Chapter 29
Aria’s POV
I woke up feeling anything but rested.
I thought having space from them last night would clear my head, but instead, it felt like their presence still clung to me. The weight of their concern, their warmth, their touch–it lingered in ways I wasn’t prepared for.
With a sigh, I pushed off the covers and got ready for the day. Work was the only thing that could distract me now.
By the time I stepped outside, the sun was barely beginning to rise over the sprawling estate. The crisp morning air helped clear my head, but as I made my way toward the ranch, something caught my attention.
A black van was parked near one of the barns, its dark exterior standing out against the earthy tones of the stables.
A group of men in black stood nearby, their voices low, serious.
The moment I came into view, they stopped talking.
Their gazes shifted–not overtly hostile, but definitely cautious. As if my presence was unexpected.
A chill ran down my spine.
I knew the triplets were powerful. I knew their family was wealthy.
But this? This felt different. Like something they didn’t want me to see.
I forced myself to keep walking, shaking off the unease.
They were probably just business associates of the brothers. Or security. Maybe I was overthinking things.
I needed to stop thinking about them.
I threw myself into my work instead. There was an injured mare in one of the stables, a young horse that had gotten. tangled in barbed wire a few days ago. She needed her bandages changed.
I focused on that–on the rhythmic movements, the familiar comfort of tending to an animal that actually needed me.
And yet…
The triplets hadn’t approached me all day.
For some reason, that unsettled me more than their usual pushiness.
I was leading the mare back to her stall when a loud crash echoed across the ranch.
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Chapter 29
A metal gate slamming shut.
The mare spooked.
Before I could react, she reared up, knocking into me. I stumbled back, my boot catching on uneven ground. The next thing I knew, I was falling.
Pain shot up my leg as I hit the dirt hard. My breath left me in a
“Shit,” I muttered, wincing as I tried to sit up. My knee throbbed.
And then I heard it–an infuriatingly familiar voice.
“You really are a magnet for trouble, huh?”
sharp gasp.
I groaned, already knowing exactly who it was before
even
looked up.
Matteo.
His towering form blocked the sun as he crouched down beside me, arms resting on his knees. He looked too amused for someone who had just watched me fall on my ass.
I scowled. “I can handle it.”
“Yeah?” His smirk deepened. “You were doing a great job back there, flat on your ass.”
I tried to push myself up, but the second I put weight on my leg, a sharp sting shot through my knee.
I hissed.
Matteo sighed, shaking his head like I was the most frustrating person he’d ever met.
“Yeah, no. You’re done.”
Before I could argue, he reached forward and grabbed my
leg.
I tensed as his fingers wrapped around my calf, pushing up my pant leg to check my knee.
His touch was warm–too warm.
My breath caught in my throat.
“It’s not that bad,” I muttered, trying to pull away.
He held firm. “Oh yeah? And here I thought you were supposed to be smart.”
I glared, but he was already tugging a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing at the cut on my knee.
ugging
The rough fabric brushed against my skin, sending an unexpected shiver up my spine.
Chapter 29
I hated how easily he got under my skin.
I clenched my jaw and forced myself to stay still as he worked.
His fingers moved with practiced ease, wiping away the dirt and blood, but every brush of his touch against my skin made it impossible to ignore the warmth of his hands.
The tension in the air shifted.
Something unspoken crackled between us.
I swallowed, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened.
Matteo smirked, his voice dropping just a bit lower.
“You’re awfully quiet, Piccola. Something wrong?”
I glared at him, but he wasn’t fooled.
He’d felt it.
The awareness. The heat. The way my body reacted to him against my will.
Damn him.
For the first time, I realized something dangerous.
Matteo wasn’t just teasing.
He knew.
He knew the effect he had on me.
The realization sent a fresh wave of frustration through me. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way.
I wasn’t supposed to notice the way his dark eyes lingered too long.
I wasn’t supposed to feel this… pull.
And yet, I did.
I wanted to shove him away. I wanted to hate the way he was touching me.
But I couldn’t.
Matteo exhaled slowly and pulled back, his voice softer now.
“Don’t push yourself, Aria.”
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It wasn’t teasing anymore.
It was something else.
Something I wasn’t ready for.
As he helped me to my feet, I forced my focus away from the way his hands lingered.
Away from the way my heart raced.
Because something else was nagging at me.
The black van. The men in suits. The way they had stopped talking when I walked by.
I glanced toward the barn again, watching as the men moved quickly, efficiently.
They were still there.
And the moment they noticed me watching, one of them turned away, speaking into an earpiece.
A pit formed in my stomach.
Something was definitely going on here.
Something they didn’t want me to know.
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