Allesio’s POV
Rosa sat across from me in the library, on the leather sofa, her legs curled under her, a glass of whiskey in her hand. The amber liquid caught the dim light, glowing faintly as she turned it in slow circles. Her hair was loose tonight, falling in soft waves over her shoulders, and the sharpness that usually defined her was muted. Relaxed. Open.
Too open.
“Do you know why my family has lasted this long?” she asked, her voice steady but low, as if she were letting me in on a secret she hadn’t fully decided I was worthy of yet.
I tilted my head, playing the part of the attentive confidant. “I’d guess it has something to do with you.”
She smiled, faint and fleeting, then shook her head. “My father, actually. He’s… ruthless in ways most people can’t even begin to understand
