, trying to deflect.
“Answer me, Allesio. Are you in love with her or no?”
The accusation hung in the air between us, heavy and suffocating. For a moment, I considered denying it, brushing it off as ridiculous. But Alaric wasn’t someone you could fool easily. He knew I was in love with her, and right now he probably just testing me. Besides I wasn’t sure I wanted to lie about this-not to him.
“So what if I am?” I said, meeting his gaze head-on.
His expression hardened, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “She’s a weakness, Allesio. One you can’t afford.”
I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “You say that like you don’t have any weaknesses yourself.”
“Don’t compare my situation to yours,” he snapped, his voice like ice. “Emilia’s different.”
“Is she?” I challenged, leaning forward. “Because from where I’m standing, we’re not so different. You’d burn the world for her, Alaric. Don’t deny it.”
His silence was answer enough, though the tension between us crackled like a live wire.
We sat there for a while, nursing our drinks in silence. Alaric had always been good at reading people, and I knew he wasn’t done with me yet.
“Does she know about Dominic?” he asked suddenly, his tone deceptively calm.
My grip on the glass tightened, though I kept my expression neutral. “Why are you asking?”
“Because if she does, and you haven’t told me, we’ve got a problem,” he said, his gaze cutting into me like a blade.
I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. It wasn’t like I was about to lie, but I knew that Rosa knew something about it, we just haven’t gotten to the part when she tells me yet. No telling him no felt like a lie. “Rosa doesn’t know anything that could hurt us,” I said carefully.
His eyes narrowed, and I knew he could sense there was more I wasn’t saying. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Allesio.”
“Isn’t that what we do every day?” I countered, forcing a smirk.
He didn’t laugh. Instead, he leaned forward, his gaze piercing. “Don’t let your feelings for her cloud your judgment. If she becomes a liability, you’ll have to make a choice. And I don’t think I need to tell you which one is the right one.”
And as if he hadn’t just told me to stay away from the woman I loved, he launched into shipment talk, the both of us steering clear of anything too personal after that. By the time we left the bar, I felt like I’d been put through a wringer.
Walking to my car, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Alaric’s words hanging over me. If she becomes a liability… The thought made my stomach churn so bad I couldn’t bring myself to complete it.
Rosa greeted me with a warm smile, her arms wrapping around my neck as soon as I walked through the door.
“You smell like whiskey,” she teased, pulling back just enough to look at me.
“Rough day,” I said, my hands resting on her hips.
She studied me for a moment, her smile fading. “Was it Alaric?”
“Let’s not talk about him,” I said, brushing a kiss against her forehead. “I just want to focus on you.”
Her eyes softened, though I could see the curiosity lingering there. Rosa knew when to press too hard and when not to, and right now was one of those times she shouldn’t. She knew that, but I knew she could sense when something was off.
We spent the rest of the night curled up on the couch, the TV murmuring in the background as she rambled about her day. I tried to focus on her words, to lose myself in the sound of her voice, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Alaric’s warning.
As much as I wanted to believe I could keep this balance, doubts clung to me like shadows. Alaric wasn’t just anyone. He was a man who thrived on control, whose entire existence was built on ensuring every piece in his life fit perfectly into place. If he ever discovered the depth of my feelings for Rosa-and everything I haven’t told him-it wouldn’t just be me facing his wrath. It would ripple out, engulfing Rosa in ways I couldn’t bear to imagine. And the Smith syndicate.
But how long could I keep up this charade? Every time I walked into a room with Alaric, I felt his eyes on me, searching for cracks in my armor. And Rosa? She wasn’t oblivious. She was intuitive, smart, and far more observant than I gave her credit for at times.
I turned again to face her in the dim light of the room. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, her face serene, as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Watching her like this made me wonder what it would be like to live a simpler life-a life where I didn’t have to choose between loyalty to the man who had been like a brother to me and protecting the woman who had become my world.
The next morning, Rosa’s warmth beside me was replaced by the faint smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen. I found her standing at the counter, humming softly to herself as she poured two cups.
“Morning,” she said brightly, catching my gaze.
“Morning.” I leaned against the doorframe, taking in the sight of her. She had a way of making even the most mundane moments feel extraordinary.
“Coffee?” She held out a mug, her eyes sparkling.
I took it, brushing my fingers against hers. “You’re in a good mood.”
She shrugged, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Maybe it’s because I slept better than you. You were tossing and turning all night.”
“Didn’t mean to wake you,” I said, taking a sip of the coffee.
“You didn’t,” she replied, tilting her head slightly. “But… are you okay? You’ve seemed a little… off lately.”
There it was again-her quiet way of pulling at the threads I was so desperately trying to keep intact.
“I’m fine,” I lied, offering her a smile I hoped was convincing. “Just a lot on my mind.”
She studied me for a moment, her brows furrowing. “You know, you don’t have to keep everything bottled up, right? I’m here if you want to talk.”
“I know,” I said, setting the mug down. “And I appreciate that. But it’s nothing you need to worry about.”
She opened her mouth as if to argue, then seemed to think better of it. Instead, she leaned against the counter, her expression softening. “Okay. But you can’t fool me forever, Allesio.”
I chuckled, though it felt hollow. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur of normalcy, but the conversation stuck with me. Rosa wasn’t pushing, but she was waiting-and eventually, she’d expect answers. Answers I couldn’t give her.
I was supposed to meet with Alaric. He was waiting at our usual spot, a rooftop overlooking the city, with the skyline stretching out in every direction.
“You’ve been quiet lately,” he said, his tone almost conversational as I approached.
I shrugged, leaning on the railing beside him. “Just handling some things.”
“Things,” he repeated, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Funny how vague you’ve been about that.”
“Is this about Rosa again?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.
“It’s always about Rosa,” Alaric said, turning to face me. “You’re different when you’re with her, and it’s not just because you care about her. There’s something else, something you’re not telling me.”
His words hit closer to home than I was comfortable admitting, but I forced a smirk. “You’re overthinking it, Alaric. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“Lying to me is a dangerous game, Allesio,” he warned, his voice low.
“I’m not lying,” I said, meeting his gaze. “And you should know by now that I’d never do anything to betray you.”
He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “You’d better not.”
I stared at him for a few moments and when I was sure that my presence wasn’t needed anymore, I turned around, stalked away to my car, got in sped back to Rosa’s condo.
By the time I got back to Rosa, I was drained. The constant balancing act was wearing me down, and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep it up.
She was curled up on the couch, a book in her hands and a blanket draped over her legs. When she looked up and saw me, her face lit up with a smile that felt like home.
“Hey,” she said, setting the book aside. “You’re back.”
“Yeah,” I said, collapsing onto the couch beside her.
“Long day?” she asked, her fingers brushing against mine.
“You could say that,” I replied, leaning my head back against the cushions.
She shifted closer, her warmth a soothing balm against my frayed nerves. “I keep telling you, you know, you’re allowed to let people in, Allesio. You don’t have to carry everything on your own.”
Her words struck a chord, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth. Not yet. So instead, I pulled her into my arms, holding her close as if that could somehow keep the rest of the world at bay.
“I know,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her hair.