Chapter 17: Whispers in the Dark
(First-person POV: Alessia)
The mansion was eerily quiet that night. Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the kind that felt unnatural—like the air was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
I couldn't sleep. My mind was tangled in knots, replaying everything Nico had told me, everything Matteo hadn't told me, and Isabella's sudden, unwelcome presence in this house.
Who was she to Matteo? And why did she feel like a threat rather than just an old acquaintance?
Restless, I slipped out of bed and grabbed the silk robe from the chair, wrapping it around myself as I stepped into the dimly lit hallway. The shadows stretched long against the walls, flickering with the low glow of the chandeliers.
I didn't have a destination in mind, just the need to clear my thoughts. But as I descended the grand staircase, a soft voice stopped me in my tracks.
At first, I thought it was coming from the garden, but then I spotted a figure in the hallway just past Matteo's study.
Isabella.
She was standing near one of the tall windows, her phone pressed to her ear. I was about to walk away—eavesdropping wasn't exactly something I wanted to add to my list of sins—but then I heard a name.
A name that made my blood run cold.
"Luca."
I stiffened, my fingers curling against the banister.
"Everything is in place," Isabella continued in a hushed but confident tone. "He doesn't suspect a thing."
My pulse quickened. Who didn't suspect a thing? Matteo?
"I know he won't agree to it, but that's why we're not asking him," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "You and I both know that his loyalty has a limit."
I swallowed hard. What the hell was she talking about?
"I'll see you soon," Isabella finished, ending the call.
Before I could react, she turned slightly, and for a split second, I thought she'd seen me. But she simply adjusted the shawl over her shoulders and disappeared down the hallway.
I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. My body was rigid, my mind spinning.
Isabella and Luca?
There was no way Luca—Matteo's closest friend and most trusted ally—was working against him.
Was there?
I needed to tell Matteo.
Spinning on my heel, I hurried toward his study, my heart hammering with each step. But when I reached the heavy wooden doors, I hesitated.
Would he even believe me?
He already thought I was prying too much, stepping into places I didn't belong. Would he see this as just another excuse to question him?
I bit my lip, debating, but before I could decide, the door swung open.
Matteo stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes locked onto mine.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and rough.
I took a breath. "I need to talk to you. It's about Isabella."
His jaw tensed. "Alessia—"
"She was on the phone," I rushed out. "With Luca."
Something flickered in his gaze. "What?"
"She said 'he doesn't suspect a thing.' That everything was in place." My voice trembled slightly. "Matteo, I think she's planning something. And I think Luca might be involved."
He was silent. Too silent.
Then, without a word, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the study, shutting the door firmly behind us.
"Say that again," he commanded.
I repeated everything I'd heard, watching the way his face darkened with every word. His hand clenched into a fist at his side.
"Luca wouldn't betray me," he finally said, but there was an edge to his voice—like he was trying to convince himself.
"I thought so too," I said. "But, Matteo, what if you're wrong?"
For the first time since I'd met him, he looked uncertain.
He turned away from me, one hand raking through his hair. Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy.
Then, before I could process what was happening, Matteo was suddenly in front of me, backing me against the desk. His hands planted firmly on either side of me, caging me in.
"Why do you care so much?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
I blinked up at him. "What?"
"You act like this is your fight," he murmured, his gaze flicking between my eyes and lips. "Like you have a stake in this world."
"I do," I whispered. "Because whether I like it or not, I'm in it. You made sure of that."
His eyes darkened. "You think I did this to punish you?"
"I think," I said, my voice softer now, "that you're used to keeping people at a distance. That trusting someone—really trusting them—is foreign to you."
His fingers twitched against the desk. "And you think you're different?"
I hesitated. "I don't know. But I want to be."
Something in him cracked. I felt it in the way his posture changed, in the way his breath ghosted against my cheek.
Then, without warning, his lips were on mine.
The kiss was rough, demanding, filled with frustration and need. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I barely had time to process before I was kissing him back just as fiercely.
It was intoxicating. His taste, his scent, the way his body molded against mine.
But just as quickly as it started, he pulled away.
"This is dangerous," he murmured, his forehead resting against mine.
"I know," I whispered. "But so are you."
A ghost of a smirk touched his lips. "You should stay away from me."
"Too late for that," I said breathlessly.
He exhaled, stepping back. The moment shattered, reality crashing back in.
"I need to confirm what you heard," he said, his voice back to business. "If Luca is involved in something, I need to know now."
I nodded. "Be careful."
His eyes softened for just a second before he turned away, grabbing his phone.
As I left the study, my heart was still pounding—both from what I had just learned and from what had just happened between us.
One thing was clear.
The shadows around Matteo weren't just secrets.
They were enemies.
And I had just stepped right into the middle of them.