The skin under Matteo’s eye twitched.
Jealousy was an ugly green monster, and the words that just left Aiden’s lips were quick to cause it to rear its ugly head within him.
"Believe it or not, sweet brother, I did not and do not want X’el," Aiden continued before flopping down on the couch. "So that ans I know jack shit about your precious company. If you want sothing you can return to in the future, I’ll need Alia to make sure I don’t fuck things up in your presence."
"Have you ever heard not to bring work ho?" Matteo countered.
"Rich, coming from you," Aiden replied with a snort. "Besides, Alia has been on dical leave for the last few days. She hasn’t been at the office. One more day and you can kiss X’el’s stocks goodbye! You’re still a shareholder, last I checked, and that shouldn’t be all too favorable for you."
"dical leave?" Matteo asked, looking at Alia. She had been sick. But had it persisted for so long that she hadn’t been back at the office since he was replaced by Aiden?
"A stomach bug, she claims," Aiden said, peeping at Alia from the corner of his eyes.
When Alia frowned, Aiden shook his head and jumped back up to his feet. He made his way over to Matteo and tried to sling an arm over his shoulder, only for the latter to shrug his touch away.
"Is there anything you’re here for? Missed Alia too much? Here to escape from Emline?" Then, Aiden’s eyes widened as he dramatically gasped. "Speaking of which, how’s your dinner with her? Was she as pleasant as you thought she’d be?"
"Every bit as pleasant," Matteo said sarcastically. If there was one thing they could bond over, it would surely be of their mutual dislike for Emline Hawthorne.
"I bet she tried to show off her baby bump as though she’s about to birth the next ssiah," Aiden said with a chuckle. "Just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. What a joke. She’s flaunting the belly like it’s her ticket to heaven."
Aiden’s gaze montarily flitted over to Alia, watching her with interest as her hand slowly and subtly moved down to cover her belly. Her eyes were not looking in their direction. Instead, they were glued to the floor, studying the tiles of Isaac’s ho with great intent.
The corner of Aiden’s lip raised just the slightest bit before he looked back at Matteo, his movents flawlessly natural.
"I got to say though, thank you very much, darling brother. You’ve saved from a death sentence!" Seeing as how Matteo had refused his touch, Aiden simply sauntered over to the kitchen counter and poured himself a glass of water.
He chugged the drink down, sighing loudly in satisfaction once he emptied the glass. As he poured himself another, he asked, "So when’s the wedding?"
"There is no wedding," Matteo said. "I am not marrying that woman."
"Sha," Aiden said with a shrug as he brought the glass to his lips. "Can’t bla you though. No one wants to marry her. But if not you, it would be , so don’t bla for hoping there’s an unlucky sod who will be the scapegoat."
Casually, Aiden turned to Alia. She had remained silent throughout their entire conversation, lost in her own thoughts. When Aiden suddenly called her na, she jumped.
"Alia?"
Her eyes widened as she finally raised her gaze from the floor to Aiden. When she realized both n were watching her, she straightened.
"If you’re still feeling under the weather, you can have so rest," Aiden suggested. "I’ll keep my brother company."
"There’s no need for that," Matteo said. "I was just leaving."
Matteo then turned to Alia, taking a step closer to her. She automatically leaned further into his touch, her eyes fluttering shut when his hands cupped her cheeks. The palms of his hands were warm and comforting, and Alia tried to morize every bit of his touch just in case she would be ripped away from it again.
"Maybe we should go to the hospital," Matteo suggested, his voice softer than when he spoke to Aiden. "If you’ve been feeling unwell for the last few days, it might be a sign of sothing more serious. Co, I’ll drive―"
"No, no," Alia insisted. She reached up and held Matteo’s hand tightly. "I’m fine. I’ll be fine very soon. It will pass."
"Are you sure?" Matteo asked. "If you’re worried about the paparazzi, there’s really nothing to fret about. I’ve cut ties with them. Whatever the tabloids post will not―"
"You’ve what?!" Aiden suddenly cut in, his voice high-pitched enough to be considered a screech.
Reluctantly, Matteo tore his gaze away from Alia to look at his brother.
"You’ll probably hear from your mother soon," Matteo calmly said. That was all the confirmation he offered Aiden before he turned to Alia. "At least let bring you to your room."
Alia weakly nodded. Before she could say anything, Matteo had reached down and carried her into his arms, bridal style. She squealed softly in surprise, hugging him tightly as his scent perfud over her in waves.
Being so close to him was oddly comforting, and Alia felt her stomach churn not in nausea but in relief. Gently, she lay her head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart, the rhythm soothing every uneasy nerve she had in her body.
Matteo cared not for Aiden’s presence. Instead, she followed Alia’s directions and brought her back to her bedroom, locking the door shut behind them.
Once they were in the room, they heard the front door open and close again very soon after. Aiden had left the house again, leaving the space entirely to themselves.
"I should go," Matteo said as he gently lowered her back onto the bed. However, his words left his throat in a hoarse manner, grating and irritating to even his own ears. He wanted nothing more than to stay in Alia’s arms forever.
"Wait," Alia said, clinging to the collar of Matteo’s shirt. "Could you stay with ? Just a little more?"
She looked up at him with wide eyes, doe and bright, slightly red around the corners and welled with tears. Her lips were pouted, the pink color incredibly enticing in the dim lighting of the room. The sun had long set, and with the lights in her room still switched off, all that was left to aid her view was the silvery moonlight that stread in through the cracks of her curtains.
Alia reached up and gently traced the outline of Matteo’s face.
"Alia..." Her na left his lips in a low growl― a desperate attempt to control himself. "You need to rest. You’re not feeling well."
"How can I be when I’ve been away from you for so long?" Alia asked softly. "We’ve only just found each other again."
Matteo pursed his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing harshly as he tried to curb himself.
"Matteo, I’ve missed you," Alia said. "Don’t you miss too―"
Her words were quickly sealed off with a feverish, hungry kiss.
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