Alessio
Aria sat in silence, the city lights flickering past the window like ghosts. She sat close to the window, like she was going to fly out of the door the next moment. The tension between them was sharp enough to cut glass, humming with unspoken questions and pulsing attraction.
It was not in his plans to invite her to his apartment, but somehow he could not control himself seeing how lovely she looks in the dress he picked for her. He had never met a lady that intrigued and amazed him like Aria did.
He stated at her for a moment as she fiddled with the strap of her purse, and wriggled her hands nervously. Her pulse was so loud that he could hear it across from her.
"Why are you sitting so far away? I don't bite." He teased.
Aria rolled her eyes. "I'm not scared of you biting me. You should be scared of me biting you instead.'
He let out a chuckle, and the driver looked back at them shockingly. Alessio's face morphed back into a cold mask, as he pulled out his vibrating phone, brows drawn.
His entire body tensed when it vibrated again, and he answered with one clipped word.
"Talk."
There was a pause. Then his jaw clenched.
"I'll be there in twenty."
He ended the call, his voice a little colder than before.
"We're not going to my house anymore."
Aria blinked. "What happened?"
"Business." His tone shut down any further questioning.
Of course. Mafia business. Dangerous and unpredictable.
"I can call a cab," she offered quietly.
"You'll take my car," he said without looking at her. "My driver will get you home safely."
She pressed her lips together. "You don't have to"
"I do."
Silence.
"Okay, let the driver drop you off at your apartment so you can do what you have to do, and then he takes me home after."
"And you think I will let you go home alone?" He said.
"I'm not going alone, your driver is taking me." She argued.
"We go to your house first. No arguments."
The car slowed as they neared her apartment building. Just as Aria reached for the door handle, Alessio spoke again.
"Wait."
She turned.
He reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a sleek black envelope. The Moretti crest shimmered in gold at the center.
He handed it to her.
"What's this?"
"An invitation to a gala. Friday night."
"For me?"
"No," he said flatly. "For your twin."
She raised an eyebrow, a breathy laugh escaping before she could stop it.
His eyes flicked toward her, slower this time. Warmer. Almost amused. "I want you there."
She swallowed. "What kind of gala?"
"A fundraiser. But the room will be full of people who matter. Be ready for anything. And wear something…" His gaze dipped ever so slightly. "...unforgettable."
The heat in her chest spiked, and her face blushed red.
She took the envelope slowly, her fingertips brushing against his for a second too long.
"Thank you."
He gave a slight nod. "The car will pick you up"
But as she turned, he caught her wrist—gently, not possessively, just enough to make her stop.
"Be careful, Aria."
She looked back, heart skipping.
"Of what?"
He met her eyes without blinking. "Of me."
Her heart skipped.
And then he was gone.
She stood there in the night breeze, the weight of the invitation heavy in her hand. Something told her the gala wouldn't just be a party.
It would be a game.
And she wasn't sure who would win.
*****
Aria barely closed the door to their dorm room before Valentina popped up from the bed like a jack-in-the-box.
"Spill," she demanded, eyes shining like headlights. "You're late. You didn't text. Are you alive? Did he murder you? Or kiss you?"
Aria dropped her purse and kicked off her shoes with a sigh. "Calm down, woman. I'm exhausted."
Valentina folded her arms. "Exhausted from what? His lips?"
Aria threw a pillow at her. "Shut up!"
Valentina caught it mid-air, laughing. "So he didn't kiss you?"
"No."
"But he tried?"
"No! Valentina!!"
"Then what happened?!"
Aria groaned and plopped onto the bed beside her. "He picked me up, we had dinner, we talked…"
Valentina raised an eyebrow. "Talked? Like real talk? Mafia talk? Flirty talk?"
Aria bit her lip. "It was intense."
"Oooh, the best kind." Valentina leaned forward. "Continue."
"We were planning to go his apartment when he got a call. Business emergency or whatever. So he didn't take me to his house like he planned. Instead…" She reached into her purse and pulled out the black envelope Alessio had handed her. "He gave me this."
Valentina's expression changed immediately. Her teasing dropped into stunned silence. "No."
Aria held it out. "Yes."
Valentina snatched the envelope, her fingers trembling as she turned it over and saw the Moretti crest. "No, no, no. This can't be real."
"It's real."
Valentina blinked like she was seeing a ghost. "Do you have any idea how rare this is?"
Aria raised a brow. "It's just a party, right?"
Valentina gaped. "Just a party?? Aria! This is the gala. The Moretti gala. Mafia royalty, foreign investors, billionaires, political puppets—all of them will be there. Even my parents barely got an invitation last year. They had to call in every favor they had. It's exclusive. Like... diamond-encrusted, blood-signed exclusive."
Aria blinked. "Well, he just handed it to me like it was no big deal."
Valentina slumped onto the bed beside her, staring at the ceiling. "I can't believe this. My best friend got invited to the most dangerous, glamorous event in the underworld."
"I didn't ask for it," Aria whispered. "He just... gave it to me."
Valentina turned her head slowly. "Do you know what this means?"
"That I need to find a nice dress?"
"No. It means you've been officially marked. You're not just some girl he's curious about anymore. He's bringing you into his world. Publicly. That invitation is a signal. Everyone there will know."
"Know what?"
"That Alessio Moretti doesn't hand out invitations. Ever. If he invited you, it means he's serious. Or dangerous. Or both."
Aria stared at the envelope in her hands.
"I'm scared," she admitted quietly.
Valentina reached out and squeezed her hand. "Good. You should be."