Chapter 58
Aria’s POV
The drive back to the estate is heavy with s
silence.
Matten keeps his eyes on the road, one hand gripping the wheel, the other resting lazily on the gear shift, but there’s tension in the way his fingers tighten every time he glances at me through the rearview mirror.
Dante is next to me in the hackseat, his long legs spread comfortably, his arm stretched along the top of the seat behind me. He doesn’t say anything, but his fingers tap a slow rhythm against my thigh. Absentminded. Possessive.
And then there’s Enzo. Silent. Unreadable. His gaze flickers between me and the window, his body relaxed in a way that feels forced. Like he’s holding something back.
I should say something. Try to break the silence. But I don’t.
Because for the first time in a long time, I don’t know what to say.
The moment we step into the house, I feel it.
The air shifts. The energy in the room changes.
And then I see him.
Victor stands near the bar, a glass of something dark in his hand, watching us with that same infuriating smirk he always wears. His suit is pristine, not a single wrinkle or speck of dust, as if he didn’t just spend hours on a plane before showing up here uninvited.
I stop walking. My chest tightens.
I haven’t seen him in months, but nothing about him has changed. Still the same expensive cologne. Still the same perfectly combed dark hair and sharp jaw. Still the same cold, calculating eyes that always seem to see too much.
“Well,” he drawls, taking a sip of his drink. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Matteo tenses beside me. Dante’s fingers stop drumming against my leg. Even Enzo shifts, his jaw clenching the slightest
bit.
None of them say anything. They don’t need to. The hatred they have for him is thick enough to suffocate.
Victor’s gaze flickers between them before settling on me. His lips curve, but there’s no warmth in it. “I assume you had
fun.”
I don’t answer. I don’t have to.
His eyes drop to my collarbone, where Matteo’s jacket is still draped over my shoulders. Something sharp flashes in his expression before it’s gone, replaced by something else. Something smug.
“You look comfortable,” he muses, swirling his drink. “Maybe a little too comfortable.”
I lift my chin, refusing to react.
Chapter 58
“Why are you here, Victor?” Enzo asks, his voice edged with Impatience.
Victor sighs, setting his glass down on the counter. “What, no warm welcome? No we missed you?” He places a hand over his chest, mock offense dripping from his tone. “You wound me, Enzo.”
Enzo doesn’t blink.
Victor exhales through his nose, shaking his head. “I had business in the city. Thought I’d stop by and check in on my dear stepdaughter.” He turns to me, tilting his head. “Make sure she isn’t getting herself into anything she can’t handle.
My stomach twists.
There it is. The condescension. The subtle dig wrapped In false concern.
“I can handle myself just fine,” I say, keeping my voice even.
Victor hums. “Is that so?” His gaze flickers between the three men standing around me. “Because from where I’m standing. it looks like you’re relying quite heavily on their protection. He leans against the bar, his smirk widening. Tell me, sweetheart. Do they take turns playing bodyguard, or do you have a favorite?”
n stop hi
him.
Matteo moves before I can
He’s across the room in seconds, gripping Victor’s collar, yanking him forward until their noses almost touch.
“You’re pushing it,” Matteo growls, his voice dangerously low.
Victor doesn’t flinch. If anything, he looks amused.
“Careful,” he murmurs. “You don’t want to start a war you can’t win,
Matteo’s grip tightens. The air in the room is thick, charged, like a storm waitin
Then Enzo speaks.
waiting to break.
“Let him go, Matteo. His voice is calm, controlled, but there’s something lethal beneath it.
Matteo’s jaw tics. Then, finally, he shoves Victor back.
Victor smooths out his collar like he’s bored, like none of this matters. “Touchy,” he muses. “I suppose that answers my
question.”
I want to hit him.
I want to wipe that smirk off his face, make him choke on his own arrogance. But I don’t. Because that’s what he wants. A reaction. A weakness.
ol do the only thing I can.
I turn and walk away.
The night air is crisp when I step onto the balcony, my hands gripping the railing as I suck in a breath.
Chapter 58
I hate him. I hate the way he twists things, the way he makes me feel like I don’t belong, like I’m just some naive little girl playing pretend in a world to big for her..
Footsteps. A presence behind me.
turn. I already know who it is.
I don’t turn.
“You shouldn’t let him get
get under your skin,” Enzo says, his voice quiet,
I scoff. “Easy for you to say.”
He steps closer, close enough that I can feel the heat of him at my back. “No, it’s not.”
That makes me pause.
I finally turn, tilting my
mom?”
head up
to meet his gaze. “Do you ever wonder what it would’ve been like if he never married my
Enzo watches me, something unreadable in his eyes. “No,” he says simply. “Because no matter how much I hate him, I can’t regret anything that led to you being here.”
My breath catches.
I look away, swallowing hard, but Enzo isn’t done.
His fingers brush against my chin, tilting my face back up. His touch is featherlight, but it sets my skin on fire.
don’t have to
“You d
prove anything to him,” he murmurs. “Not to Victor. Not to anyone.”
My heart slams against my ribs.
I open my mouth to say something, but before I can, another voice cuts through the quiet.
“Are you
you two going
going to make out, or should I come back later?”
I whip around to find Dante leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, smirking. Matteo stands beside him, looking unimpressed.
“You’re in our bed, princess, Matteo says flatly. “Come inside before I decide to throw you over my shoulder.”
A mix of frustration and something warmer bubbles in my chest. I roll my eyes but move past them, feeling their presence at my back as we head inside.
Victor might think I don’t belong here. That I don’t understand their world.
But he’s wrong.
Because I’m not going anywhere.
