167
Gianna’s POV
I wasn’t sure when the shift began—when Matteo’s steady presence stopped feeling like a burden I had to bear and started to feel like something I relied on. But as I sat in my office, staring at the flowers someone had sent over after a successful deal, the thought hit me like a punch to the chest.
He’d been patient. Too patient, if I were honest.
I pushed back my chair and stood, pacing the length of the office. The blooms on my desk taunted me, bright and celebratory. They were from a client, a token of gratitude for all the work I’d done to close a deal. But the truth was, Matteo had done just as much.
More, maybe. Truth be told, he was the one who closed the deal. I was just the figurehead.
A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, strai
