Too much space.
I barely see him anymore. We no longer share breakfast like we used to, and dinner has become a lonely affair where I sit at the long table with just Sienna, wondering if he’s eating in his office or not eating at all.
The house feels different now, quieter, heavier, like a storm cloud has settled over everything. Even the staff move more carefully, as if they can sense the tension between us.
I miss him. I miss him so much it aches.
At night, I lie in this big bed alone, reaching for the empty side where he used to pull me against his chest.
I miss his warmth, his low voice murmuring against my hair, the way he’d kiss my forehead before I fell asleep. I miss talking to him.
But I also need this space. I need time to think. I need to figure out if I can trust what I feel for him, or if I’m just terrified of going back to the life I knew before.
Terrified of ending up with someone like Gallo. Terrified of hoping for something real and getting my heart shattered.
During the day, I spend most of my time with Sienna. She’s still grieving Domenico. She’s trying so hard to be strong, but I see the emptiness in her eyes.
So I smile for her. I sit with her in the garden and talk about silly things, books, movies, anything that isn’t our father or the mess we’re in.
When she noticed I wasn’t wearing the engagement ring anymore, she asked about it. I simply told her I gave it back to Nico and that I didn’t want to talk about it. She’s already carrying enough pain. I won’t burden her with mine.
But the distance between Nico and me feels so wrong.
I was walking back from Sienna’s room this morning, when I saw him in the hallway. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, hair messy like he’d been running his hands through it for hours.
We both stopped at the same time, staring at each other in the dim light.
Neither of us moved. The air between us felt thick with everything we weren’t saying.
Finally, his voice came out low and rough. “Are you alright?”
The concern in his tone nearly broke me. I wanted to run into his arms. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him. Instead, I just nodded.
He lingered for another second, like he was fighting the urge to come closer, then stepped aside to let me pass. I walked by him, my heart screaming at me to stop, but I kept going.
Now it’s late again and sleep still won’t come.
I throw the covers off and slip out of bed. I pull on a robe and head downstairs, needing air.
The garden is quiet under the moonlight as I step outside, the cool night breeze brushing against my skin. I walk slowly along the path, arms wrapped around myself, trying to sort through the storm in my chest.
I pause when I hear footsteps behind me.
“Miss Eleonora?”
I turn to find Daniel standing a few feet away, half-hidden in the shadows.
Confusion hits me first. “Daniel? What are you doing here? I thought you no longer work at the house?”
That was what Nico told me after he introduced me to my new body guard. Even though he didn't tell me why. Another decision he made for me.
“I was reassigned to perimeter security,” he says quickly, stepping closer. He’s wearing a hoodie and combat pants, which isn’t the usual uniform for guards on duty.
“Oh okay. I was just taking a walk.”
There’s something about his presence that unsettles me. Perhaps I should just head back inside.
“I'm afraid you need to come with me,” he says, his voice filled with concern.
