Chapter 104: Alliances and Mistrust

Night has long since fallen over Villa Valenti. Only the dim glow of a lamp illuminates the spacious office, where a heavy silence reigns. 

Alessandro sits behind his massive desk, one hand resting on a file, the other propping up his chin. His gaze is fixed on the pages he's reading, but I know his mind is elsewhere. 

I'm perched on the couch across from him, legs tucked under me, one hand resting on my rounded belly. Seven months. Two more until the baby arrives… but the tension in this room makes it feel like we're running out of time. 

Giulia's words loop in my mind. 

"Help me take him down… and I'll give you the keys to his organization." 

I know Alessandro doesn't trust her. 

But I also know he's too shrewd to ignore an opportunity to weaken his enemy. 

And that thought unsettles me. 

I watch him silently. His face is tense, focused, but I know every line of his features, every twitch of his jaw. He's thinking.