The Game Begins

Sofia's POV

It had only been a day since I stormed out of my mother’s place, but it felt like a week had passed. Every shadow felt longer. Every look over my shoulder made my skin crawl. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming.

And I was right.

I was in the middle of folding my laundry, something mindless to keep me busy when my phone buzzed again.

Another Unknown Number.

My chest tightened.

I hesitated before answering. “Hello?”

“I thought I’d give you time to cool off after our little moment at Ros’Notte,” came the smooth, taunting voice I was beginning to hate.

Aurelio.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my tone steady. “What do you want?”

“You really think you’re safe with him?” he asked, voice soaked in mock concern. “You think just because he wears a suit and tells you sweet things, you’re not just another piece on his chessboard?”

“You don’t know anything about me or him.”

“I know enough,” he replied. “I know he’s killed for less than what I’ve done. I know he’s lied more times than you’ve blinked. And I know…” His voice lowered. “He’s going to ruin you. Whether he means to or not.”

I clenched my jaw. “Is that why you’re calling? To scare me?”

“I’m calling because I like you, chiquita,” he said, chuckling. “You’ve got fire. Intelligence. And you're stunning. I can see why my brother’s obsessed. But obsession makes people reckless. It makes people weak.”

“You think you’re better than him?”

“Oh, I’m worse,” he said easily. “But at least I’m honest about it.”

I didn’t respond. There was nothing to say to that kind of crazy.

“You should come to dinner with me,” he continued. “Just one night. Neutral ground. No strings. Just you, me, and some answers.”

I blinked. “Are you high?”

“Nope. Just determined.”

“You’re insane.”

“Probably,” he said with a smirk in his tone. “But the invitation stands. If you’re smart, you’ll take it. There are things you don’t know, things your lover boy would rather keep buried.”

“I’m not interested.”

“You will be.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the screen, pulse racing. For a long second, I just stood there, gripping the phone like it had burned me.

He wasn’t just playing anymore.

He was provoking. Testing. Trying to get under my skin and succeeding.

\----

Later that night, I went to Ros’Notte.

Leandro had asked me to stop by for something casual. He said he wanted my opinion on a new design for the lounge space. Something about elegance meeting edge. It didn’t feel like a trap, but part of me hesitated anyway. Still, I went.

I stared at the message. It was hard not to imagine him there already, sitting in that dark booth, shirt half unbuttoned, drink in hand, waiting for me like nothing in the world scared him. Like he didn’t know his brother was circling me like a vulture.

The worst part? I hadn’t told him yet.

And I hated that.

I dressed simple. Jeans, fitted black top, hair in a sleek ponytail. No makeup but gloss and liner. I wasn’t dressing to impress.

I was dressing to protect myself.

When I walked into Ros’Notte, the music was soft, the VIP lounge dimly lit. Leandro sat near the window, nursing a glass of something golden. He looked up the moment I walked in—and smiled. The kind that used to make my knees weak.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I came with questions.

He looked tired. Like he hadn’t slept either.

“Everything okay?” I asked as I entered his private suite upstairs.

“Just business,” he muttered. “Sit, I’ll show you the sketches in a second.”

But before he could pull anything up, his phone buzzed.

He looked at the screen and his jaw locked. Then he stood up abruptly. “I’ll be right back.”

I nodded, watching him walk out. Something was definitely off.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.

When I couldn’t take the suspense anymore, I stood up to step out into the hall.

And almost immediately, he showed up right in front of me.

“You look tense,” he said.

“You should be tense too,” I said quietly, slipping back into the seat across from him.

His smile faltered. “What’s going on?”

“Your brother called me,” I said, voice low.

The silence between us grew heavy.

Leandro’s jaw flexed. “When?”

“Earlier today. He wants me to have dinner with him.”

“What the fuck—”

“He said you’ve lied to me. That I don’t know who you really are.”

His brows furrowed. “And you believed him?”

“No,” I said quickly. “But I also don’t know what to believe anymore.”

He stared at me for a long time, unreadable. Then he leaned forward.

“Sofia… you want honesty? Fine. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I’ve made enemies. Aurelio is one of them. But you—” His voice dropped, softer now. “You’re not part of that world. I’m doing everything I can to keep it from touching you.”

“It already is,” I whispered. “He’s playing with me. With us. And I think my mom’s in on it.”

Leandro’s eyes darkened. “He’s going after the people around me now.”

“It’s more than that. He’s playing a long game. And I think I’m a pawn.”

“Then we turn the board around,” Leandro said firmly. “And make him regret ever touching it.”

I looked at him, unsure whether to feel reassured or terrified.

Because the war had started.

And I was standing in the middle of it.