Chapter 50 L.
I woke with a groan, my arms immediately reaching out to check the other side of the bed for my love. I was met only with cold space and ruffled sheets. Opening my eyes, I looked around the room, but he was nowhere to be found. He couldn't have been in the bathroom either, as I couldn't hear the water running.
I got out of bed, pulled on my shorts, and left the bedroom. My heart immediately relaxed when I heard noises coming from the kitchen; Rowan was likely cooking.
Stepping into the kitchen, my heart fluttered at the sight of him. He looked breathtaking even from behind, wearing only a tank top and shorts. Seeing Rowan in casual clothes always did something to me; he looked so handsome when he wasn't dressed for the office.
Without alerting him to my presence, I walked up and wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him from behind. He jumped, startled, but quickly relaxed when he realized it was me.
"You scared me, Alessandro," he said softly.
I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, enjoying his warmth and scent. I could hardly believe it. As much as I had wanted this, I never dreamed the day would come when I would fall so deeply in love with someone. It was a wonderful feeling.
I had made up my mind to spend the rest of my life with Rowan. If it were entirely up to me, I would have proposed already, but I knew I had to take things slow for the sake of Alessandra and my grandfather.
"You smell so good, Rowan," I mumbled against his skin. I pressed a gentle kiss to his neck, causing his body to shiver.
"I’m in the middle of cooking, Alessandro. You’re distracting me," he complained, though I could tell he was enjoying the attention.
"Can't I just hold you while you cook?" I asked with a pitiful pout. I wondered when I had become so cheesy.
Rowan sighed. "You can, but it will slow me down."
I hugged him tighter. "That’s fine. We have all the time in the world."
He tried to hide it, but a small smile played on his lips at my words. There was a flicker of something strange in his expression, but I couldn't put my finger on it, so I decided to let it go.
"Today is your first day as president of Ricci Enterprises," he reminded me. "I’m sure you don't want to be late."
"As I said, I’m the president. I’ll go to work whenever I please," I countered. "Besides, I want you to come with me. I want to give you a ride."
He freed himself from my hold and turned to face me. I didn't know if it was just my imagination, but I saw a flash of sadness in Rowan’s eyes. Maybe I was just seeing things. Why would he be sad? Or was he still troubled by Alessandra's anger?
"We can't go to the company together, Sandro. I don't want people misunderstanding our situation, and you still have to go home to your own place to get ready."
My shoulders slumped. "You still don't want us to date openly?"
"We should wait a bit, Sandro. I just got out of a relationship with your sister."
I nodded and wrapped my arms around him again, kissing him gently. "You're right. I'll go home to get ready. It shouldn't take long."
I looked deep into his eyes, trying to push thoughts of my sister’s feelings aside. "But promise me that when everything settles down, you'll be mine completely. I want to show the world that you belong to me."
Rowan hesitated, and my heart sank. Was he unsure of his feelings? Didn't he love me? A thousand insecurities threatened to consume me, but I didn't get the chance to spiral because Rowan suddenly pulled me into a tight hug that melted my heart.
"I love you, Sandro," he said with so much emotion it sounded like he was on the verge of breaking down. "I love you so, so much." He looked up at me, and I was taken aback by the raw intensity on his face. "That is more than a promise."
My heart felt heavy with emotion. How could I have doubted his love, even for a second? Rowan wouldn't have sacrificed so much if he didn't love me. He smiled and pulled me even closer.
"I love you too, Rowan. More than anything in the world."
In that moment, I truly believed I had found my happiness, and I vowed never to let him go.
Being the president of a company turned out to be no fun at all. All I did was sit behind a desk, sign papers, review documents, and attend boring meetings. I wished the day would just end.
I glanced at my phone for the fifth time that hour, but Rowan still hadn't answered my texts. I had left his house in such a joyful mood after breakfast. The meal had been delicious, as usual; I wondered if there was anything that man couldn't do.
I had promised to take him out on a date tonight. I had already booked a table at a fancy restaurant and planned to pick him up after work. I wanted the evening to be perfect—one of the best moments of his life. I wanted to treat him like the only person who mattered and give him as much happiness as he had given me.
Finally, working hours were over. I checked my phone again, but strangely, Rowan still hadn't replied. It was 4:38 PM, and our reservation was at five. I told myself he was probably just busy with work.
I sighed and left my office, heading toward his. My secretary had already gone home after asking me five times if he was free to leave. I’d had to assure him he was dismissed; I had no idea why he was so intimidated by me, but I knew that had to change if we were going to work together long-term.
When I arrived at Rowan’s office, his secretary, Tina, was at her usual desk. I smiled at her. "Hi Tina, is Rowan in?"
"Um, hi sir. N-no, Mr. Rowan isn't in. He didn't come to work today," she answered, looking deeply disturbed.
I frowned in confusion. "He didn't come in?" She shook her head, and my fears deepened. "That’s impossible! He told me he was coming to work today." I pulled out my phone to call him, but the line was unreachable.
A feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. This had never happened before; Rowan had never ghosted me like this. I tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail.
I gulped, fearing the worst. I was about to try one more time when Tina spoke up. "Excuse me, sir." I looked at her and saw a look of inner conflict on her face. "There’s something I have to tell you about my boss."
My heart jumped into my throat. "What is it, Tina?"
She hesitated. "Well... Mr. Rowan told me not to tell you."
My fists clenched as I tried to ignore the cold shiver creeping up my spine. "Tell me what?!"
She looked sorrowful as she revealed what could only be described as a nightmare to me. "The day you saw us talking in the office, Mr. Rowan was telling me he was resigning as CEO of Ricci Enterprises. He already handed his resignation to Mr. Ricci and made it clear he wouldn't be at work today."
My blood ran cold. Every nerve in my body froze in shock, and my hands began to shake. My eyes went wide. All this time, had this been his plan? Why the hell hadn't he said anything to me? Why did he resign? Why did he do it without a word? And why wasn't he picking up his phone?
"I have to go!" I didn't wait for Tina to respond before I sprinted out of the office.
We were together just this morning, yet he didn't say a word. What the hell are you planning, Rowan?