Captured by shadows

The air inside the Corsini estate was thick with tension.

Alessandra sat at the long dining table, her fingers curled around the porcelain cup of espresso she hadn't touched.

Across from her, Luca sat in his usual place, reading the morning paper like nothing had changed.

Like he hadn't practically cornered her last night.

Like he hadn't seen right through her lies.

The silence stretched.

Too long. Too heavy.

And then—

"You should be careful, cara."

Alessandra stiffened.

Luca didn't look up. He turned a page, the rustling sound almost mocking in the quiet room.

She set her cup down. "Careful of what?"

He finally lifted his gaze, dark and unreadable.

"You're playing with fire."

Her heartbeat faltered.

Does he know?

No.

If Luca had proof, he wouldn't be speaking in riddles. He'd strike.

Alessandra forced herself to meet his gaze. "I don't know what you mean."

Luca's lips curved into something cold. "Of course you don't."

The tension between them was suffocating.

She needed to leave.

Needed to be anywhere but here.

Just as she moved to rise, Luca spoke again.

"We're having dinner tonight," he said casually, like it was an afterthought.

She paused. "Dinner?"

He folded the newspaper and set it aside. "With the family. My father is expecting you."

Alessandra's stomach tightened.

Luca's father, Don Riccardo Corsini, was not a man you ignored.

Matteo might have broken away from the Corsini empire, but Riccardo Corsini still pulled the strings behind the scenes.

And if he was calling for a family dinner…

It meant something.

Something dangerous.

Alessandra exhaled. "I'll be there."

Luca nodded, satisfied.

But as she turned to leave, his voice stopped her one last time.

"And Alessandra?"

She stilled.

This time, when he spoke, there was no amusement in his tone.

Just ice.

"Wear something appropriate."

Her pulse skipped.

This wasn't just a dinner.

It was a warning.

A message.

And she was about to walk straight into it.

Villa Rosa

Matteo already knew.

Even before the message reached him, before his sources confirmed it—he knew Riccardo Corsini was summoning Alessandra.

He leaned back in his chair, swirling the glass of whiskey in his hand.

A dinner with the Corsinis?

That wasn't a coincidence.

It was a power move.

Luca had made his first counterstrike.

And Riccardo?

He was testing her.

Matteo's jaw clenched.

Luca was too smart to act impulsively. He wouldn't expose Alessandra outright—not yet.

No.

He'd push her. Corner her. See how much she would break.

Matteo exhaled sharply, setting the glass down with a quiet thud.

If Alessandra thought she could handle Luca's games alone—

She was wrong.

Later That Evening – The Corsini Estate

The dining hall was filled with warm candlelight and the scent of freshly prepared courses.

Alessandra sat beside Luca at the long mahogany table, every fiber of her being on high alert.

Seated at the head was Riccardo Corsini, a man whose mere presence demanded obedience.

The conversation flowed as expected—business, alliances, the usual talks of power and influence.

But underneath it all, something else was brewing.

She felt Luca's presence beside her, steady, watchful.

Felt Riccardo's gaze linger on her a second too long.

And then—

"You've been spending quite a bit of time outside the estate, Alessandra."

Her heart stopped.

The room went silent.

Every pair of eyes was suddenly on her.

Her grip on her fork tightened. Don't react.

She lifted her gaze to Riccardo's. "I wasn't aware my whereabouts needed monitoring."

His lips curved, but there was no warmth.

"Everything inside my house is worth monitoring."

Alessandra smiled, pretending not to feel the blade beneath his words.

"I assure you, Don Riccardo, I have nothing to hide."

The room stilled.

Riccardo studied her, his fingers tapping lightly against the rim of his glass.

Then—

He chuckled.

A deep, knowing sound that made her stomach twist.

"I certainly hope not, cara."

The words weren't a warning.

They were a promise.

She had seconds to mask the tension gripping her spine.

She reached for her wine glass, taking a slow sip—aware of how Luca's fingers drummed lightly against the table.

He wasn't looking at her.

But he was watching.

Measuring.

Waiting.

For what?

For her to slip.

Alessandra set her glass down carefully, her pulse thundering beneath her skin.

If Riccardo suspected anything, she was in more danger than she realized.

And if Luca was the one feeding his father these suspicions?

Then she was already on borrowed time.

---

Across the City – Villa Rosa

Matteo stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, the city lights casting sharp shadows across his face.

His phone buzzed once.

A message.

From one of his men planted at the Corsini estate.

"She's at the dinner. Riccardo is asking questions."

Matteo's grip tightened around his glass.

He should have expected this.

Alessandra had walked into a den of wolves—and she was bleeding.

They weren't going to let her walk away unscathed.

Matteo set his drink down, his mind already calculating his next move.

He couldn't just watch from the sidelines.

Luca was making his move.

Riccardo was circling.

And if Matteo didn't act soon—

Alessandra wouldn't survive the game.