Captured by shadows

Alessandra stood outside Villa Rosa, her heart pounding so loud she could hear it in her ears.

The private estate overlooked the sea, its towering walls laced with climbing vines and flickering lanterns. It was nothing like the cold, pristine halls of the Corsini estate.

This was Matteo's world.

And she was about to step into it.

She tightened her grip on the coat wrapped around her shoulders. The drive here had been a blur—one moment, she was staring at her reflection in the mirror, and the next, she was in the back of a black car, her driver wordlessly following the coordinates she had given.

No guards. No security detail.

Just her.

And Matteo.

She lifted her hand to knock, but the door swung open before she could.

He was already waiting.

Matteo leaned against the frame, arms crossed, his sharp blue eyes scanning her in that slow, unhurried way that made her feel like he was peeling back every layer of her hesitation.

"You came." His voice was deep, satisfied.

Alessandra exhaled. "You told me to."

His lips twitched. "And you always do what you're told?"

No.

But with him, she wasn't sure anymore.

Matteo reached for her wrist, his grip firm but unthreatening, and pulled her inside. The door shut behind them with a quiet click.

No going back.

She stood in his dimly lit living room, taking in the scent of leather, expensive whiskey, and something distinctly Matteo.

Then—

His hands were on her coat.

Slowly, he pushed it off her shoulders, letting it pool onto the floor.

Alessandra sucked in a breath as his fingers skimmed over her arms, the touch barely there but enough to set every nerve in her body on fire.

"You're nervous," he murmured.

"I should be."

Matteo's gaze flickered to her lips. "Are you afraid of me?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then what is it?"

She swallowed hard. "You."

For a moment, something shifted in his expression. Something dangerous.

Then—

He moved.

Fast.

His hands caught her waist, fingers digging in just enough to make her gasp, and then—he had her backed against the wall.

"Say it again." His voice was nothing more than a whisper, his breath hot against her skin.

Her pulse raced. "You."

Matteo let out a low, dark chuckle. "You have no idea what you've just done, Alessandra."

And then—

His lips were on hers.

Hard. Demanding. Consuming.

She barely had time to react before he deepened the kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her closer, as if he could brand her with his touch.

She should stop this.

She should push him away.

But all she could do was drown in him.

Drown in the fire.

The heat.

The madness of choosing Matteo over everything she had ever known.

But then—

A sharp, sudden noise cut through the air.

A phone.

Matteo's phone.

He pulled back just enough to reach into his pocket, jaw tight.

Alessandra was still breathless, dazed, undone.

Then she saw the name flashing on the screen.

Luca.

Her stomach twisted.

Matteo exhaled through his nose, gripping the phone so hard she thought he might crush it.

Alessandra's voice came out strained. "You should answer."

He didn't.

Instead, he stared at her—long, hard, unreadable.

Then, with slow, deliberate movements, he tossed the phone onto the table.

The ringing stopped.

Silence.

A choice had been made.

And Alessandra knew, in that moment, there was no undoing it.

The sun had barely risen when Alessandra left Villa Rosa.

Even though that night it was only a passionate kiss that they shared he had insisted she stayed the night for safety reasons.

Matteo had insisted on driving her back himself—an unspoken warning that she belonged to him now.

But as the Corsini estate came into view, her stomach knotted.

She stepped inside carefully, trying to move unnoticed, but—

"Where were you?"

Luca's voice was calm. Too calm.

Alessandra turned.

He stood at the base of the staircase, his suit crisp, his dark eyes unreadable.

She forced a smile. "I went out for some air."

Luca tilted his head, watching her.

Then—

"You were with Matteo, weren't you?"

Her heart nearly stopped.

She had always known Luca was sharp, but this—this was dangerous.

Alessandra inhaled. "Why would you say that?"

He stepped closer.

"I called him." His voice remained even. "He didn't pick up."

Alessandra willed herself to stay calm. "And that means I was with him?"

Luca's jaw ticked.

She had to be careful.

Because Matteo might have stolen her away for a night—but Luca wasn't letting go that easily.