264

264
Allesio’s POV.
“You’re lying to yourself, Allesio. And it’s going to destroy you.”
Rosa’s voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade, sharp and deliberate. I looked up from the glass in my hand, the amber liquid trembling slightly as I set it down. Her words hung in the air, daring me to respond, but for a moment, I didn’t. I couldn’t.
Instead, I leaned back against the chair, exhaling slowly. “What am I supposed to say to that?” I muttered, my tone edged with exhaustion. “You want me to admit you’re right? That I’m falling apart? That I don’t have the first clue how to fix any of this?”
“I want you to stop pretending you can carry all of it alone.” Rosa crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. “Because you can’t. And if you don’t realize that soon, it’ll cost us everything.”
I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration boiling over. “And what exactly do you suggest, huh? Just tell Alaric the truth and hope he doesn’t tear the world apart looking for revenge? Because that’s exactly what he’ll do. He’s not like us, Rosa. He doesn’t know how to-”
“Control himself?” she interrupted, her brow arching. “No, you’re right. Alaric’s impulsive. But you know what else he is? Loyal. If you told him the truth, if you explained why we kept this from him, I think he’d understand.”
I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “You think you know him, but you don’t. You’ve never seen Alaric when he feels betrayed. He’ll burn everything down, including me.”
Rosa stepped closer, her voice softening just enough to unsettle me. “Then what’s your plan, Allesio? Keep lying until someone else tells him? You think he’ll forgive you when the truth comes from anyone but you?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to. She already knew I had no plan, no way out of this labyrinth of guilt and deceit.
Her expression softened, the hardness giving way to something almost tender. “I’m not your enemy here,” she murmured. “I’m trying to help you. But you have to let me.”
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the table between us. Rosa’s eyes darted to it, her lips tightening as I hesitated to pick it up. When I finally did, I didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but the sharp, clipped voice on the other end left no room for doubt.
“We’ve got a problem,” the man said, his tone brisk. “One of the shipments was intercepted.”
The blood drained from my face. “What do you mean intercepted? By who?”
“Don’t know yet. But it’s gone, Allesio. The whole thing.”
I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening on the phone. “Where?”
“Dock 14. We’ve got men on it, but you need to get down here. Now.”
The line went dead before I could ask anything else. I lowered the phone, my thoughts spinning. Rosa was watching me closely, her brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice cautious.
“One of the shipments,” I said, already grabbing my jacket. “It’s gone.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t ask for details. She didn’t need to. Rosa understood what the shipments meant-what losing one could mean for us. For Alaric. For everyone.
“I’m coming with you,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
I shook my head. “No. Stay here. I’ll handle it.”
“Allesio,” she said, stepping in front of me, her hand on my chest to stop me. “If this is as bad as it sounds, you’re going to need backup. And if Alaric hears about this before you’ve had a chance to deal with it-”
“I know,” I snapped, then immediately regretted the sharpness in my voice. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I know. But this isn’t your fight.”
Her jaw tightened. “It’s my fight if it affects you.”
For a moment, we just stared at each other, the tension between us almost unbearable. Finally, I relented, nodding once. “Fine. Let’s go.”
**
The docks were eerily quiet when we arrived, the usual hum of activity replaced by an oppressive stillness. A handful of our men were already there, their faces grim as they milled around the empty container that should have been full of product.
“What the hell happened?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the air like a whip.
Marco stepped forward. “We don’t know, boss. It was here this afternoon. Then a couple hours later-gone. No sign of forced entry, no witnesses. It’s like it just vanished.”
I stared at the empty container, my mind racing. This wasn’t just a random theft. This was deliberate, calculated. Someone knew exactly what they were doing.
“Any leads?” Rosa asked, stepping up beside me.
Marco shook his head. “Nothing solid. But… there was this.” He held up a small piece of paper, the edges crumpled as if it had been hastily stuffed into the container. I took it from him, unfolding it carefully.
The message was simple, written in bold, black letters: “This is only the beginning.”
Rosa leaned in, her expression darkening as she read the note. “Whoever did this isn’t just after the shipment,” she said quietly. “They’re sending a message.”
I nodded, crumpling the paper in my fist. “And I intend to send one back.”
Marco shifted uncomfortably. “Boss, if this gets back to Alaric-”
“It won’t,” I snapped, cutting him off. “Not until we’ve handled it.”
“But what if it’s-”
“I said it won’t,” I repeated, my tone sharp enough to end the conversation. Marco nodded quickly, stepping back.
Rosa watched me closely, her eyes filled with questions she didn’t ask. Not yet.
“What’s the plan?” she asked instead, her voice steady.
I glanced around the dock, my mind already forming a strategy. “We lock this place down,” I said. “Nobody gets in or out without clearance. Double the guards on all shipments, and start digging. I want to know who’s behind this and how they pulled it off.”
“And when we find them?” Rosa asked, her tone light but her meaning clear.
“When we find them,” I said, my voice like steel, “they’ll wish they hadn’t.”
Rosa didn’t say anything, but the look in her eyes told me she understood. This wasn’t just about the shipment. This was about sending a message of our own-one that couldn’t be ignored.
Rosa lingered for a moment, her hand still resting on mine. The silence between us was heavy, and yet it was filled with all the words we weren’t saying. She was giving me space, waiting for me to find the courage to speak again, but my mind was too tangled in the endless maze of conflicting emotions.
Finally, she let out a quiet sigh and stood. “I’ll give you some time,” she said softly, her voice gentle but laced with an edge of resignation. “Just don’t take too long, Allesio. Time has a way of running out when we need it most.”
I watched her walk away, her figure disappearing into the car and waiting for me. As soon as she was gone, the weight in my chest doubled, suffocating me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. The stillness of the docks was only worsening my mood at the moment.
The sound of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. I straightened. My mind went straight to Rosa and I wondered what she’d be doing here. She hadn’t been here, in Alaric’s mansion, for a few days now and it’s be absurd for her to come back here because of me. But it wasn’t her. Alaric’s tall frame filled the doorway, his presence commanding as always. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
“Are you going to sit there all night, or are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?” he asked, his voice casual but carrying an unmistakable undertone of suspicion.
I froze, my pulse quickening. I hadn’t expected to see him tonight, not after everything that had happened. I scrambled for a response, but the weight of my guilt made it impossible to think clearly.
“I didn’t expect you,” I said finally, my voice hoarse.
Alaric raised an eyebrow. “I figured as much. Rosa looked a little too tense when I passed her in the hall. Care to explain?”
I almost choked. Of course I should have known she’d come here. To protect me in any way she thinks she can.
I shook my head, attempting to deflect. “It’s nothing. Just a lot on my mind.”
His gaze sharpened, and he stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. “Don’t insult me, Allesio. I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s wrong. Spill it.”
For a moment, I considered telling him everything. The truth about Dominic, about Rosa’s insistence on keeping it a secret, about the internal war I’d been fighting for weeks. But as I looked into his piercing eyes, I saw the trust he still had in me. If I shattered that now, I wasn’t sure either of us would survive the fallout.
“It’s complicated,” I said carefully, choosing my words with precision. “Relationship issues. You know how it is.”
Alaric let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Relationship issues? That’s the best you’ve got? We’re always dealing with one issue or the other, Allesio. What makes this one different?”
I hesitated, the silence stretching between us. He deserved the truth-I knew that. But the risk was too great. If I said the wrong thing, if I revealed too much, it wouldn’t just be me who suffered the consequences. It would be Rosa, too. And despite everything, I couldn’t do that to her.
“Let’s just say Rosa and I aren’t seeing eye to eye right now,” I said finally. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either.
Alaric studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “Rosa,” he repeated, his tone thoughtful. “She’s good at getting under people’s skin. But she’s also smart. If you two are arguing, it must be serious.”
“It is,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded slowly, as if he understood more than I was saying. “Well, whatever it is, I hope you figure it out soon. We can’t afford distractions right now.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. He had no idea how close he was to the truth, how much of a distraction this secret had become. I wanted to tell him, to unburden myself, but the timing wasn’t right. Not yet.
“I’ll handle it,” I said, forcing a tight smile. “Don’t worry about me.”
Alaric didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he clapped a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. “You’re a good man, Allesio. Don’t forget that.”
As he turned to leave, the knot in my chest tightened. His trust in me was unwavering, but I didn’t deserve it. Not anymore.
Hours passed after Alaric left, but sleep refused to come. I wandered aimlessly through the house, the silence pressing down on me. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t untangle them. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dominic’s face, heard Rosa’s desperate pleas, felt the weight of Alaric’s trust.
Eventually, I found myself in the library, a place I rarely visited. The room was dark and filled with the scent of aged leather and paper. I ran my fingers along the spines of the books, searching for… something. I didn’t even know what I was looking for, but I hoped that somehow, I’d find an answer here.
“Didn’t think I’d find you here,” Rosa’s voice broke the silence, soft but startling in the stillness.
I turned to see her standing in the doorway, her expression unreadable. She looked different now-less composed, more vulnerable. It was a side of her I rarely saw, and it caught me off guard.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I admitted, my voice low. “Needed to clear my head.”
She stepped into the room, her bare feet silent against the hardwood floor. “Have you found any clarity?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Not even close.”
Rosa came closer, her gaze searching mine. “I know this is hard for you, Allesio. I know you’re torn. But I need you to trust me. We’re doing the right thing.”
“Are we?” I asked, the bitterness in my voice impossible to hide. “Because it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like we’re making everything worse.”
She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “It’s not ideal, I know that. But sometimes, there’s no perfect solution. Sometimes, all we can do is choose the lesser evil.”
I turned away from her, my eyes scanning the rows of books again. “And what if we’re wrong? What if this ‘lesser evil’ destroys everything anyway?”
Rosa didn’t answer right away. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “Then we’ll face it together.”
Her words were meant to comfort me, but they only deepened my guilt. She was willing to stand by me, no matter what. But was I willing to drag her down with me? Could I live with myself if I ruined her life along with my own?
“Rosa,” I said quietly, turning to face her. “What if I told him? What if I told Alaric the truth?”
Her eyes widened slightly, a flicker of panic crossing her face. “You can’t,” she said quickly. “Not yet.”
“Why not?” I demanded, my voice rising. “He’s my brother. He deserves to know.”
“Because it’ll destroy him,” she said fiercely, stepping closer. “It’ll destroy everything. And I’m not just talking about us, Allesio. I’m talking about the Cruz family, the alliances, the balance we’ve worked so hard to maintain. If you tell him now, it’ll all come crashing down.”
Her words hit me hard, but they didn’t extinguish the fire burning in my chest. “And what if he finds out anyway? What if someone else tells him? How do we come back from that?”
Rosa’s jaw tightened, and for the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. “We won’t,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “If he finds out from someone else, we won’t come back from it. That’s why you need to wait. Wait until we can control the narrative. Until we can soften the blow.”
I shook my head, her words crushing me. “You’re asking me to do the impossible, Rosa. You’re asking me to lie to the person who trusts me more than anyone. And for what? To protect a secret that might destroy us anyway?”
She reached out, her hands gripping my arms tightly. “I’m asking you to trust me, Allesio. Please. Trust me like I trust you.”
Her voice broke on the last word, and I saw the tears welling in her eyes. She was terrified, just like I was. But she was also determined, willing to do whatever it took to protect what we had built together.
For a long moment, I just stared at her, my heart pounding in my chest. Then, finally, I nodded. “I’ll wait,” I said quietly. “But only for a little while.”
Rosa’s shoulders sagged with relief, and she pulled me into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Thank you.”
I held her close, my decision settling heavily on my shoulders. I didn’t know if I was making the right choice and frankly, I wasn’t so sure I was.