Page 4 of Between Us

At her father’s command, she stepped to the side, not knowing what to make of the surprising visit. They rarely had strangers over. “Please, come in.”

As the men walked inside, she noticed that only one of them was younger. His sharp blue eyes flitted over her face with mild interest, and the gesture made her feel self-conscious for some reason. She attributed it to the fact that he was handsome, with dark hair styled in a modern haircut, and strong, masculine facial features. His navy suit hugged his tall frame nicely, and she couldn't help admire his backside as she lingered there to close the door behind them.

Without another word exchanged, all four men went up the stairs and followed her father into the study.

Alessandra watched as they disappeared from sight, her thoughts revolving around the strange encounter. The only people who ever visited their home were either close relatives or Luca and his parents. All other business meetings took place elsewhere.

“Weird,” she muttered to herself, noticing once again just how quiet the house was.

Since dinner was postponed for obvious reasons, she opted to go back to her room. She only detoured by the kitchen for a cold glass of orange juice before heading back upstairs. On the first floor, she paused with a hand on the banister, straining her ears to hear if her brother’s voice was among the muffled baritones drifting past the study’s closed door.

When she couldn’t determine if Matteo or even Luca were part of the group inside, she continued up the stairs to the second floor. Her laptop lay open on the queen-sized bed, so she grabbed it and sat on the wide-edged windowsill, deciding to kill some time net surfing while she waited for the men to finish with their meeting.

???

A knock on the door pulled Alessandra’s attention away from the laptop screen. A second later, the door opened and Luca stepped inside. He was dressed in a dark-gray business suit, which wasn’t the usual attire for Sunday evenings at the Rossetti mansion. She gave him a soft smile, happy to see him.

“Hey,” she greeted, closing the laptop and standing. “Is the meeting over? I’m starving.”

“Bella,” he said in a strained voice, using hisendearment for her. “Your father wants to see you.”

A single look at his face told her something wasn't right. Luca was usually a pretty laid-back guy, but there was an undercurrent of urgency in his voice now, and something she didn't recognize in his dark eyes.

“Okay,” she said slowly, still trying to figure out what the look on his face meant. She closed the distance between them and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him, but he turned his head and her lips landed on his cheek instead.

“What's wrong?” she asked, her self-esteem taking a hit from his rejection. He'd never been one to refute her need for affection before. Alessandra was a romantic soul, and despite the fact she didn’t love Luca yet, she enjoyed his attention and feeling cared for.

His hands rubbed up and down her arms in a soothing manner, but he refused to look her in the eyes. “I'm sorry,” he said in a tight voice. “I can't do anything about it. I've tried.”

“What do you mean? Luca, I don't understand.” She placed her palms on his chest, trying to catch his gaze. “What’s going on?”

He shook his head, and he looked almost as if he was in physical pain. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Luca—”

Finally, his gaze collided with hers, and she forgot to keep breathing when she recognized the resentment threatening to break free. Was he mad ather?

“Did I do something?” she asked, suddenly anxious because nothing made sense. Not his behavior and not even this peculiar evening that seemed to stretch for an eternity.

“No,” he rasped, and his voice was raw with anemotion she couldn’t name. “Come on, we can't keep them waiting.”

“Them?” she said confused. “Who is ‘them’?”

“Come,” he commanded again more firmly, grabbing hold of her hand.

Dazed by his uncharacteristic behavior, Alessandra let him guide her down the stairs to the first floor where her father's study was. Shock was evident on her face when she saw all the men gathered there—nine of them on a quick count.

“Alessandra, come.” Her father motioned her closer. Looking behind her, she noticed Luca had retreated into a corner of the room and had gone back to avoiding eye contact. With her heart starting to beat faster inside her chest, she advanced into the study, her skin prickling from all the attention aimed at her. Suddenly, she felt like a lamb walking to its slaughter.

“I want you to meet Roman Leskov,” Nero added, and she now noticed that the handsome man from earlier was sitting in a chair across from her father's desk.

“Hello.” Her voice was small and tentative. She didn't know what her father wanted with her, and the uncertainty combined with the pressure evoked by the foreign audience pushed her body into a state of heightened anxiety. From the corner of her left eye, she registered Matteo's form standing beside the windows. She fought the need to search for comfort in her brother, knowing she had to keep her attention on the three men sitting around the desk: her father, Roman, and another man who looked to be about her father's age.

Before she could analyze the circumstances of this odd meeting, her father spoke again, delivering a blowso cruel, she nearly swayed on her feet. “He is to be your future husband.”

“What?” She choked on the word, feeling as if an invisible fist had cut off her airflow. She met Roman's icy gaze and couldn't find any trace of sympathy for her situation. He looked like he couldn't have cared less if he was marrying her or anyone else. Her head whipped back toward her father as she tried to reason with him. “Papà, but I'm engaged to Luca.”

“Not anymore,” Nero replied simply, motioning to the documents on his desk. “I need you to sign these.”

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