Chapter 22
Aria’s Pov
I knew something was off the second I saw the car.
I just came back from checking on the the vet, I had to check up on some of the animals before heading to the Moretti’s unbelievably large ranch.
Meeting a car outside of my home was shocking, especially this type, I had never seen it.
Not just any car. A sleek, jet–black SUV, the kind you see in movies when the mafía sends their people to pick you up. It was parked in front of my tiny excuse of a house, all shiny and intimidating, like it had no business being on this street.
And the guy standing next to it?
Definitely one of theirs.
Black suit. Hands clasped in front of him. That creepy, professional smile like he was here to collect a debt.
I hesitated on my porch, gripping the strap of my bag. I had only packed a few things–I figured I’d just visit the ranch, do my job, and come home. No way was I staying longer than necessary.
But then I noticed the trunk of the SUV.
It was open.
And inside?
My suitcases.
Already packed. Already loaded. Like they knew I wasn’t coming back.
My stomach dropped.
“Miss Aria.” The driver nodded respectfully. “I’ve been sent to escort you to the Moretti estate.”
Escort?
Okay. No. Absolutely not.
“I think there’s been a mistake,” I said, my voice not shaking. “I wasn’t planning on staying overnight.”
He didn’t even blink. “Mr. Moretti instructed me to bring you. Everything has been arranged.”
I clenched my teeth. My first instinct was to grab my stuff and run back inside. But I knew better.
Once they made a decision, there was no getting out of it.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I snatched it out, already knowing who it was.
Chapter 22
Victor.
The only person in my life I could somewhat call family. The only person who had ever looked out for me. And now?
He’d sold me out.
Enjoy your new job. You’ll be fine. Trust me.
My jaw locked. Oh, I was going to kill him.
But right now?
I was trapped.
The driver opened the door. “Shall we?”
The whole ride, I was fuming.
I glared out the window, watching familiar roads disappear behind us. My fingers tapped restlessly against my thigh. Every instinct in me was screaming turn back, turn back, turn back.
But we didn’t turn back.
We didn’t even stop at the ranch.
We kept going.
The road stretched further than I’d ever been before, deep into the Moretti land. And then, rising like some kind of insane, fairytale–looking mansion….
Was the Moretti estate.
I almost choked.
This wasn’t a house. This was a damn castle.
Hidden behind acres of land, far from prying eyes. Stone walls, high archways, windows that gleamed like they were hiding
secrets.
It wasn’t just big. It was powerful. The kind of place that made it clear–you didn’t leave unless they let you.
The SUV pulled up smoothly, and before I could even react, uniformed staff were already waiting.
A woman in a sleek black dress stepped forward. “Welcome, Miss Aria. Your belongings will be placed in your suite.”
Suite.
I blinked. “My what?”
She gestured toward the house. “Shall I escort you to your quarters?”
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Chapter 22
I took a step back. Nope. Nope. Nope.
I didn’t care how rich or terrifying they were. I wasn’t going to just accept this.
“Where are they?” She pointed down the hallway.
I turned on my heel and stormed past her. I knew exactly where I needed to be.
The hallway stretched like something out of a Gatsby movie. Everything smelled expensive. Looked expensive.
I ignored it.
Down the grand hallway. Past the ridiculous artwork that probably cost more than my entire existence.
Straight to their office.
The heavy oak doors were slightly ajar. I didn’t knock. I never knocked.
I shoved them open. “What the hell is this?”
Three pairs of eyes snapped to me immediately.
Matteo. Enzo. Dante.
They were all there. Enzo seated behind a massive desk, Matteo was sitting near Enzo’s dest, whils Dante was seated on the couch facing them like they were in tge middle of a conversation and i jjst interrupted, they were all too relaxed, like they’d been expecting this exact moment.
Matteo smirked first, leaning back in his chair like this was some sort of game.
Enzo, always composed, swirled the dark amber liquid in his glass.
Dante didn’t even move. He just watched. Silent. Intense. Like he was waiting for me to break first.
It made my stomach twist in ways I hated.
“Nice to see you too, Stellina,” Enzo murmured.
My pulse spiked at the nickname. I hated that they called me that. I hated that I…
That I-
Nope. Not going there.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I snapped. “Why am I here? And why is my stuff already moved in?”
Matteo and Enzo exchanged a glance. Then Matteo grinned, slow and deliberate. “Because, Little Star, you’re the live–in
vet.”
Live. In.
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Chapter 22
My stomach dropped.
I clenched my fists. “That is not what I agreed to.”
Matteo just shrugged. “It is now.”
My whole body burned with frustration, but they were just sitting there. So damn relaxed.
They were watching me.
Like I was a puzzle they had already solved.
“You know exactly what you’re doing,” I accused.
Enzo exhaled, tilting his head like I was overreacting. “Why are you so worked up, Stellina?”
I glared at all of them. “Why do you keep annoying me?”
Silence.
Then Enzo pushed back his chair.
Stood up.
And walked toward me.
Slow. Deliberate. Dominant in a way that made every cell in my body go on edge.
I held my ground, but my stomach was a mess.
His voice was deep, smooth as he murmured, “Calm down, Stellina. I can see the vein in your forehead throbbing. Wouldn’t want you getting a headache.”
His hand lifted.
And then he did it.
Tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
Just a simple touch. Soft. Slow. Too much.
And my body?
Traitor. Absolute traitor.
My breath hitched. My stomach flipped. Heat rushed to my face.
Enzo leaned down yo my ear, his bot breath fanning my neck causing goosebumps in its wake,“And did you really think you could run away from us?”
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Chapter 22
I hated him. I hated all of them.
I needed to get out of here.
Without another word, I spun on my heel and stormed out.
As soon as I was gone, Matteo chuckled. “That was fun.”
Dante, finally speaking, murmured, “She’s starting to realize it, isn’t she?”
Enzo smirked, watching the doorway. “Oh, she realized it a long time ago.”
I slammed my suite door shut behind me, pressing my back against it.
My heart was still racing.
I walked to the mirror and stared at myself.
I looked… shaken.
My hand lifted to my ear. The exact spot Enzo’s fingers had been.
And my only thought?
Why the hell does a simple touch affect me this much?
