The Price Of His Desire

The Shift

Throughout the ride home Alfonso did not say a word to me. He did not even look in my direction. He sat beside me stiff and silent and his jaw remained clenched the entire time. He was fuming. The tension between us was so thick that it made my skin crawl. I could feel his anger without him speaking and it made my own nerves spin out of control.

I could not even process what had just been revealed to me. It was too much. Too overwhelming. The idea that Aria could go to this extreme was something I never saw coming. Especially when he was the reason she almost went to jail. The reason I am in this position right now.

I started fidgeting with my fingers. Scratching at the surface of my purse. My heart was racing and my chest felt tight. I kept praying that maybe all of this was wrong. That maybe everything said was just a lie. That none of it was true.

When we got back home we barely stayed long. Alfonso gave no attention to Lucia. He simply ordered the helpers to pack our bags immediately. He moved like someone whose patience had finally snapped.

And just like that we were on our way out again.

He told the driver to head straight to the airport.

On the way there he called Sarah and told her to meet us as soon as possible.

I sat quietly the entire time. My mind racing. My body tense. I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side of this flight. But whatever it was I could already feel that this was not just another night. This felt like something was breaking. Something was shifting. Something was about to change.

The flight took off and it was already past midnight. I tried to close my eyes and rest but I could not. My mind refused to settle. My heartbeat was still too loud in my ears.

Sarah shifted closer to me and whispered quietly.

“What happened? Why does he look like he is about to murder someone”

“Aria happened” I said under my breath

That immediately got her attention. Her curiosity sharpened.

“What did she do this time” she asked

“I thought you already knew” I replied, genuinely surprised she was unaware

“She got married to him” I said

Sarah blinked. At first she looked confused. Then the realization snapped into place and her eyes widened.

“To him” she repeated slowly. She sounded like she was talking to herself now

“You mean Matteo” she asked her voice dropping even lower “His nephew”

Her shock was written all over her face. And as I watched her expression shift that was when I understood that even she had not seen this coming.

“That stupid boy” Sarah said which made a small smile crack across my face

“Yeah him. Why would you call him that” I asked

“Because he is a spoiled brat who does not think with his head. I am not surprised he does crazy things like getting married at eighteen without telling anyone. He is plain stupid” she went on and I laughed. The sound loosened the tight knot of nerves in my chest.

“I guess it runs in the family. He learns it from his uncle” I said and she nodded amused

“Your sister I am surprised at her” Sarah said her voice quieter. “Especially after how Alfonso treated her. For her to do this honestly I hope Alfonso does not do something crazy”

We were quiet for a while the airplane hum filling the space between us. I broke the silence.

“He told me he would burn her future to ashes if they ever saw each other again. I do not even know where that leaves me. He has turned cold toward me suddenly” My voice faltered and I felt my eyes sting

“It could be that I might suffer the consequences as well”

Sarah hugged me from behind and murmured that everything would be okay. Her warmth steadied me more than I expected.

We landed after a six hour flight. We took breakfast and got some rest before going to see Aria and Matteo.

Even at the breakfast table Alfonso still did not speak to me. No eye contact. Nothing. The silence was eating me alive. I needed to know why he was giving me this silent treatment.

When he walked into the bedroom of the suite we were staying in I followed him.

He did not even acknowledge that I was standing there behind him but I had to speak up.

“Why are you ignoring me” I asked

He paused for a moment looked at me briefly and went right back to taking out the clothes he planned to wear.

“What have I done this time” I continued. “You just ignore me like I do not exist to you anymore. Or do you think I have something to do with what Aria did Is that why you are acting like this”

“Can you shut the f**k up Diana”

His voice cut sharply through the room and I froze. He had never raised his voice at me like that. I stepped back slightly.

“Do you expect me to believe that you know nothing about this” he said still angry. “I should believe you know nothing about it the same way you and your sister knew nothing when you both used my money”

My breath caught in my chest. The accusation hit me like a slap.

“That was different” I whispered. “I did not know she took that money from you. I would never have agreed to that”

Alfonso laughed under his breath but there was no humour in it. It was cold.

“You keep saying you did not know. You did not know about the money. You did not know about this marriage. You did not know she was seeing Matteo. You never know anything. Convenient”

His voice dropped lower. More controlled. More dangerous.

“I do not like feeling stupid Diana”

The room felt too small. Too heavy. My palms were sweating. I felt like I could not breathe.

I took a slow step toward him.

“I am telling you the truth. I would never betray you like that”

He turned slowly to face me. His eyes were dark unreadable.

“I am going to handle this myself” he said. “No matter how ugly it gets. You will not interfere. You will not speak. And you will not try to stop me”

I swallowed hard.

“Handle it how”

He reached up buttoning the cuffs of his white shirt one by one. Every movement was calm. Calculated. Controlled.

“Get ready. We leave in twenty minutes”

Then he took his watch slid it onto his wrist and stepped past me like I was just an object in the room.

He walked out leaving me standing there alone with my heart pounding and fear slowly crawling up my spine. Because I knew exactly what that meant. He was going to destroy them.

I changed into new clothes and freshened up a little before we went back on the road. My mind would not stay still. I wondered if we were going straight to their house. I wondered what their reaction would be. I wondered what Aria would even say to me. My stomach twisted from agitation.

Sarah did not come with us this time. She stayed behind at the hotel so it was just me and Alfonso alone in the car.

The silence was thick. I stared outside the window as the city blurred past us. My heartbeat would not slow down. All I could think about was the moment we would stand in front of them. The moment I would see Aria again. The moment reality would slap everything into place.

Even though the car was warm my hands were cold.

When I finally dared to glance at Alfonso he was leaning back in his seat one hand on his jaw his eyes focused straight ahead. His expression was unreadable. Completely blank. It was like there was nothing left inside him except calculation.

We moved through the estate houses lined up. My heart slipped a beat every time we passed by thinking it might be their house. We had to go deeper. Then into the woods we heard faint noise coming from there. As we approached the house standing alone on the hill the sound grew louder. People shouting and screaming. It was a party on a Thursday afternoon. That gave it away. It was theirs.

The car reached the gate and it opened by itself. Inside we saw cars parked people in swimwear drinks music everywhere. It was a pool party.

The car parked and Alfonso immediately got out.

Alfonso walked straight into the house. Four guards from the second car followed close behind. I hurried to keep up with them. My stomach twisting tighter with every step.

At the poolside Alfonso lifted his hand once and the guards knew what to do. They shut the music down instantly. Speakers unplugged. Drinks knocked over. People started screaming and running as the guards began clearing everyone out.

Within seconds the pool party turned into chaos.

I searched the thinning crowd for Aria but she was nowhere.

“Matteo” Alfonso shouted his voice cutting through everything

No one answered.

Alfonso headed toward the house and I followed. The music was still playing somewhere inside. Loud heavy bass echoing through the halls. He climbed the staircase with long confident strides. I stayed behind him scared to even breathe wrong.

He pushed doors open one by one.

Empty room.

Then we reached the last one at the end of the hall. The one where the music was loudest.

Alfonso opened the door.

What we saw inside made my heart stop.

Aria and Matteo were on the bed tangled together with two other girls. All four of them naked. Moans. Kissing. Hands everywhere. Sheets twisted bodies pressed into each other completely lost in their own filth.

My breath caught in my throat. My eyes widened. I could not move. I could not process.

Aria froze first. Her head snapped up her lips still on someone elses skin. Matteo turned second. And when they saw who was standing at the door the pleasure on their faces instantly died.

All colour drained from Matteos face.

And Alfonso. He did not blink. He did not look shocked. He just stared. Silent. Cold.

Like the kind of silence that comes before a bullet.