Aria’s Poy
I stared at my reflection, my fingers twitching at the hem of the dress. It was red–like, really red. The kind of red that people in movies wore when they were about to ruin someone’s life or seduce a king or something. And it fit. Too well. Hugging rurves I usually tried to pretend I didn’t have.
Gloria, of course, was losing her mind.
Aria, oh my God. You look like–like- She made an explosion sound with her hands, her eyes practically sparkling.
“They’re gonna die when they see you.”
I groaned, pressing my fingers to my temples. “That is not the goal, Gloria.”
She ignored me completely, busy adjusting my curls so they fell over one shoulder. The makeup she’d done was way more than I usually wore, but somehow, It made my hazel eyes stand out, looking more golden under the soft light. My lips were painted in a deep, rosy color that matched the dress too perfectly.
“They won’t know what hit them,” Gloria muttered, grinning.
And the worst part? I wasn’t sure if I wanted them to.
The knock at the door made my stomach flip. Like, full–on Olympic–level gymnastics.
Gloria practically shoved me toward it. “Go, go, go.”
I swallowed and opened the door.
And forgot how to breathe.
Matteo, Enzo, Dante.
Standing there like some dark prophecy. Or a cover of a billionaire mafia novel. Or maybe both.
They all wore black suits, but somehow, they made them look completely different. Matteo was the most relaxed, leaning against the doorframe with his tie loosened, like he was already bored with the whole formality. His dark eyes flicked over me, slow and thorough, at the dip of my collar bone and the curve of my waist, it’s like he was touching me all over with his eyes and worse, i liked it. His lips twitching just slightly. Approval? Mockery? Did I look funny? I had no idea.
Enzo stood completely still, hands in his pockets, head tilted just slightly. He looked me right in the eye, like he was searching for something. His storm–gray gaze sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.
Then there was Dante. Quiet, steady, watching me like he saw something no one else did. When he finally moved, j fraction, my stomach tightened.
“Perfect,” Matteo murmured, reaching out. His fingers brushed against my hair as he tucked a curl behind my ear, the touch barely there–but somehow, 1–felt it everywhere. My breath hitched.
Enzo cocked his head. “Nervous?”
1/3
Chapter 13
No, I lled:
Dante didn’t say anything. Just watched. And I had to look away before my face caught on fire.
The car ride was torture.
Not because they were talking too much. No, that would have been easier. But because they weren’t. The silence in the car felt thick, heavy, like something unspoken had settled between us.
Matteo sat beside me, his leg brushing mine. I told myself I didn’t notice. That I wasn’t hyper–aware of the warmth radiating from him, or the way Enzo kept glancing at me from across the car, or the way Dante’s fingers tapped idly against his knee, like he was deep in thought.
“Relax, little star,” Matteo said, smirking. “You look like you’re about to bolt.”
“Maybe I should,” I muttered, gripping my dress.
Enzo’s lips twitched. “Too late. You’re already here.”
When we pulled up to the restaurant, my stomach dropped.
The place was fancy. The kind of fancy where people wore gloves for no reason and the menus didn’t have prices.
I read the sign ‘Armani‘ in large glowing red letters
“No way. I am not walking in there with all three of you.”
Dante was already stepping out, opening my door like it was just expected that I’d follow. “We know.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
Enzo nodded toward a separate entrance, one tucked away from the main doors. “We had them prepare a private space.”
I stared at them, caught somewhere between disbelief and something annoyingly warm. They’d thought of that?
Before I could overthink it, Matteo offered his arm. I hesitated. Then, with a breath, I took it.
As we walked down the quiet hallway leading to the dining room, my heart pounded, the air thick with something I didn’t quite understand.
And when Matteo leaned down, his lips just barely brushing my ear, his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, little star.”
Oh no.
