270

270
Rosa’s POV
I threw my phone onto the hotel bed and let out a dramatic groan. “Emilia, I swear to God, if I see another text about business, I’m throwing this damn thing in the ocean.”
Emilia, lounging in her fluffy white robe, sipped her cocktail and smirked. “Do it. I dare you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You just want to see me suffer when I have to explain to my father why I’m unreachable.”
“Absolutely,” she said, raising her glass. “That’s what best friends are for.”
I rolled my eyes but grabbed my drink from the nightstand and clinked it against hers. “To escaping the insanity, at least for a few days.”
“To bad decisions,” Emilia added with a grin.
I sighed dramatically. “As long as none of them involve work, I’m in.”
We spent the next hour getting ready, blasting music as we did our hair and makeup. For once, I wasn’t thinking about threats, alliances, or negotiations-I was just Rosa, a woman on vacation with her best friend.
As we stepped out onto the balcony, overlooking the ocean, Emilia stretched her arms. “God, this is exactly what I needed. Sunshine, freedom, and-” She turned to me with a wicked grin. “A little trouble.”
I laughed. “I knew you had an agenda.”
“Of course I do,” she said, linking arms with me. “We’re going out tonight, and you, my dear, are going to let loose.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Define ‘let loose.'”
“No phones, no business talk, and definitely no scaring away men who try to flirt with you,” she said, wagging a finger at me.
I scoffed. “I don’t scare them away. I just… make it clear I’m not interested.”
“You make it clear you could ruin their lives in five minutes,” she corrected. “And while that’s hot, it’s also counterproductive when I’m trying to have a good time.”
I smirked. “Fine. I’ll behave.”
“Good.” She looped her arm through mine again. “Now, let’s get drunk.”
The club was packed, the music loud and pulsing through the floor. We were two drinks in, and Emilia was already dancing with some ridiculously attractive guy while I sat at the bar, watching with amusement.
She caught my eye and shot me a look. “Why are you sitting there like a bodyguard? Dance!”
“I’m enjoying the view,” I teased, swirling my drink.
She rolled her eyes. “Rosa. We agreed. No mafia boss energy tonight. Just be hot and have fun.”
I sighed but slid off the stool, grabbing her hand. “Fine, but if this guy starts getting too handsy, I’m tripping him.”
She burst out laughing. “See? That’s what I mean! Just let him twirl me around like a princess and don’t plot his downfall.”
I raised a hand. “No promises.”
She dragged me onto the dance floor, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let go. We danced, we laughed, we took ridiculous selfies, and we flirted shamelessly with strangers we’d never see again.
At some point, Emilia leaned in and whispered, “Okay, maybe I did have an ulterior motive.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“You needed this,” she said. “You’ve been carrying the world on your shoulders. And don’t try to argue with me.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I just… I can’t afford to be careless, Em.”
“I’m not saying be careless,” she said. “I’m saying you deserve to breathe. And I will force you to do it if I have to.”
I smiled, squeezing her hand. “I know. And I love you for it.”
“Good,” she said, twirling dramatically. “Now, let’s go get more drinks before I start getting sentimental.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Lead the way.”
And for the rest of the night, I let myself be just Rosa. Not the mafia princess. Not my father’s heir. Just a woman having fun with her best friend.
We stumbled out of the club hours later, heels in our hands, still laughing over something ridiculous Emilia had said. The streets were still alive with music and chatter, neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement.
“Okay,” Emilia panted, leaning against me for support. “That bartender was in love with you.”
I snorted. “He gave us free drinks because we’re hot. He probably does that for every girl who smiles at him.”
Emilia waved a hand. “No, no. He was invested. Kept asking where you were from, what you do, if you’d be back tomorrow.”
I rolled my eyes. “And what did you tell him?”
She smirked. “That you’re an international businesswoman with a mysterious past.”
I groaned. “Emilia.”
“What? It’s not a lie!” she said defensively. “And it sounds a lot sexier than ‘I handle logistics and financial dealings for my very powerful father.'”
I sighed, shaking my head. “You are impossible.”
“And you love me,” she said, linking her arm through mine.
We started walking toward our hotel. Emilia let out a happy sigh. “God, I missed this. Just us, no stress, no crazy men trying to control our lives.”
I hummed in agreement, though I knew deep down this escape was temporary. Soon, I’d have to go back. Back to the chaos, the expectations, the weight of my last name. But for now, I let myself enjoy the feeling of freedom.
As we reached our hotel, Emilia turned to me with a mischievous grin. “Okay, hear me out. Spa day tomorrow. We get facials, massages, the works.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Not a bad idea.”
“And then,” she continued, eyes twinkling, “we go shopping. We buy the most ridiculous, overpriced things just because we can.”
I laughed. “I like the way you think.”
“Of course you do,” she said, dramatically flipping her hair. “Now, let’s get some sleep before I pass out in this hallway.”
We made it back to our suite, kicking off our shoes and collapsing onto the bed in a fit of giggles.
“You know,” Emilia said after a moment, her voice softer now, “I meant what I said earlier. You really needed this, Rosa.”
I turned my head to look at her. “Yeah,” I admitted. “I think I did.”
She smiled, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “No matter what happens when we go back… just remember, you don’t have to carry everything alone.”
My chest tightened at her words, but I just nodded. “I know.”
And for tonight, at least, I let myself believe it.
The next morning, Emilia groaned dramatically as she rolled over, shielding her eyes from the sunlight streaming through the hotel window. “Whose idea was it to drink so much last night?”
“Yours,” I said, sipping my coffee as I scrolled through my phone.
She groaned louder, burying her face in a pillow. “You were supposed to stop me!”
I snorted. “Like that was ever going to happen.”
She peeked up at me. “Did I embarrass myself?”
I pretended to think about it. “Well, you did try to convince a complete stranger to let us borrow his yacht for the weekend.”
Emilia gasped. “Did it work?”
“No,” I said, laughing. “But you were very persuasive.”
She sat up with a dramatic sigh. “Damn. Maybe next time.”
I tossed her a bottle of water. “Hydrate. We have a spa day to get to.”
That perked her up immediately. “Oh, thank God. My body needs it.”
An hour later, we were wrapped in plush robes at the hotel spa, sipping fruit-infused water while waiting for our massages. Emilia looked over at me, her expression serious for once. “So… are you actually feeling better? Or are you just pretending?”
I glanced at her, then back down at my drink. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s nice to forget for a little while. But I know as soon as we go back, reality is waiting.”
She nodded, swirling her drink in her glass. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to carry everything alone.”
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “It’s complicated, Em.”
“It always is,” she said. “But you deserve more than just-this. More than temporary escapes. I just wish you’d let yourself have more.”
I smiled, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Maybe one day.”
She didn’t push, just reached over and squeezed my hand before our names were called for our massages.
After the spa, we hit the shopping district. Emilia was in her element, dragging me from boutique to boutique, determined to find the most outrageous outfits.
She held up a shimmering, barely-there dress. “You need this.”
I eyed it. “Where would I even wear that?”
She grinned. “That’s the fun part. You figure it out later!”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Fine. But only if you get the red one.”
“Deal.”
We spent hours shopping, stopping only for an extravagant lunch with overpriced cocktails. By the time we returned to the hotel, we had way too many bags and not a single regret.
Sprawled out on the bed, Emilia sighed contentedly. “Best trip ever.”
I smiled, kicking off my heels. “Yeah. It really was.”
The next morning, we packed our bags, dragging our feet as if that would somehow extend our trip. Emilia flopped dramatically onto the bed.
“I don’t wanna leave,” she whined. “Can’t we just stay here forever? Drink cocktails, get daily massages, and forget the real world exists?”
I smirked, zipping up my suitcase. “Tempting, but I’m pretty sure your fiance would send a search party.”
She groaned, throwing an arm over her face. “Ugh. Why’d you have to bring up Alaric?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Because he’s literally waiting for us back home?”
She sat up, pouting. “Fine. But only if we get one last fancy breakfast before we go.”
“Agreed.”
An hour later, we sat in a beautiful rooftop cafe, sipping cappuccinos and indulging in pastries that were probably bad for us but tasted like heaven. Emilia tapped her spoon against her cup, watching me.
“So… are you ready to go back?”
I sighed, swirling my coffee. “Not really. But I can’t avoid it forever.”
She tilted her head. “You know, you could take more breaks like this. You don’t have to drown in all that Mafia stuff 24/7.”
I smiled, but it was small. “You and I both know that’s not how it works.”
“Still.” She shrugged. “You deserve to be happy too.”
I didn’t answer, just took another sip of my coffee.
The flight home was smooth, and before we knew it, we were stepping off the private jet, back in the city. The second my feet touched the pavement, reality crashed over me like a wave. The carefree days of lounging in silk robes and sipping cocktails were over. Now, it was back to business.
Emilia stretched, glancing at me. “Regret coming back yet?”
I let out a breath. “Ask me again in a few hours.”
Before we could part ways, a sleek black car pulled up. The window rolled down, and Alaric leaned out, sunglasses on, his expression unreadable.
“Miss me?” Emilia smirked, sauntering over to him.
His lips twitched. “More than you know.”
She slid into the car, then turned to look at me. “Call me later?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
As their car pulled away, another one arrived for me. I slid into the backseat, bracing myself.