Chapter 185
Aria’s POV
I had been noticing it all morning.
The way Valentina kept walking a little too quickly whenever I came into the room. How her eyes darted away the second we made contact. How she would busy herself with something that clearly did not need doing, like wiping down the same clean counter twice or straightening a
vase that wasn’t crooked.
She was avoiding me.
I could feel it in the air.
At first I thought maybe I was imagining it. Maybe she was just busy. Maybe she was just shy. But no, it was more than that. It was guilt or embarrassment. Probably from the kitchen. From the moment I saw her and Chiara together. And I hated that she felt that way. I hated that she thought I would judge her.
So I decided to fix it.
I caught her near the hallway that led to the laundry room, her arms full of clean sheets and a nervous look in her eyes when she spotted me walking toward her.
“Valentina,” I said gently. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
She hesitated. Her knuckles tightened slightly on the sheets, but she nodded and followed me quietly into one of the sitting rooms. It was empty and quiet. The door clicked shut behind us. She stood near the corner, arms still full, looking like she wanted to disappear.
I gave her a small smile. “You don’t have to be nervous around me.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked down at the floor.
“I know what you think,” I said. “You think I’m going to tell someone or judge you or make it weird.”
Valentina looked up, lips parted like she wanted to deny it, but I kept going.
“I’m not,” I said simply. “It’s not my business. But more importantly, I saw the way Chiara looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. That wasn’t something shameful. That was love. Or at least the beginning of it.”
Her shoulders relaxed just a little. Her grip on the sheets loosened.
“I just want you to know that I think it’s beautiful,” I said. “Whatever you two have. And if it makes her happy, then I’m happy too.”
Valentina’s eyes started to shine. She blinked a few times, and I saw a tear slip free. She wiped it quickly, shaking her head and letting out a quiet breath.
“Thank you,” she said, voice soft and full of relief. “I didn’t know how you’d react.”
I shrugged a little and smiled. “I’m not here to judge anyone’s love. Especially not when this house is already full of complicated feelings.”
We both laughed softly at that,
Right then the door burst open and Dante stepped in, all long limbs and a sharp look in his eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked, eyes darting between the two of us.
1/3
Chapter 185
I smiled quickly and stepped forward. “Nothing serious. I was just… asking her what detergent you people use. It smells amazing.”
Valentina covered her mouth to hide her laugh and walked off, and I turned back to Dante.
He didn’t believe me for a second. But he didn’t ask more.
Instead, he stepped forward and without warning, scooped me up into his arms.
I yelped. “Dante!”
He grinned. “We need to talk.”
“I have legs.”
“Too bad. I’m using mine for both of us.”
I giggled and wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he carried me down the hall like I weighed nothing. His body was warm and strong and it felt good to laugh after the tension earlier. The halls blurred past us and he didn’t stop until we reached one of the offices on the first floor.
He kicked the door open gently and walked in.
Inside were Enzo and Matteo.
Enzo was leaning against the desk, arms crossed, brows raised. Matteo was sitting on the edge of the couch. His face lit up the second he saw
- me.
Before I could react, Matteo was on his feet.
“Give her here,” he said, holding his arms out.
Dante passed me over easily, and I squealed as Matteo caught me and spun me once before lowering me, letting my legs wrap around his waist naturally. His mouth crashed into mine and I kissed him back just as fiercely. His hands gripped my thighs, my arms looped around his neck. The room felt like it disappeared for a second. I felt him smile into the kiss, and I smiled too, only pulling back when I needed to breathe.
His forehead pressed to mine. “Missed you,” he whispered.
“I was gone for twenty minutes,” I whispered back, grinning.
“Too long,” he said.
From across the room, Enzo cleared his throat loudly.
“No kiss for me?” he asked, faking hurt with a pout. “Unbelievable.”
I laughed and pulled away from Matteo gently. I walked straight to Enzo and stood on my tiptoes.
Then I peppered his face with kisses.
One on his nose.
One on each cheek.
One on his forehead.
One right between his brows.
2/3
Chapter 185
He laughed. Really laughed. His hands rested on my waist and his eyes crinkled in that rare, soft way.
“Okay okay,” he said. “You’re forgiven.”
I gave him one last kiss on the lips, then walked back to Matteo and climbed into his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. He pulled me close without hesitation. I rested my head on his chest and he stroked my hair slowly, fingers moving gently through the strands.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
I could feel all three of them watching me.
I didn’t mind.
This was my place now.
Wrapped up in arms that felt like home.
I stayed quiet for a little while, letting the warmth and safety of Matteo’s touch calm the rest of my nerves. Then I opened my eyes and looked at all three of them.
“So,” I said softly. “What’s this meeting about?”
Chapter Comments
