Chapter 7
Arlas’s POV
I froze.
There were two of them.
Matteo. And another version of him.
My brain short–circuited as I stared at them, standing near the entrance of the florist shop like they had just walked off the cover of some ridiculous billionaire magazine. Matteo was already overwhelming enough on his own, but now there were two of him? My stomach flipped, and my hands tightened around the bouquet I’d been inspecting, crumpling the delicate petals.
“Aria,” Gloria hissed in my ear. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
I couldn’t respond. My throat was dry, and my heart was beating way too fast. Matteo was staring right at me, his lips twitching like he was amused by my reaction. And the other man–the one who looked just like him but somehow different -was studying me with sharp, piercing blue eyes that sent a shiver down my spine.
Matteo was all arrogant smirks and teasing eyes, but this man? He felt…dangerous. Controlled. Like he could destroy someone with a single look.
My mouth finally remembered how to function. “You-” I swallowed. “You have a twin?”
Matteo chuckled, stepping closer. “And here I thought I was unforgettable.”
I scowled, ignoring the way my pulse jumped at his voice. “You didn’t mention you had a clone.”
The twin raised a perfectly groomed brow. “I assure you, we are not clones.”
His voice was deeper than Matteo’s, smoother, like expensive whiskey poured over ice. It sent an unfamiliar thrill through my chest.
Gloria, who had been weirdly silent this whole time, suddenly grabbed my arm. “Okay, I need someone to explain why there are two of you before my brain explodes.”
Matteo finally sighed, placing a hand on his twin’s shoulder. “Aria,meet my brother–Enzo.”
Enzo. Even his name sounded like power.
I swallowed, finally taking him in properly. He was tall–really tall–probably around 6’4, with broad shoulders and a body built for commanding a room. Unlike Matteo, who dressed in a way that screamed “effortlessly cool,” Enzo looked like he had stepped straight out of a high–stakes business meeting. A black tailored suit hugged his powerful frame, crisp and without a wrinkle. The platinum watch on his wrist gleamed under the soft lighting of the shop, and a small scar near his eyebrow only added to the sharp, almost intimidating aura he carried.
But it was his eyes that got me the most. Icy blue, intense, unreadable. While Matteo’s gaze was playful and full of mischief, Enzo’s was calculating, like he was assessing my every move.
He was…beautiful. In a terrifying way.
1/3
Chapter 7
Enzo tilted his head slightly, like he was amused by whatever reaction I was falling to hide. Interesting.
I bristled, “What is?”
“You.”
My spine went stiff. “Excuse me?”
He didn’t elaborate. He just studied me for another long, excruciating second before finally turning to Matteo. “We need to go. Now.”
Matteo sighed, clearly annoyed. “You ruin all my fun, you know that?”
Enzo ignored him. His eyes flickered back to me one last time, then–without another word–he turned and strode toward the exit. The man moved with purpose, like every step was calculated. The moment he left, it was like the air in the shop shifted, no longer heavy with his overwhelming presence.
I released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Matteo, on the other hand, looked far too amused. “I think he likes you.”
I scoffed. “That was him liking me? What does he do when he hates someone? Set them on fire with his mind?”
Matteo chuckled, leaning in just a little closer, his voice dropping. “Maybe. Guess you’ll have to find out.”
Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. I hated that he had this effect on me. Matteo was trouble wrapped in a perfect, annoyingly handsome package.
Gloria, of course, was having the time of her life. “So let me get this straight–you’ve been secretly pining over this guy for weeks, and now he has a rich, powerful twin? Aria, this is romance novel material.”
I groaned. “I am not pining.”
Matteo smirked. “Could’ve fooled me, little star.”
My stomach flipped at the nickname, but I forced myself to roll my eyes instead. “Aren’t you late for something?”
Matteo sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, yes. But don’t worry, Aria.” His smirk deepened. “I’ll see you soon.”
And with that, he was gone.
I stood there, staring at the empty space where he had been, my heart still thundering in my
chest.
Gloria elbowed me. “Yup. You’re doomed.”
I had a terrible feeling she was right.
