Chapter 69 : Trapped in the Chessboard

The silence that followed the ringing of Alessandro's phone was heavy, as if the air itself was holding its breath. I remained still, my eyes fixed on him, waiting for him to tell me what was going on. But he didn't utter a word. His face, already hard and inscrutable, closed off even more, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The room seemed to shrink around us, the walls closing in as if to trap us in this unbearable tension.

"Moretti knows you're here," he finally announced, his voice deep and final.

I felt my heart race, each beat echoing in my chest like a war drum. "What does that mean?" I asked, my voice barely audible, as if the words refused to leave my tight throat.

"It means you won't leave this villa without my consent," he replied, his tone leaving little room for argument. "I'm going to tighten security. You'll stay here, with Leo. It's non-negotiable."