Chapter 94 MY COMPOSURE.
\~~~ALESSIA.
I groaned and leaned my head against the cool glass of the car window. "Turn off the music," I said, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.
The radio clicked off right away, making the car fall into a heavy silence.
It was so quiet that I could hear my own heart pounding in my ears, loud and erratic, like it was trying to escape my chest. The streetlights blurred past outside, but inside, the tension hung thick between us.
I turned my head to look at the man driving.
He sat upright, his eyes fixed straight on the road ahead. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white, and his veins were standing out on his forearms.
He hadn't said a word since we left Rafael’s house,
God, what had I been thinking?
'What the hell am I doing?' I thought to myself, hissing under my breath. I ran a hand through my tangled hair, trying to smooth it down, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me.
The car slowed as we approached my gate, it swung open automatically, and Viktor pulled into the driveway. I didn't wait for him to park properly. I grabbed the door handle and stepped out, the cool night air hitting my face like a slap.
On purpose, I left my bag and phone on the seat behind me. Let him deal with that.
I slammed the car door and strode up the path to my front door, my heels clicking against the stone. The house loomed dark and quiet, a far cry from the chaos of the day.
Raina's accident, and the terror all felt distant now, overshadowed by this mess with Viktor. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, kicking off my shoes in the entryway. The living room was dimly lit by a single lamp, casting long shadows across the plush rug and leather couches.
I stood still in the middle of the room, my index finger pressed between my teeth as I bit down lightly. My gaze stayed glued to the front door, waiting, and dreading.
Part of me hoped he'd just drive off. The other part, the angry, and confused part wanted him to follow. To explain and to feel something other than this cold indifference.
And then, there was a soft knock and myheart jumped. The door creaked open slowly, and Viktor stepped inside, holding my bag and phone in one hand. His face was as unreadable as ever, that stoic mask he always wore when he was on duty.
"You dropped this, ma'am," he said, his voice even and polite, like we were strangers.
I glanced at the coffee table nearby. "Drop it there," I replied, not looking at him directly. My tone was clipped, hiding the way my pulse raced.
He bowed his head gently, just a slight dip, and placed the items down with care. The bag thudded softly, my phone screen lighting up for a second with a missed call notification.
He straightened up, adjusting his jacket. "I will get going now. Have a good night's rest, ma'am, and…”
"Are you insane?" The words burst out of me before I could stop them, raw and accusing.
"Ma'am?" He finally met my eyes, his dark gaze steady, but there was a flicker of surprise or… caution?
"Do you take me for a joke?" I asked, closing the space between us in two quick steps. The air between us crackled, and I could smell his cologne, faint and woodsy, mixing with the tension.
But he was quick. He took a step back, putting distance where I wanted none and it frustrated me even more, like he was dismissing me without a word.
The last thing I had wanted was to get tangled in a situation like this. Not especially with a man as nonchalant as Viktor.
He worked for the family. He was Luciano's right-hand man, always professional, and always detached.
I'd watched him for years, the way he handled everything with that calm efficiency. And me? I'd kept my feelings locked away, a secret even from myself. Until that night.
"He never thought of you as a joke, Miss Moretti," he said, his voice low and measured. "You are…"
"Drop the fucking honorific," I snapped, heat rising in my cheeks. "You kissed me and dared to act like it was nothing. How dare you?!"
Viktor's posture straightened even more, like a soldier at attention. He bore his eyes into mine, unflinching. For a moment, the room felt smaller, and the space between us charged with unspoken words.
"I hope you find a place in your heart to forgive such insolence," he replied, his tone formal, and almost rehearsed.
Bastard.
"What?" My brows snapped together in disbelief. Forgive?
"I hope you do forget I…"
I didn't let him finish. Rage boiled over, and I crossed the space in a flash, and my fist connected with his chest in a hard punch. It wasn't my strongest, but it landed with a thud against his solid frame.
He staggered back a step, surprise widening his eyes, but he recovered quickly, chesting out and raising his shoulders like he was bracing for more.
"Bastard," I hissed, my hand stinging from the impact.
"You need to rest, ma'am," he said, his voice steady despite everything. "Today was a lot, and I…”
"I don't need that shit from you," I cut him off, my breath coming fast.
"I am sorry," he murmured, the words hanging there, sincere but not enough.
"Listen to me," I started, stepping closer again. He stood even straighter, like a wall I couldn't break. I hissed in frustration. "You sicken me. Don't you ever show your face before me again."
"That might not be entirely possible, ma'am," he replied calmly. "I work for the family. You cannot rid me."
"Your face is begging for a punch, is it not?" I shot back, my voice trembling with anger and something deeper, hurt, maybe.
"I don't ever want to see you," I continued, the words spilling out. "Never show your face before me. I regret getting tangled in this mess with you, so… stay away from me."
Viktor didn't argue. He didn't defend himself. He just bowed his head slightly, the picture of respect. "As you wish, ma'am."
Then, he turned around and exited the room without saying another word. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone in the echoing silence.
Bastard.
Jerk.
Asshole.
I called him all those names in my head, over and over, as if it could erase the confusion twisting inside me.
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. How did it come to this? I'd done so well bottling my feelings for him all these years.
Viktor had been around for decades. He was loyal, quiet, and always in the background. I'd admired him from afar, told myself it was nothing more than that. But that night after drinking, I had loosened my guard.
That kiss…
The way he kissed me back and the way his hands were on my waist, and his lips firm and unexpected had felt like fire, real and consuming.
And now? Ruined.
All my composure, gone because of one stupid, drunken moment.
Shit!