But my mind wanders to why he is here so early in the morning.
He doesn’t live here.This is her place, so why… no…
I don’t want to confirm what my mind is trying to imply.
But I can’t help thinkingit. And it brings to life a green, possessive monster that roars loudly in the middle of my chest.
She doesn’t belong to him.
Nor does she belong to you,my internal voice snaps back.
“You forgot your file,” she says quietly, offering him the black folder without looking away from Giacomo.
“I get so caught up with you,cara mia, that I forget things.”
Giacomo steps in, draping an arm toward her shoulders, a public claim more than affection.
Beatrice shifts just slightly—graceful, controlled—and his arm lands a fraction short of where he meant it to.
Not a rejection anyoneelse would notice.
But I do.
Her smile stays polished and empty, the kind worn for appearances, not emotion.
“Grazie, amore mio,” he says, offering his cheek as if expecting a kiss in return.
She doesn’t move. Not an inch.
After a beat, he laughs it off and pats her arm instead, a clumsy attempt at affection that looks more staged than sincere.
Beatrice stands perfectly still, offering him nothing.
Weird asshole.
Her cheeks flush—not from affection, but from sheer embarrassment at the spectacle he just made.
She murmurssomething low under her breath, barely audible even to him, then excuses herself quickly and slips away.
Not once did she look my way, though she is all I could focus on.
“Hell of a view, isn’t it?” Giacomo breaks the tension. “You can admire all you want, Matteo. But she belongs to me.”
I don’t answer. I simply look him up and down before making my way to the elevator. I make sure to shut the door quickly so he doesn’t get the chance to step inside and antagonize me even more.
One interaction with Giacomo is enough to last me a lifetime.
“Fuckkkk,” I curse in the small space. “I could kill him.”
I don’t like this dynamic between the two of them.
He is not a good man,and she deserves more. Even more than my own tainted soul can offer.
But I’m a selfish bastard, and I can’t seem to let her go.
It doesn’t matter. I am a patient man, and in time I know she will be mine. I just need to wait, hold the line until she’s ready for that.
After a grueling shift at the warehouse and a few interrogations, I make it back home in time for lunch. I’m tempted to invite her over, to break the ice, but I don’t.
