Chapter 43
Aria’s POV
I woke up to an empty house,
At first, I didn’t think much of it. The triplets weren’t exactly the kind of guys who slept in, and the place was always quiet in the mornings. But as I walked downstairs, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, something felt… off.
The usual hum of activity was missing. No low murmurs from the kitchen, no sound of heavy boots against the hardwood floors.
Just silence.
I frowned, glancing around. “Hello?”
No answer.
1 checked the kitchen first, then the dining room. Nothing
Maybe they’d just gone out for something. It wasn’t like they had to tell me what they were doing, but… they always did.
That was the part that unsettled me the most.
I shook off the unease and decided to keep myself busy. Sitting around worrying wasn’t going to help, and I still had work to do.
I threw on some old jeans and a T–shirt, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and headed out toward the stables. The moming air was cool and fresh, the scent of hay and earth grounding me.
The horses neighed softly as I stepped into the barn, their ears twitching at my presence. This was familiar. This, I could
handle.
I grabbed a brush and started working on Willow, a beautiful gray mare who had taken a liking to me since the first day 1 arrived. “At least you’re here,” I murmured, running the brush along her sleek coat.
She huffed, nudging my shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah. You just want an apple.”
I ran my fingers through the goat’s rough fur, smiling as it nudged my hand for food. Shaking my head, I scattered somet feed on the ground, watching as the others trotted over, hooves kicking up dust. The sun was high now, heat pressing against my skin. I wiped my forehead, frowning. The triplets were still nowhere to be seen. I hadn’t seen them since last night. A strange unease settled in my chest.
spent the next few hours losing myself in the work, tending to the animals, refilling the water troughs, and cleaning out the stalls. Time slipped away without ime noticing.
It wasn’t until the sun started dipping lower in the sky that I finally headed back inside, wiping sweat from my forehead.
And that’s when I realized
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Chapter 43
The triplets still weren’t back.
A weird feeling curled in my stomach as 1 made my way to the kitchen. One of the maids, Rosa, was cleaning up when I walked in.
I hesitated before asking, “Hey… do you know when Matten, Enzo, and Dante are coming back?”
She looked up, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. “They haven’t returned yet?”
My heart did a little uneasy flip. “Walt–you mean they left yesterday?”
She nodded. “Early in the morning.”
I swallowed. They’d been gone for over a day.
I didn’t know why that made my chest tighten, but it did. Something wasn’t right.
Still, I forced myself to shake it off. They were probably fine. They were the Cavallero triplets, for God’s sake. They could
handle themselves.
I convinced myself not to panic, ate a small dinner, and went to bed early.
But sleep didn’t come easy.
Every little noise had me jerking awake, straining to listen for the sound of their voices. But the house remained silent.
I must have finally drifted off, because the next thing I knew
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The front door slammed open, the sound ripping me from sleep.
I bolted upright, heart hammering against my ribs.
For a second, I was disoriented. My room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon through my
window.
Then I heard it-
Voices. Low. Tense. Familiar.
The triplets.
They were back.
I didn’t stop to think. I threw off my blankets and rushed downstairs, my bare feet cold against the wooden floor.
And then I saw them.
Dante and Enzo were supporting Matten, who looked like hell. His shirt was torn and stained red, his jaw tight with pain. His usual cocky smirk was nowhere to be found.
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Chapter 43
a moment,
For a
none of us moved.
Then Enzo sighed. “Aria, go back to bed.”
I ignored him. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” Dante said.
I folded my arms. “Oh, sure. Because Matteo always comes home looking like he fought a damn bear.”
Matteo chuckled, but it turned into a wince. “You should see
the p
other guy.”
I stepped closer, my chest tightening as I took in the gash along his side. “You need to clean that.”
We’ll
handle it,” Enzo said firmly.
I lifted a brow. “Oh, really? Because last time I checked, I was the one–with the first aid skills.”
Dante’s jaw tightened. “Aria-”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
A muscle in his cheek twitched,
Then Matteo let out a pained groan as he tried to shift his weight, and that was all the ex
excuse I needed.
I walked straight to him, ignoring the heat of their stares, and grabbed his arm to help steady him.
“Sit.” 1
“Sit,” I ordered, guiding him toward the couch.
To my surprise, he didn’t argue.
Dante and Enzo exchanged glances, but they didn’t stop me.
I grabbed the first aid kit from the table and dropped to my knees beside him, carefully peeling back his ruined shirt.
The second his skin was exposed, I sucked in a breath.
The wound wasn’t deep, but it was angry and raw, stretching across
muscles tensing under my touch.
his
s ribs. His skin was hot beneath my fingers.
his
“You’re an kliot,” I muttered, reaching for the antiseptic.
Matteo’s lips twitched. “But a charming idiot, right?”
I shot him a glare before pressing the cloth against his wound. He hissed, muscles jerking under my hand.
Dante shifted beside me, looking like he wanted to pull me away, but I
didn’t stop.
I wouldn’t stop.
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ith this alone–leaving Matten like this fell worse than
Chapter 43
Because for some reason, the thought of leaving them to deal with the risk of pissing them off.
So I stayed.
And none of them stopped me.
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