Chapter 196: Why do I feel like I can trust him?

Chapter 196: Why do I feel like I can trust him?
Dario

I made it back to Rome, barely. The city felt different now—every street corner, every face felt like it could belong to someone Leonardo had sent to hunt me down. I kept my head low, hood drawn, baseball cap shadowing my face.

How the hell did I let this happen?

I’d only gone to the warehouse to check on my men. Just a routine check. I wasn’t expecting Leonardo to storm in like a goddamn hurricane. I clenched my jaw, the memory of his gunfire echoing in my ears. Too careless… far too careless.

Now, I was holed up on the other side of the city, where Leonardo’s reach wasn’t as suffocating. For now. My stomach twisted with hunger, forcing me out of hiding long enough to hit a supermarket. I moved fast, grabbing whatever I needed, every instinct screaming to get out before someone recognized me.

I stepped into line at the register, heart drumming, when someone bumped into me.

“Hey,” a voice said.

I turned, already annoyed. The guy blocking me had black, curly hair, olive-green eyes, and an athletic build that nagged at my memory.

“Who the fuck are you?” I snapped, my voice low. “Move. I don’t have all day.”

He just smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll pay for you.”

I stared at him, incredulous. What the hell is wrong with this guy? But time was ticking, and the less attention I drew, the better. I let him swipe his card and walked out, plastic bag in hand.

“Slow down,” he called after me. “Don’t you recognize me?”

I stopped, turning just enough to glare at him from under my cap. “I don’t.”

“That’s a bummer.” He fell into step beside me like we were old friends.

My patience thinned. “Why are you following me?”

“I just thought,” he said with a casual shrug, “since you’ve lost everything, you’d like a friend.”

I stiffened. What the fuck is he talking about? Surely, he wasn’t talking about Leonardo and Aurora. How would he even know about them?

I studied him, trying to place his face. Then it clicked—the wedding.

“It’s you,” I said, my tone sharpening. He was the one who walked Aurora down the aisle to me. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He met my glare without flinching. “Relax. I’m not here to rat you out. I’m here to help you.”

“Help me?” I narrowed my eyes.

He nodded. “I wasn’t thrilled about your marriage to Aurora back then, but I went along with it. Now, I see your life’s… taken a turn for the worse. I can help you fix that.”

I stared, suspicion warring with curiosity.

“I can help you get what you want,” he added.

“I thought you were Aurora’s friend,” I muttered.

“Oh, I’m not her friend,” he said, voice dropping. “Just an acquaintance who didn’t get what he wanted. But with your help, I think I might be able to change that.”

My gut twisted. Was this some elaborate trap to hand me over to Leonardo? Or was there something real behind those words?

He studied me for a beat, then said, “Let’s go somewhere private. You’re clearly on edge, and I’d hate it if anyone spotted you and turned you in to Leonardo.”

I hesitated, then fell into step behind him.

Who the hell is this guy? I wondered as we walked. What does he want from me? And why, against every instinct I have, do I feel like I can trust him?

Aurora

“And I’m telling you, he left me on read for two whole hours,” Emily was saying, eyes wide with exaggerated offense as she stabbed at her pastry with a fork.

Lucia groaned, half laughing, half scandalized. “Two hours? Girl, I would’ve blocked him.”

“Please,” Emily waved her off. “You know Luca. He just got back from visiting his parents; the man barely had a chance to breathe before going back to work.”

Their laughter mingled with the café’s soft clatter of cups and hum of conversation. I leaned back against my chair, fingers wrapped around my latte, letting the warmth soak into my palms. It had taken time—more than I cared to admit—but Emily and Lucia had finally warmed up to Eleanora. Forgave her, even.

Leonardo… well, he hadn’t exactly been nice to her, but at least he wasn’t mean anymore.

I glanced at Eleanora sitting opposite me, her soft smile barely hiding the exhaustion in her eyes. She’d told me her mother had officially disowned her—furious that she didn’t follow through with their plan to kidnap me and demand the empire. I’d told her to tell Dea the truth, that I never wanted any of it and had given it to her willingly. But Eleanora only shook her head telling me to let it go. That at least she was free now.

Free from her mother’s control. She told me that she still had her little sister and her father, who’d been trying to make up for the years he’d lost. She’d told me he once said he had regretted ever telling Dea to get rid of the baby.

Lucia’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “So, Emily,” she said, leaning forward with a teasing smile, “how’s Raffaele?”

Emily brightened instantly. “He’s good. He just spent three days at his parents’ place, but he’s back now, and it’s all work, work, work again.”

Lucia nodded thoughtfully, then her grin widened. “Speaking of boyfriends… I think it’s safe to say Enzo and I are official now.”

Emily squealed first, nearly knocking over her cup. I joined in, the sound bubbling out before I could stop it. “Oh my God, finally!”

Eleanora smiled too, clapping her hands, but I noticed the faint shadow in her gaze. She was happy, yet there was a quiet awareness there—like she was still the only single one among us.

“Okay, no, seriously,” I said, setting my drink down. “We need to find you a boyfriend.”

Emily perked up immediately, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Yes! Operation Get Nora a Man begins now.”

Lucia chimed in, “Tall, dark haired, and handsome? Or should we keep the options open?”

Eleanora shook her head quickly, laughing but flustered. “No, no, I’m fine. I don’t need a boyfriend. I’m okay the way I am.”

I tilted my head at her. “No, seriously. It’s time you move on. Get back into the dating world. You’re my older sister, you’re supposed to be married before me—or at least engaged!”