262

262
Allesio’s POV
“Do you ever think about how things might’ve been if Dominic were still alive?” I asked, my tone casual, though my heart thudded heavily in my chest. I was at Rosa’s condo today too. It was where I was spending most of my free time now. And I decided that I wanted to know everything today. Maybe, just maybe she doesn’t know anything and I don’t have to choose between her and Alaric.
She raised a brow, giving me a somewhat confused look. “Dominic?”
“Alaric’s brother. Do you think if Dominic was still alive, Alaric would have been a better man than he is now?” I asked her, observing her intently. “Do you ever think about how things might have been I’d Dominic were still alive?”
Rosa froze for a moment, her glass hovering mid-air. “That’s a loaded question, Allesio.”
I shrugged, keeping my gaze steady. “Is it? Alaric does. A lot. He doesn’t say it, but I know he’s still haunted by it.”
Her eyes flicked to mine, wide and uncertain. “Haunted how?”
“Like he’s carrying something he can’t put down,” I said, my voice lowering. “We all are, in a way. Dominic’s death didn’t just happen. It wasn’t random. Someone planned it, executed it, and covered it up. That kind of thing doesn’t just go away.”
She set her glass down on the coffee table with deliberate care, her movements slow. “Are you saying you know who did it?”
Her question caught me off guard, but it was her tone that really hit me. It wasn’t curiosity; it was something closer to dread.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “No. But I know Alonso Cruz’s name keeps circling back to it. And I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to this than we’ve uncovered.”
Her breath hitched, so faint I almost missed it. “Alonso,” she murmured, barely audible.
I narrowed my eyes. “You know something, don’t you?”
“Allesio…” she started, then stopped, biting her lip like she was debating whether to continue.
“Rosa,” I said firmly, reaching out to take her hand. “If you know something, you need to tell me. This isn’t just about Alaric or Dominic. It’s about what’s right. It’s about trust.”
She stared at me, her eyes shimmering with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Then she took a deep breath, as if steeling herself, and nodded.
“Okay,” she said quietly. “But you have to promise me something first.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Promise me you won’t look at me differently after this. Promise me you’ll hear me out before you make any decisions.”
“Rosa, you’re scaring me,” I admitted.
She gave a shaky laugh. “Yeah, well, I’m scaring myself too.”
“Just tell me,” I urged, my grip tightening on her hand.
She looked down, as though gathering courage, and then her words spilled out in a rush. “I know Alonso Cruz was involved in Dominic’s death. I don’t know how or why, but I know he was.”
For a moment, I didn’t react. The weight of her confession was too heavy, too shocking to process all at once.
“You… you know?” I finally said, my voice hoarse.
She nodded, her gaze darting up to meet mine. “I overheard a conversation-years ago, before I even knew who Dominic really was. They didn’t say much, but Alonso’s name came up, and… and I just knew. They were talking about tying up loose ends, about making sure no one found out.”
The room seemed to tilt, and I gripped the edge of the couch to steady myself. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“Because I didn’t know it mattered,” she said, her voice rising. “I didn’t know Dominic was Alaric’s brother until recently. To me, it was just… just another piece of information in a world full of secrets.”
“But now you do know,” I said sharply. “And you still didn’t come to me. Why?”
“Because I didn’t want to put you in the middle of this!” she shot back, her eyes flashing. “I didn’t know what to do, Allesio. I was scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Of what you might do. Of how it might change things between us.”
I raked a hand through my hair, trying to think, trying to breathe. “Do you know how he died?”
She shook her head, her expression pained. “No. Only that Alonso was involved. I swear, Allesio, I don’t know the details.”
“But you knew enough to keep quiet,” I said bitterly.
“That’s not fair,” she snapped. “You don’t understand the position I was in.”
“Then help me understand!”
Her shoulders sagged, and she buried her face in her hands. “Allesio, my family’s world isn’t like yours. We live in shades of gray. We have to. I thought if I stayed out of it, if I didn’t dig too deep, it would all just… go away.”
“But it didn’t,” I said quietly. “And now here we are.”
She looked up at me, her eyes pleading. “I’m telling you now because I trust you. Because I care about you. Please, don’t let this ruin us.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to be angry, to lash out, but the vulnerability in her voice held me back.
“I don’t know what to do with this, Rosa,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “This isn’t something I can just ignore.”
“I’m not asking you to ignore it,” she said softly. “I’m just asking you to remember that I’m on your side. I didn’t do this, Allesio. My family had no part in it. Please, believe me.”
I studied her face, searching for any hint of deceit, but all I saw was honesty and fear.
“I believe you,” I said finally, the words heavy on my tongue.
She let out a shaky breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Thank you.”
“But this changes everything,” I added, my tone grim. “I have to tell Alaric. He deserves to know.”
Her eyes widened in panic. “Allesio, no. Not yet.”
“Rosa, I can’t keep this from him.”
“Just… just give it some time,” she begged. “Think about it. Please.”
I ran a hand over my face, still processing everything she’d told me. Alonso Cruz. His name echoed in my mind like a drumbeat, louder with every second that passed. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to form, but they didn’t fit together in a way that made sense. The Cruz family, Dominic’s death, the way everything seemed to circle around Alaric… it was all too much, too tangled.
I couldn’t keep this from him. I couldn’t pretend this didn’t matter. Alaric deserved to know the truth, even if it shattered everything. I’d promised to get him the truth.
But Rosa’s plea weighed heavily on me. She was asking for more time, and I couldn’t deny that I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of betraying her trust. She had come to me with this secret, hoping for understanding, not condemnation. And yet, the secret she carried was dangerous-dangerous enough to turn everything upside down.
“Give it some time,” she repeated, her voice quiet but insistent. “Please, just think about it, Allesio.”
I didn’t respond at first. I was still wrestling with the tension between what was right and what felt like loyalty to her. “How much time?” I finally asked, the words coming out more bitter than I intended.
She looked at me, her eyes soft but desperate. “Just a little while. Let me… Let me figure out how to handle this. If you come clean to him now, then I’ll be implicated too. It’ll ruin everything.”
I nodded, though I didn’t feel convinced. “But you know it won’t stay a secret forever. Not when it involves the Cruz family.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But if we act too quickly, if we jump to conclusions, it could make things worse.”
I sat back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. My mind raced. It was all moving too fast. I was supposed to protect her, to shield her from all of this, but the truth was, I couldn’t protect her from the fallout of this secret forever. I couldn’t protect any of us.
“Rosa…” My voice faltered as I spoke. “I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m stuck between two fires. Alaric, Dominic… you… everything’s connected, and I don’t even know how to untangle it.”
Rosa reached out, her fingers brushing my arm gently. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I never wanted to put you in this position. But I trust you, Allesio. I trust you to make the right decision.”
“I just… I don’t know what the right decision is anymore,” I admitted, my voice cracking.
Rosa’s hand remained on my arm, warm and steady. “It’s not easy. I know. But you don’t have to have all the answers right away. Take your time. Do what you need to do, but just… don’t rush into anything.”
She was right. I didn’t need to rush. Not yet. But the urgency inside me still churned, like a fire burning under my skin. Everything was moving too fast, and it felt like the walls were closing in on me.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, though even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.
She smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you. That’s all I’m asking for. Just a little more time.”
I nodded, but the unease didn’t leave me. It couldn’t. The fact that she was so desperate to keep this secret, to protect her family’s involvement in Dominic’s death, made everything feel so much more complicated. What would happen when Alaric found out? And what about when the Cruz family came for us?
I was supposed to protect her, to keep her safe, but keeping this secret from Alaric might just make everything worse. If the truth came out, it could tear us all apart. And no matter what, I knew that once the storm hit, there would be no hiding from the consequences.
“I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this from him,” I murmured, almost to myself.
Rosa’s expression softened, and she leaned closer, brushing her lips against my cheek in a quick, reassuring kiss. “I know. But I’m asking you to try.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply as I let her plea sink in. This wasn’t going to be easy. I had to give her the time she asked for first
But I couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t crack under the pressure. I couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t eventually break.
Starring into her eyes, I couldn’t help but feel like I was standing on the edge of something dangerous. Something I couldn’t control.
And I didn’t know if I could handle it.