The Price Of His Desire

The Talk

Aria and I walked back into the penthouse. She stopped by the door, her eyes moving slowly around the room as she noticed all our things were packed. The silence between us felt heavy.

I turned to her and pulled her into a hug. She didn’t say anything, but I could feel the sadness in the way she held me back. It hit her then everything she once had was gone. The life we’d built, even if it was temporary, had ended, and the old reality was waiting for us again.

I still hadn’t told her about Alfonso. I only had a few hours left with her before I had to leave for his place.

I let her take a shower and freshen up, then we sat together for breakfast. The food barely mattered. My mind was racing with one thought.

I needed to tell her.

“Are you finally going to tell me how you got me out?” she asked, breaking the silence. Her tone was calm, but her eyes were sharp, watching me closely like she already knew there was more to the story.

So I told her everything. Every detail. I didn’t leave anything out.

As I spoke, I watched her expression shift first surprise, then confusion, then shock, and finally disbelief. By the time I finished, the room had gone completely silent.

She didn’t say a word. She just took a slow sip of her coffee, her eyes fixed on the cup as she played with the handle between her fingers.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” I finally asked, my voice breaking the silence.

She shook her head slowly. “What do you want me to say, Diana? You’ve already made the decision. You signed the contract. I don’t think there’s anything I can say that’ll change that.”

She paused, her gaze dropping for a moment before she looked back up at me. “I’m grateful you got me out. That’s the least I can say.”

She went back to eating like it was nothing. Her reaction confused me, but I didn’t want to push. Clearly she was still processing it. After a moment she chuckled under her breath.

“This is something else. Unbelievable.” She glanced at me, then kept eating as if nothing had happened.

“So this is how it’s going to be?” I asked. She just shook her head again.

“It’s nothing, Diana. I’m just shocked. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m glad you got me out.”

I nodded slowly.

“So he said I could keep the salon and the car, right?” she asked. I nodded.

“That’s great. At least all I have to do is rent a place. I’ll have to crash at Collins until I make some money since my account is gone,” she added.

“I took care of that for you,” I said. “So you don’t have to worry.”

“Really? How?” she asked, her curiosity cutting through the tension.

“I still have my account, so that’s what I used,” I said quietly. The air between us felt heavier, like she was holding something back. It made me uneasy.

She let out a soft sigh, half disbelief, half amusement. “A few days ago, I was the one giving you everything. And now look how the tables have turned. You’re a wife to the man I thought was my boyfriend. Our lives are like a fever dream. Surprising, isn’t it?” She forced a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

I froze, not sure how to respond. My mind went blank, and before I could even process what she’d just said, the doorbell rang. The sound pulled me back to reality, and I immediately knew who it was, the personal assistant Alfonso had told me about.

I’d spoken to her earlier on the phone. She said she’d be coming by to pick me up.

I opened the door for her, and she greeted me with a warm smile as she stepped inside, followed by two guards. We exchanged a quick hug before she spoke.

“Hi, I’m Sarah, Alfonso’s PA. I’m sure you already know,” she said, introducing herself. I smiled and nodded.

I gestured toward my sister. “Sarah, this is my sister, Aria. Aria, this is Sarah.”

Aria hesitated but finally forced a polite smile.

“We need to get going now,” Sarah said. “Alfonso has a flight to catch.”

Behind her, the guards started carrying our luggage out.

“A flight?” I asked, confused.

She nodded. “We’re going back to Rome. There’s an emergency.”

I followed her toward the door, but as we stepped outside, I heard Aria mutter something under her breath that I couldn’t quite catch.

“I’m sorry, she can’t come with us. We’re taking a different route,” Sarah said, glancing at Aria.

My mouth formed an oh as I nodded slowly.

“She’ll have to take her own cab,” Sarah added, already checking her watch.

I wanted to protest, to find a way to go with Aria, but Sarah’s tone made it clear there wasn’t time. She was in a hurry, and I didn’t want to make things harder.

I quickly sent Aria the details of her new apartment, then turned to her. “I guess this is goodbye for now. I wish I could spend more time with you,” I said softly, reaching for a hug.

She only hummed in response, standing stiffly as I wrapped my arms around her. She didn’t hug me back.

That silence said more than words ever could. I knew how Aria was when something bothered her, she held it in until it burned. But whatever it was she felt toward me now was becoming harder to ignore.

She finally pulled away, murmured a quiet goodbye, and turned toward the road. I stood there for a moment, watching her go, before slipping into the car beside Sarah.

We pulled into the private terminal, my pulse started to race. A sleek black jet stood waiting on the runway.

Sarah glanced at me before we stepped out. “He’s not in the best mood,” she said quietly.

My stomach sank. “Why?”

She hesitated, then said, “You’ll see.”

Two guards trailed behind as I followed her toward the plane. Alfonso stood near the stairs, dressed in a dark suit, his phone pressed to his ear. His posture was rigid, the lines of his jaw sharp. Even from a distance, I could feel his irritation in the air.

When his gaze finally found me, the conversation on the phone ended abruptly. He slipped the phone into his pocket and started walking toward us. Every step was deliberate, his expression unreadable but his eyes almost cold.

“You’re late,” he said flatly the moment he reached me.

I opened my mouth, trying to explain, but his voice cut through mine.

“I told Sarah to bring you directly. Do you think I enjoy being kept waiting?”

My throat went dry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

He raised a hand, silencing me. “I don’t want excuses, Diana.” His tone was low but sharp enough to sting. “When I give instructions, I expect them to be followed.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Even the guards kept their heads down, like they’d seen this before.

Sarah stepped forward gently. “There was a bit of delay, sir. I take full responsibility.”

His eyes flicked to her briefly, then back to me. “Get on the plane,” he said, his voice calmer now, but the anger still lingered beneath.

I swallowed hard and walked up the stairs, my heart pounding. I could feel his gaze on me the entire way. Inside, the cabin was beautiful polished wood, cream leather, and the faint scent of expensive cologne.

I still felt uneasy.

When Alfonso finally entered, he didn’t speak right away. He removed his jacket and sat across from me, his eyes on the window. The silence stretched again until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” I said quietly.

He turned his head slightly, his gaze finding mine. “You didn’t upset me,” he said. “You just need to learn that in my world, time is everything.”

He leaned back, watching me for a long moment, his expression softening just slightly. “You’ll understand that soon enough.”

The jet took off, and with it, the last piece of the life I’d known.