Chapter 11
In that moment, he couldn’t take back the invitation.
Seeing his conflicted expression, Sofia’s tears spilled over. “Alex, you’re having second thoughts, aren’t you? Don’t worry about me. If it’s awkward, I’ll stay home.”
She expected him to immediately reassure her, but instead, Alessandro looked visibly relieved. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“Tonight’s actually complicated. Better if you sit this one out.”
Sofia’s eyes widened, a flash of hatred crossing her face before she recomposed her vulnerable mask. Fresh tears
streamed down her cheeks.
“Alex…”
But he was clearly distracted, not even noticing her reaction. He stepped back, glancing up at the ceiling fixture. “So
this is the light that’s out?”
Seeing he wouldn’t budge, Sofia bit her lip, mumbled a sulky “yeah,” and flopped back onto the sofa, refusing to look
at him.
Alessandro’s mind was elsewhere. The nightmare kept replaying, his anxiety building with each passing minute.
Sensing his distraction, Sofia approached again, tugging his sleeve with a quivering voice. “Hey… what’s going on with you?”
He snapped back to reality, beads of sweat forming at his temples.
He gently removed her hand and pulled out his phone to call Aria. To his surprise, the call wouldn’t connect. Each failed attempt ratcheted up his unease.
“Listen, I’ve got to run. I’ll send someone over to fix your light.”
Without waiting for her response, he hurried out, the door clicking shut behind him.
As his footsteps faded down the hallway, the mask of vulnerability fell from Sofia’s face, replaced by cold fury.
She knew exactly why he was rushing off–to find precious Aria.
She snatched her phone and furiously typed: “You pathetic home–wrecker. So desperate to be the side piece nobody acknowledges? Do us all a favor and disappear.”
When she hit send, a red exclamation point flashed on screen.
Blocked.
A sense of foreboding washed over her. Instinctively, she deleted the message from her sent folder.
08:35
I Love You So Much. But I Just Don’t Like Y’Artyric
40.0%
Chapter 11
Meanwhile, Alessandro burst through his front door to find Aria still missing.
“Where’s Aria? She hasn’t come back?” His voice had an edge his staff had never heard before.
“Haven’t seen her since before lunch, sir.”
“Um. Mr. Valentini? We noticed something weird while cleaning. All of Miss Collins’s things are gone.”
The words hit him like a physical blow, sending a chill through his body.
“What are you talking about?”
The housekeeper looked confused. “We thought you knew. Her clothes, her books, her toiletries–everything’s gone. We assumed you were surprised her with new stuff…”
Hove You So Much But Lust Don’t Like
