I was lost watching the footage when a knock cut across my thoughts. I paused the clip and looked up. “Come in,” I said.
The door swung open, and before Matvet even stepped inside, a dog bolted through first.Mydog. Artur. I set the laptop aside, confused, as he jumped at me. His weight pressed into my chest while his tail thrashed with excitement. My hand slid over his back, but my eyes were already on Matvet, who lingered at the door.
“What is this? A way to apologise?”
He chuckled. “No, boss, Alessia asked me to do her this favor. She said you would want him home when you returned.”
Alessia moved pieces without asking, and still made it feel like she knew exactly what I needed. I didn’t let it show, but it burned low inside me.
“What’s his medical report?”
“All clear.”
Artur dropped to the floor and ran around the room, like he was trying to memorize the corners he already knew. He dragged me to the memory of Alessia calling me Artur. Back then, she was clueless and naïve. Now she was making choices of her own.What the hell did I turn her into?
Chapter Forty-eight
Alessia
Ever since we arrived inItaly, I began to turn into a spy. A week had passed, and nothing seemed clear. I was still in the dark, unsure how much Vincenzo was planning and whether it was for better or worse. Even accompanying him each day left me uneasy. I never knew whether to relax or keep my guard up.
What I did notice was a man in black who always seemed to be around. I might have been imagining it. But as I sat in a café with Vincenzo and his friend, I spotted him again across the street, selling flowers—that same cap. Yesterday, I saw him outside the restaurant we visited, handing out postcards at the entrance: the same cap, the same jacket.
Maybe I was too bored, letting my thoughts run wild.
Vincenzo laughed, pulling my attention back. He was busy with his friend while I sat across from them, holding my coffeebetween my fingers.
The café was warm, keeping the cold at bay. The rains were getting worse by the day, and if I were back in California, I’d be in bed, reading a book.
I raised the cup to my lips, eyes fixed on the stranger. He was still in the same spot, and since I had sat down, not once had I seen him sell a single rose.
When he started crossing the street, my heart began to race. Had he noticed me staring? My fingers curled tighter around the cup as he headed straight for the café.
The bell above the door chimed when he stepped inside. My breath caught. From where I sat, I saw his face clearly, his eyes locking on mine. He did not look away, not even as he moved to a table only a few steps from us. I forced myself to break the gaze, swallowing the panic that pressed against my throat.
I kept my eyes on the street outside, sipping my coffee, but every nerve in me ached to glance back at him.
Vincenzo’s friend scraped his chair back, bringing my attention back to them. “I should go then. It’s a date. You two should not miss it.”
“I will think about it,” Vincenzo replied.
A date? What were we not supposed to miss? Was this about the wedding?
The friend left, and Vincenzo lifted his hand to call a waitress. She arrived with the receipt. I reached for my bag, relieved we could finally leave.
I had not noticed the rose until she set it down in front of me. “And this is for you, ma’am,” she said with a smile.
Vincenzo frowned. “What the fuck is this?”
“You were our hundredth customer,” the waitress explained quickly. “Just a small token of appreciation.”
My chest tightened as I stared at the rose. Instinct made me lift my eyes to the stranger. He was watching me. He tilted his head,raised two fingers in a small salute gesture, and took a slow sip of his coffee.
Heat rose to my neck. I lowered my gaze to the flower, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Vincenzo stood. “Let’s go.”
I hesitated, my hand hovering above the rose. I knew I shouldn’t take it. It could mean danger. Yet part of me refused to leave it behind.