The Price Of His Desire

The Ghost Returns

The day dragged on unbearably after everything with Georgina. I couldn’t handle it. The secrets, the lies, and somehow being pulled into the middle of it all felt suffocating. Alfonso’s entire personality was wrapped in shadows, in something dark I couldn’t quite understand.

There was no way I was going to trust someone like Georgina. How could I trust a woman who faked her death, vanished for two years, and suddenly reappeared the moment I married Alfonso? Nothing about her felt right. Every part of me knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

I needed to talk to Alfonso. I needed him to open up. Why would she accuse him of being the reason she faked her own death?

“What did you want to talk about?” Alfonso asked, his gaze fixed on me as he stood before me.

I had been waiting downstairs, and as soon as he appeared, I told him I wanted to speak with him after he kissed me on the cheek. I didn’t give him a moment to relax.

I hesitated, unsure how to start.

“Maybe you should sit down first,” I suggested.

He shook his head. “It’s best if I stand. Whatever it is, it seems very important, so tell me.” His tone was firm, commanding.

“I don’t know how this is going to sound, but it’s about Georgina.”

The moment I said her name, his expression darkened. He stepped back, running his hands through his hair, visibly annoyed.

“What did I tell you about my family? Didn’t I tell you to stay out of it?” he snapped.

“Please… just listen,” I pleaded, my voice trembling despite my best effort to stay calm. “It’s important this is exactly why I asked you to sit!” My hands fisted at my sides, desperate to make him understand.

He cut me off, raising his voice. “What did Paulo tell you? What is there to know about Georgina? This is all him, right? Didn’t I warn you to stay the hell away from him?”

His words sent shivers down my spine. This was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to tell him in the first place.

“It has nothing to do with him. He didn’t tell me anything,” I tried to explain, but he only clenched his jaw, irritation clear in his sharp features.

“Then there’s nothing to talk about, and that’s final, Diana. Don’t be stubborn.” His voice cut like ice. I closed my eyes, frustrated and helpless, as he turned and walked out, leaving no room for response.

Just as I expected, he shut it down. I knew he thought it didn’t concern me, but he wouldn’t listen. He was the only person I could talk to about this. Going to Paulo would only make things worse, especially since Alfonso had warned me to stay away from him.

Now I had one last option. If I wanted a clear conscience, if I wanted to know whether Georgina was telling the truth, I had to face her myself.

I picked up my phone and called the number she had used earlier. She answered immediately.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“How do I even know you won’t do anything to me if we meet tomorrow?” I asked, my nerves tight in my chest.

“I promise, Diana. I need your help. Why would I want to hurt you?” she pleaded.

“Where and how do we meet?” I asked, pacing the room.

“There’s a café not far from your house. You just have to come alone. I’ll send the details later,” she replied before hanging up.

Part of me knew what I was doing was wrong. I should have listened to Alfonso and stayed away, but this was out of my control. A girl who was supposed to be dead had not only contacted me but followed me. I deserved to know why she was interested in me.

My phone buzzed. I snatched it up with shaking hands. Georgina had sent the details. My stomach twisted into knots, this was really happening. I stared at the screen, my mind racing with every terrifying possibility.

The real problem now was figuring out how to convince Alfonso’s guard not to follow me tomorrow. He had strict orders never to let me out of sight if I stepped outside. I would have to find a way.

Sleeping became nearly impossible that night, but eventually exhaustion dragged me under. Morning arrived too quickly.

Alfonso was back to being silent and distant, just like he had been during the Aria situation. I didn’t want to talk to him either. He never seemed to care to listen.

I went about my usual routine, grateful I didn’t have to deal with Lucia, who had gone back to England for now. Paulo and Nonna were at the hospital with Ada, leaving the house almost empty.

I kept glancing through the window, planning how I would leave without drawing attention.

I changed into joggers and a hoodie, then stepped out. Two guards followed immediately. I turned, meeting their stern gazes.

“I just want to go out for a walk. There’s a pharmacy a little way from here. I need to grab something,” I said softly.

“I hoped you’d let me go alone for once. Just to feel like a normal person. Please.” I looked between them, pleading silently.

They whispered briefly before finally nodding.

“You have thirty minutes,” one said, his deep voice heavy with accent.

That was all I needed.

I walked straight out of the gate, heading to the café, following the directions on my watch. My heart tightened the moment I reached it. I walked in slowly, scanning the room until a hand rose from a booth in the far corner. For a second, my pulse stopped entirely.

It was her.

She was fully covered in a hoodie, oversized shades hiding most of her face. The kind of outfit someone wears when they don’t want the world to see them. My stomach twisted.

I hurried over and sat down. My hands trembled, my heart refusing to calm. It felt impossible that any of this was real. My life felt unreal lately.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips, her voice calm but edged with something dangerous.

I raised a brow, disbelief tightening my chest. She was supposed to be dead. All of this shouldn’t be real.

“Would you like anything?” she asked, still leaning back, her oversized shades hiding her eyes, but I could feel her studying me, measuring me.

I shook my head, my hands trembling slightly.

“I have less than thirty minutes. Make it quick. What do you want?” I snapped, though my voice betrayed my fear.

She leaned forward, voice dropping to a soft, intense whisper. “Where do I even start…? I need you to help me meet Paulo. You’re the only one who can get through to him. If he sees me without warning… it could get ugly. Dangerous. And I can’t afford that.”

“And why would I help you? What makes you think Paulo and I are even close?” I asked.

“I’ve seen you two together, having lunch. Trust me, I know him. He’ll listen,” she said.

I didn’t agree, but I needed answers especially after what she claimed about Alfonso forcing her to fake her own death.

“It’s a long story, Diana. But I can tell you this never trust Alfonso,” she said, her voice soft, but her gaze sharp behind the tinted shades.

I didn’t want to believe her. Part of what she said echoed my own fears. I didn’t trust Alfonso fully, not in the way he probably wanted.

“What makes you think I’ll believe anything from someone who faked her own death?” I asked.

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. “Do you want him to do to Aria what he did to me? Or worse, do you want her to actually lose her life?”

My eyes widened at the thought.

“How did you even know about Aria?” I asked, my voice barely steady.

“I told you, Diana… I know more about you than you think.” A small smile curved her lips. “I’m not actually a ghost. Don’t panic. Matteo told me.”

My mind froze. Everything she said felt too heavy, too tangled, too targeted.

“How did—” I began, but she cut in smoothly.

“You mean Matteo? He’s my nephew. That’s how.”

I blinked. “Your nephew? I thought he was supposed to be Alfonso’s.”

She shook her head. “Matteo is my brother’s son. Ezra, Alfonso’s best friend.”

Confusion and shock twisted together in my mind. Matteo knowing she wasn’t dead. Matteo speaking to her. Alfonso not being blood-related to Matteo but his best friend’s son. Ezra, who apparently died in the same plane crash as Georgina. Was any of it real?

My thoughts spun uncontrollably. The more I tried to piece it together, the darker everything became. This family was a maze of secrets, and somehow I was being dragged deeper with every step. And Aria God, I just hoped wherever she was, she was safe.