Page 105 of The Strength Of A Woman

Luckily, I fell asleep and felt better in the morning.

I put on some nice clothes, a summer dress and a cropped sweater, brushed my hair, and walked into the dining room, bracing myself for the worst.

The room was empty, yet breakfast was on the table. Brioche with granita.

Someone must’ve ordered it from me. And then my favorites: eggs, toast, fruit, and coffee.

No one came to talk to me, and I was hungry, so I sat at the table and ate.

The food was warm, and everything was fresh.

Someone had put some thought into what I wanted to eat for breakfast.

The fresh flowers in the vase were a nice touch, too.

If I didn’t know that there wasn’t a woman in the house, I would’ve thought that Nona herself had set the table. Or someone like her.

Before long, the stairs creaked, but I knew it wasn’t him, so I had mixed feelings about the person about to enter the room.

Seeing Cosimo in the doorway brought me relief. He seemed casual, even in a good mood.

That’s when he told me that he had been tasked with helping me move to a different place.

I stared at him with worry.

“No need to be concerned. He’s in town, and you’re leaving with him,” he said.

An hour later, I had my suitcases packed up and was nibbling on a pastry when the man of the house made an entrance.

Like Cosimo, he was in a good mood.

“Ready?” he asked with a smile and even left a kiss on my cheek.

In front of Cosimo?

I couldn’t believe it.

My cheeks were flushed while Cosimo pretended that he hadn’t seen his boss doing that.

He picked up my suitcase and headed out while Callum searched my eyes and ran the back of his fingers along my cheek.

“Everything all right?” he asked, and I nodded repeatedly, unable to utter a word. “Did you sleep well?” he also asked, and I nodded again.

“How about you?” I managed to ask, and he flashed a smile before inviting me out.

“It was all right,” he said.

With that, our conversation ended.

He later hinted that we were forced to move outside the town. For my safety, he added.

I thought we’d live in one of those secret houses––those dark, covered-in-mold places you hide in from your enemies, or the long arm of the law.

I never imagined he would bring me here.

This place is amazing.

What’s more amazing is that I’m with him.