Page 44 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

My chest tightens. Shame burns low in my stomach, hot and ugly.

I thought I saw something real in Alessio’s eyes last night. A flicker of something raw. Human. A truth that didn’t need translation.

God, maybe I imagined it. Maybe I wanted it so badly, I made it up just to feel something other than jaded.

My chest aches at the thought, a hollow kind of hurt that lodges beneath my ribs and won't let go. Because if I misread him, if I let myself believe in something that was never there, then maybe I’m not as unshakable as I thought.

Maybe I was wrong.

The morning light creeps through the curtains like an uninvited guest, and I haven’t slept. Not really.

My eyes are raw, my brain on a relentless loop, rewinding, replaying. The dance. His hand sliding into mine. The way he looked at me, like I wasn’t just someone filling space on his arm.

And then the voices.

The socialites’ laughter still echoes in my ears. “She’s just his latest flavor.”

I should’ve brushed it off, God knows I’ve heard worse. But it burrowed deep, cracking open something I’ve fought hard to bury.

Because I know the type. Charismatic. Untouchable. Dangerous in all the ways that make you crave what you can’t have. My father. The charming clients who crossed lines with a wink and a checkbook. My last client at Clive and Associates, who smiled pretty for cameras and lied through his teeth. And completely fucked me over.

And Alessio’s cut from the same cloth… isn’t he?

My phone buzzes, and I grab it, needing a distraction. A text from Denver.

Denver:

I heard about the gala.

I fire off a quick text to him.

How are the optics looking? Any fallout from last night? Investor temp check?

I don’t ask if he's spoken to Alessio, if he’s okay.

But I want to.

Because underneath the flash and arrogance, something in him shifted last night. I saw it. Felt it.

And now, all I can think about is that look in his eyes right before he pulled away from the crowd. The one that said he wasn’t just pretending.

Denver:

Optics are solid for now. Social media loved the donation twist. Most investors are holding steady.

I stare at the message for a second before typing back.

Most?

Denver:

Two are waiting to see what you do next. They want reassurance. Stability. He’s still a risk in their eyes. I'll get more on their temperature and get back to you.

Got it.

Denver:

You okay?

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