Her eyes flick to Moreno, then back to me. “Please, I can explain?—”
“Outside,” I repeat, harder this time.
The room goes very still.
For a second, I think she might argue. Instead, her mouth trembles. She bends quickly, scoops Nori into her arms, and nods once, like she’s bracing herself against something breaking.
“Okay,” she says quietly.
She turns and leaves without another word, Wasabi darting after her like a loyal shadow. The sound of her footsteps fades down the corridor, each one landing heavier than the last.
The door closes.
Silence settles, thick and suffocating.
“There was no need for that,” Moreno says gently.
I don’t turn around. My hands are clenched so tight my knuckles ache.
“She wasn’t supposed to be here,” I say. “This wing is off-limits.”
“She followed two rowdy cats having a chase,” my father replies mildly. “And behaved with more courtesy than most men who’ve stood in this room.”
I finally face him. “You don’t understand.”
“Oh, I understand very well,” Moreno says. His voice stays calm, but there’s steel beneath it. “You think you’re protecting her by keeping her in the dark. By keepingyourselfhidden.”
I shake my head. “She doesn’t need to see this. She doesn’t need to see me like this.”
“There can’t be love without honesty,” he says simply. “And there can’t be honesty if you treat your own heart like a liability.”
The wordlovehits too close.
“I’m not here to discuss philosophy,” I snap. “I’m here to make sure you’re not disturbed.”
Moreno studies me for a long moment. “You look disturbed enough for the both of us.”
I don’t answer.
Because if I do, I might admit the truth—that seeing Rose in this room terrified me more than any enemy ever has. That for a moment, I imagined losing her the way I lost Marco. That the fear drove the anger, and the anger came out sharp and cruel.
I straighten, forcing my face back into something hard and controlled. “Get some rest,” I say. “I’ll have someone check on you later.”
He sighs softly, disappointed but unsurprised. “You can build walls all you want, Matteo,” he says. “Just don’t pretend you don’t know what they cost.”
I leave before he can say anything else.
Out in the corridor, the house feels colder.
I find her near the steps in the garden, standing too still, arms wrapped around herself like she’s trying to hold something together.
“Rose.”
She turns at the sound of my voice, eyes already bright. “Matteo, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cross any lines, I swear, I just?—”
“I’m moving you,” I cut in.
The words land between us, heavy and final. “You’ll be transferred to my penthouse in Brooklyn. Tonight.”
