CHAPTER 17
Amara’s POV
I scoffed, even as my heart betrayed me with a subtle flutter. “Don‘ t push your luck, Matteo.”
His chuckle was deep and genuine, and for a fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of the man behind the cold, and ruthless exterior. It was disarming.
As the conversation shifted to business, the tension from earlier seemed to ease.
Matteo asked about the files I had
retrieved.
“You’ve got a sharp mind, Amara,” he said. “I underestimated you.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the compliment. “I would be thriving as the Donna of The Obsidian if I was stupid,” I retorted, though playfully.
it’s
“I know,” he smirked. “And it‘ s rare.”
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His words caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily at a loss for what to say.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” I finally replied, trying to regain some footing.
“Too late,” he shot back, the corners of his lips curving into a small smile.
At one point, I decided to broach something that had been gnawing at me since earlier. “So… you were with Bethany earlier,” I trailed, not wanting to ask too much, hoping that he would fill me in without me asking about what happened.
Matteo didn’t so much as flinch. He simply took another sip of wine and met my gaze, “We just finished something,” he simply replied.
I waited for him to elaborate, but he did not. The silence stretched until I could not take it anymore. “Did you have a good time?”
His brow arched slightly at my question, and I hated how casual and dismissive he
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sounded when he replied, “We discussed business, that’s all.”
Something about the way he brushed off the topic made my chest tighten, though I wasn’t sure why. I told myself it was none of my concern. Bethany or no Bethany, Matteo’s life outside of this arrangement.
did not matter to me. Or at least, it
shouldn’t.
“Is that so?” I said, hoping my voice sounded indifferent.
Matteo set his wine glass down and leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded me. There was a flicker of amusement in his expression, one that made my stomach twist in a way I did not like.
“Why do I feel like you‘ re fishing for something, cara mia?” he asked, his voice laced with a playful edge. “Are you… jealous?”
I scoffed, straightening in my seat as if the
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sheer indignation would shield me.
“Jealous? Hardly.”
“Hmm.” He tilted his head, still watching me with that maddening smirk. “You‘ re awfully defensive for someone who doesn’t care.
I rolled my eyes, gripping my glass a little too tightly. “I don‘ t. You can entertain Bethany or anyone else for all I care. This –“I gestured between us with a flick of my hand, “-is temporary anyway.”
Something shifted in his gaze at my words, the teasing glint replaced by something darker, something resolute.
“Temporary?” Matteo repeated, his voice was soft but firm. “No, Amara. You‘ re not temporary.”
The conviction in his tone knocked the air
out of my lungs. I opened my mouth to respond but found no words, and my throat
suddenly dried, and for a moment, I
. couldn’t look away from him.
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It was Matteo who broke the silence, his face hardening slightly as he shifted the topic. “What about Luca? What do you think of him now?”
The sudden pivot caught me off guard. I blinked, struggling to gather my thoughts.
“What do you mean?”
His jaw tightened. “I think he sa bastard,” Matteo said bluntly, his voice colder now. “A man who can’t see the value of what he has doesn‘ t deserve to
have it.”
My breath hitched at the venom in hist tone. “You‘ re talking about what he did
to me.”
“What else is there to talk about? He betrayed you in the most pathetic way possible. And as much as I despise him for being my enemy, I hate him more for hurting you.”
I stared at him, stunned. The venom in his voice, the way his fists clenched on the
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table, it was almost as if my pain had become his own.
“Why do you care?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.
Matteo‘ s expression softened just enough to make my chest ache. “I don’t tolerate betrayal. No one should have to endure what you did.”
I told myself not to read into it, not to let myself believe there was more to his words
and actions.
This was just another move in his endless. game of power and control, wasn’t it?
But the next question surprised me more.
“Do you still love him?” he asked. “Or would you be willing to pull the trigger and end him yourself?”
I looked away and the question remained
unanswered.
But I knew Matteo. He wasn’t going to let me avoid it forever.
