Chapter 184
Aria
First Person POV
I didn’t even know how long I stood there. My feet were glued to the floor, my mouth slightly open, and my brain completely frozen. I had walked into the kitchen thinking about toast and eggs and maybe cereal, but what I saw was the last thing I expected.
Chiara was kissing someone.
A woman.
She was wearing a simple black maid’s uniform, her h
pulled back neatly, but all of that didn’t matter because they were tangled up in each other like the world didn’t exist. Their lips moved together slowly, deeply, like they had done it a hundred times. Like it was something they had been waiting for all day. Chiara’s hands were in the woman’s hair and the woman had her fingers hooked around Chiara’s waist. It was intimate. It was real. It was private.
And I was standing there like a ghost that wandered into the wrong room.
I took a small step backward, hoping I could disappear without being noticed, but the floor betrayed me. One creak. That was all it took. Chiara turned around instantly and her eyes landed on me. Her mouth parted in surprise, then closed again. The maid stepped back quickly, cheeks burning red. She looked between us for half a second before hurrying out of the kitchen without a word. I was still standing there, blinking.
“I… I didn’t see anything,” I said way too fast.
Chiara let out a long breath and ran a hand through her hair. She didn’t look angry, just tired and maybe a little caught off guard.
“Aria,” she said softly.
I tried to back up again. “I was just getting food. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
She shook her head and walked to the counter slowly. “No. It’s okay. Come in. Stay.”
I hesitated for a second, then stepped into the kitchen fully, still holding the sheet tightly around myself like it was some kind of armor. Chiara didn’t look at me right away. She poured herself a glass of water, took a sip, then finally turned toward me.
“Well,” she said, eyes slightly amused. “That’s not how I imagined getting caught.”
I blinked. “You imagined getting caught?”
She laughed quietly. “No. But if I had, I would’ve preferred fully dressed. Maybe in a different room. You know. With a little dignity left.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “Same. I just wanted toast,”
We both stared at each other for a moment, and then something in the tension cracked. She leaned her elbows on the counter and looked at me with a mix of curiosity and warmth.
“You’re not freaking out,” she said.
“Should I be?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Most people would be.”
“I’m not most people.”
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Chapter 184
Chiara smiled, not smug, but soft. She nodded once. “Her name’s Valentina.”
“The maid?”
“Yeah. She’s been with us for almost a year.”
I moved closer and leaned against the edge of the island. “How long have you…?”
“Four months,” she said. “Give or take.”
I blinked. “Wow.”
She sipped her water again and looked at me like she was trying to measure my reaction.
“I’m not hiding it from shame,” she said. “The boys know I’m queer. That’s not a secret. But it’s complicated. This family is loud and always in each other’s business. Sometimes it’s easier to keep the private things private.”
I nodded slowly. “I get that.”
She looked surprised. “You do?”
“Yeah. I haven’t exactly had the most traditional lic
either. And being here… in this house… it already feels like you’re under a microscope.”
Chiara’s mouth lifted into a real smile this time. “You’re fitting in better than I thought you would.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Maybe. Don’t let it go to your head.”
I laughed softly, then stepped closer, lowering my voice. “For what it’s worth, that was a really beautiful kiss. The way you were holding her… it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.”
Chiara looked down and let out a small breath. “She makes me feel calm. Seen. She’s not flashy or loud. She just… gets me.”
I smiled. “Sounds like someone you should keep around.”
Chiara looked up at me with something unreadable in her eyes. “You’re alright, Aria.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
She grinned and stepped away from the counter, walking toward the fridge. “Let me make you something. You clearly came down here starving.”
“I was emotionally and physically hungry. There’s a difference.”
She pulled out eggs and bread and set them on the counter. “How about an omelette?”
“That sounds amazing.”
Just as she cracked the first egg into the bowl, I heard the sound of soft footsteps behind me. I turned to see Enzo walking in, shirtless and sleepy–eyed, rubbing a hand through his messy hair.
He froze when he saw the two of us in the kitchen. His eyes moved from Chiara to me to the food, then back again.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, voice raspy from sleep.
Chapter 184
Chiara smirked. “Relax. I’m already taken.”
He looked at me with one eyebrow raised. “You’re cheating on me with my sister?”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “Relax. Your sister already has someone. Your ego is safe.”
“Barely,” Chiara added under her breath with a smirk.
Enzo came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. He pressed a kiss to my neck lazily and muttered, “You left me.”
“You were snoring,” I whispered.
“I do not snore.”
Chiara raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. She just handed me a spatula and said, “You flip. I’ll season.”
Enzo stole a piece of toast off the counter, shoved it into his mouth, and muttered something about being underappreciated.
I smiled.
The kitchen was warm. The food was cooking. Chiara was humming softly. Enzo was teasing me. And for the first time in a very long time, I felt like I belonged.
I wasn’t just a guest.
I was part of something.
And it felt good.
Really good.
