Chapter 79 THE MONSTER.
\~~~RAINA.
I waved one last time at Alessia as she leaned against her car, her smile fading as she slipped inside and drove off.
I turned and walked back onto the property, but instead of heading straight to the house, I headed toward the backyard. My chest was heavy and weighed down by everything Alessia had told me. I needed to clear my head, and seeing Luciano right now would only make it worse. He was part of the mess, even if he didn't know it.
The path to the backyard wound through a neatly trimmed garden, lined with tall hedges that blocked the view from the street. I pushed open a small gate, and there it was, the swimming pool. It slowly came into view, its surface still under the soft glow of the garden lights. It was massive, and easily twice the size of any normal backyard pool I'd seen before.
The water stretched out like a small lake, with clean lines marking lanes for swimming and a deep end that dropped off sharply into shadows. Lights from below made it shimmer invitingly, but to me, it looked endless and scary. The edges were tiled in smooth blue stone that reflected the light, and there were lounge chairs arranged around it, empty now in the cooling air.
I stopped a few feet away, staring at it. My heart started racing, and pounding hard in my ears.
God knows I wasn't a fan of water at all. My business with water ended in the bathroom, and that fear had started when I was very young.
I'd fallen into a neighbor's pool during a family gathering, slipped right in while chasing a ball, gone under, and panicked until my dad pulled me out. The water had closed over my head so fast, filling my nose and mouth, and making everything dark and muffled.
I still remember thrashing, and the way my lungs burnt, and the terror that I wouldn't make it back up. Since then, open water like this has made my stomach twist into knots.
Pools, lakes, and even the ocean all felt like traps waiting to swallow me whole.
But something drew me closer anyway. Maybe it was the need to face it head-on, or just the quiet of the night pulling me in. I walked slowly toward the edge, my shoes scraping lightly on the stone tiles. The air grew cooler near the water, carrying a faint chlorine scent that stung my nose. I sat down carefully by the side, letting my legs dangle over. The water lapped at my ankles, cold and gentle, sending a shiver up my spine and I breathed out slowly, trying to calm the flutter in my chest.
The surface rippled slightly from my movement, and small waves spread out like echoes of my thoughts.
"He sure is so rich," I muttered to myself, glancing at the huge pool again.
Who built something this big just for their backyard? It had to cost a fortune.
Luciano's wealth was on full display here, another reminder that my world was nothing compared to his.
I sat there, lost in my thoughts while Alessia's words kept replaying in my head.
Then, suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder and I flinched hard, my whole body jumping. A sharp gasp escaped me as I twisted around.
"It is just me," Luciano's voice said, calm but firm.
I looked up at him. He stood there, tall and shadowed by the house lights behind him. His dark eyes met mine, a hint of worry in them. His hair was a bit messy, like he'd been pacing inside.
"The least you could have done was come inside to let me know you're back. I kept calling Alessia," he said, his words coming out with a hiss of frustration.
I just stared at him, swallowing hard.
Oh God, the old me before hearing the truth from Alessia would have snapped right back, and thrown some witty insult his way.
But now? I felt ashamed, like I was the one intruding on his life. Everything I thought I knew about him was wrong. He wasn't the monster everyone had painted him to be.
"Sorry," I said softly, my voice barely steady. "I just... needed air."
I kicked my feet gently in the water again, avoiding his gaze. The shame burned in my chest and I swear, I couldn't even look at the man properly.
Oh, God.