Watching them together. Emma’s laughter, Sophie’s calm, Edward’s steady presence...it all looked like a picture of the life I could never have.
A crazy thought ford before I could stop it.
Maybe Matteo’s deal could change that. Maybe if... I could not complete the thought because it felt too unreal, yet it made total sense.
Without thinking further, I grabbed my phone and typed a ssage.
We need to talk. At my place.
For a mont, I hesitated. Should I really do this? But before I could have second thoughts, my thumb had already hit "send."
Minutes later, my phone buzzed.
Matteo was calling.
I took a deep breath before answering.
"Were you serious?" His voice was low, calm, but there was sothing sharp beneath it.
"Yes," I whispered, my eyes drifting to where Sophie and Edward were showing Emma her closet. "I’m serious. I want to discuss sothing."
There was a pause on his end. I could almost hear the faint sound of him exhaling smoke.
"Fine, I will ssage you when I am free," he said finally.
And then the line went dead.
I lowered the phone slowly, staring at the family scene in front of ...Sophie was kneeling to fix Emma’s dress, Edward teasing her gently, Emma laughing so hard her cheeks turned pink.
They looked perfect. Complete.
And I stood there, right at the edge of it all, smiling faintly while sothing in quietly crumbled.
Because no matter how beautiful that mont was, deep down I knew the truth.
I wasn’t part of it.
Not really.
***
"Is this what you want?" Matteo stared at with those piercing eyes of his, maybe asuring my words.
I nodded as I answered, "It is what I can agree on."
I stared back at him with the sa intensity mixed with worry.
His eyes were cold and deliberate, scanning as if every flicker of my expression was a move in so silent chess ga only he understood.
"It will co under your conditions. That way, it remains within your control... and I will feel a little safer too." I said, finally, my voice steadier than I felt.
Matteo leaned back in the chair, tapping his fingers against the desk in an unhurried rhythm.
The sound was soft, but in that silence, it felt loud enough to echo. His gaze did not waver, just lingered on ...assessing, dissecting, perhaps even trying to figure out what I was not saying aloud.
A few seconds passed before he spoke again, "And Edward?"
His tone was quiet, but there was an edge to it. "Do you think he’ll accept this arrangent? Did you talk to him?"
I froze for a heartbeat.
My throat felt dry, but I quickly masked it.
Matteo noticed everything, even the tiniest twitch could give away. I forced a calm expression, lowering my gaze briefly to the polished wooden desk between us.
"No. Not yet," I admitted softly.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You invited here to discuss a deal that involves him, and his fiancée... without ntioning it to him?"
I inhaled slowly, gathering my thoughts.
"I wanted to discuss it with you first. If you did not agree, there was no point in telling him anything. I did not want to stir confusion for no reason." I explained.
For a long mont, Matteo did not respond. His jaw tightened slightly, the only visible sign that he was thinking. Then, just as abruptly, his expression relaxed again.
"I see...You wanted to make sure the foundation was stable before you brought in the walls. Fair," he said finally, almost under his breath.
A faint smirk touched his lips. It was not mocking, not kind either. Sowhere in between.
I nodded. "Exactly."
He sat up straighter, brushing invisible dust off his cuff. "Alright, let’s hear it, then. Call them in. I want to see how they react." He said, finally.
I blinked. "Now?"
"Yes, now." His tone left no room for debate.
"Okay," I murmured, pushing my chair back. The air between us felt heavier sohow, a mix of authority and tension.
Matteo had a way of making even silence sound like an order.
I stood, smoothing down my blouse, and walked toward the door. My heartbeat was louder than my footsteps.
As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I called out, "Linda!"
Her voice ca faintly from the kitchen, "What?"
I followed the sound and found her standing near the counter, an oven glove on one hand and a spoon in the other, her silver hair tied up in a neat bun.
The sll of roasted garlic and herbs filled the air, warm and familiar.
She squinted at . "Don’t just yell like that, girl. You will make drop the pan. Do you want dinner or not?"
I couldn’t help a tiny laugh, "Sorry, Linda, but I needed to ask sothing important."
"Important? More important than making sure you do not starve tonight?" She raised an eyebrow, mock-serious.
I crossed my arms, "Barely. Have you seen Sophie and Edward anywhere?"
She glanced at over her glasses. "Sophie’s right here, making sure I do not burn down your fancy kitchen. And Edward’s in the garden playing with the little one. The two of them are throwing leaves at each other like they have never seen autumn before."
That made smile despite myself. "Could you call them, please? Tell them to co to the study."
Linda wiped her hands on a towel. "What’s this about?"
"You will know if you stay near the door long enough," I teased.
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, don’t tempt . You forget I raised two sons; I can sll drama before it starts."
"Then maybe close the kitchen door. You will be safer that way." I said dryly.
She chuckled that throaty, amused laugh that sohow made everything less heavy. "You are getting sassier every day, Elena. I bla that man of yours."
"He’s not my ma..." I started, then stopped myself. "Never mind. Just call them, please."
"Fine, fine, but don’t co crying to later if it turns into a soap opera," she muttered, waving her spoon like a sword.
Her tone made laugh again...a sound I did not realize I had missed.
As I turned to leave, I caught her muttering sothing under her breath about "rich people and their dramatic timing."
It made grin, even though my stomach was already twisting with nervousness.
The truth was, Linda had been a blessing.
When I first realized I needed staff, people I could actually trust, she was the first person who ca to mind.
I still had her number from the ti I had lived at Davis’s apartnt. Back then, she had worked there part-ti, keeping the place running smoothly when everything else in my life was chaos.
When I called her, she was shocked to hear from .
Her voice had cracked a little when she told that Davis had sold the apartnt and laid her off, though he had given her a large settlent.
"But money doesn’t cook als," she had said wryly, "and it surely does not keep busy."
That’s when I offered her the job, to co work here, full-ti, with her husband if she wanted.
She hesitated at first, then laughed softly, saying, "You sure you want an old lady bossing you around in a mansion?"
I told her that’s exactly why I wanted her.
And true to form, she joined the very next day, moving in with her husband, who spent his ti happily tending to the garden.
She had also helped hire part-ti staff for cleaning, maintenance, and groceries, saving from countless headaches.
Now, the mansion didn’t feel empty anymore.
Linda’s sarcastic comnts filled the air just enough to make it feel alive again.
I waited near the study door as her voice called out down the hallway.
"Sophie! Edward! Elena wants you both in the study!"
There was a bit of shuffling, a faint sound of Emma giggling, and then a man’s voice...Edward’s voice said sothing about finishing their ga later.
A few minutes later, Sophie appeared first, wiping her hands on a dish towel, her brow slightly furrowed.
Edward followed soon after, his sleeves rolled up and a faint trace of grass on his jeans. They exchanged a glance before turning to .
"What’s going on?" Sophie asked, curiosity laced with concern.
I gestured toward the door. "Co inside. There’s sothing important we need to discuss."
They both hesitated but eventually followed into the study. The heavy door closed behind them with a soft click.
The atmosphere in the room changed imdiately.
Matteo was sitting on the edge of the desk, his arms folded loosely, eyes sharp as ever. His presence filled the space in a way that made it impossible to ignore him...calm, controlled, but unmistakably dominant.
Sophie stiffened slightly at the sight of him, while Edward’s expression turned cautious.
I took a deep breath, my fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve.
"I know this is sudden, but there’s sothing we all need to talk about," I began, forcing my tone to stay even.
Neither of them said anything.
Sophie’s gaze flicked between and Matteo, confusion slowly creeping into her eyes.
Edward’s jaw tightened ever so slightly, which was a quiet signal that he was bracing himself for whatever was coming next.
I glanced at Matteo. He was still watching , waiting.
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