Chapter 136

Melanie's POV

It was a long night for me. I spent it tossing and turning, thinking about what Erica wanted. Thankfully, Adriano seemed to have had a long day so he was pretty knocked out which was pretty rare for him because I knew he was a really light sleeper.

I thought about telling Adriano but decided against it, at least for now. I needed to clarify a few things for myself before I resorted to dragging him into my paranoia.

Besides, Christmas dinner with his family was around the corner, and if there was one thing I wouldn't do, it was ruin a festive evening at his family's house. Especially not when they would be meeting me for the first time.

The next morning at work, I tried to focus. The sound of ambulances from afar, announcements over the sound system, the movements to and from the OR, all these did very little to ground me. In fact, it was a miracle that I didn't input patients charts wrongly.

The scent of fresh coffee in the break room didn't help me much either but I drank a cup nonetheless. I spent most of the morning convincing myself Erica was just a desperate ex trying to stir up drama.

Even Hayley noticed something was off with me but I brushed off her concerns and convinced her that I was fine.

By lunchtime, I had finally managed to get some semblance of normalcy back. But it would seem that it wasn't supposed to last long.

I got to the nurses' station and found Hayley on the phone and judging from her responses, the call was not about a patient.

"Okay, I'll let her know," she said and hung up the phone.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Apparently, it's for you," she replied.

I frowned at her. "I don't understand what you mean."

"That was the front desk downstairs. There's someone requesting to see you and they said it was urgent," she said.

"Any idea who it is?"

She shrugged. "I didn't ask but it sounded kind of important," she responded. "Are you expecting anyone?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not."

"Well, you better get downstairs and find out."

I got down to the reception only to be find Erica staring at me. She was striking, in that cold and calculated way some women are. Perfectly coiffed hair, a crisp designer coat, and heels that seemed too high to be comfortable.

"Melanie," she said, her voice smooth but sharp, like silk draped over a blade.

I stood frozen staring at her, the air between us thick with tension.

"Erica," I replied, my tone firmer than I felt inside.

If she thought she could come into my work place and intimidate me, then she had another think coming.

She didn't ask if we could talk privately, she simply walked closer, her presence commanding attention.

I noticed a few coworkers glance in our direction, but I waved them off with a weak smile.

The last thing I needed was to give them something new to gossip about, they've already had my name in their mouths for more than enough times.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to give you something," she said, reaching into her bag.

"And you thought this was the best place to do it?"

She raised a brow in amusement. "Would you rather I come to the house?" she asked.

Before I could respond, she pulled out a sleek, cream-colored envelope and stretched it towards me.

"This is for you."

I frowned. "What is that?"

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Let's just say I'm giving you something to think about."

I crossed my arms. "I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing, Erica and I don't need whatever that is."

Her smile faltered, and for a moment, I thought I saw something other than malice in her eyes. Regret? Pain? I couldn't exactly register it because it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"You don't know who he really is," she said softly. "If you know what Adriano is really capable of, you'll run from him faster than your legs can carry you."

I stared at her, trying to decipher her words. Was she warning me or threatening me?

Before I could ask what she meant by her words, she thrust the envelope at me, turned on her heel, and walked out, her heels clicking in perfect rhythm.

I stared at the little envelope for what felt like an eternity before sliding it into my back pocket. I didn't know the contents of the envelope but whatever it was, it would have to wait.

The last thing I believe is Erica having good intentions for me so I wasn't really jumping at the seems to open the envelope. Besides, I had dinner plans, and I refused to let Erica ruin another moment of my day.

"Who was that?" Hayley asked when I returned.

"It was no one important," I answered, my tone implying that I didn't want to talk about it any further.

The drive to Adriano's family home was quiet. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky, blanketing the world in a soft white glow. The envelope burned a hole in my bag, but I refused to let it cloud my judgment tonight.

Adriano sat beside me, his usual calm presence somehow both reassuring and infuriating. How could he be so at ease when his past was walking around, stirring up trouble?

Well, not that he knew what she was up to but still.

"You're quiet," he said, his voice cutting through the silence.

I forced a smile. "Just nerves," I replied.

He studied me for a moment, his dark eyes searching mine. "You sure that's all? You have been acting strange all for a few days."

I nodded, not trusting myself to say more. He didn't press, which I was grateful for. The truth would come out eventually, but not tonight.

As we pulled into his parents' driveway, the sight of the warmly lit house brought a small wave of relief. As expected his family house was a mansion and I didn't believe I would be saying this, but I was even bigger than his house.

Adriano squeezed my hand before stepping out to open my door. For now, I'd focus on Christmas dinner and leave the envelope and Erica in the shadows where they belonged.