Page 49 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

I keep my posture relaxed, my mouth twitching with a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes.

She continues, smooth as silk. “Alessio, let’s start simple. Do you consider yourself reckless?”

There’s a beat of silence. I let it hang. Let them feel the weight of the question.

“I did.” My voice sounds steadier than I feel. “But I think ‘reckless’ is just a mask people wear when they’re scared of letting anyone see the cracks.”

A pause.

That landed. Even Sophie’s expression falters. Just slightly, but enough for me to see it.

So, I keep going.

“People think charm makes you bulletproof. It doesn’t. It just makes it easier to hide when you’re bleeding out.”

I talk about the rumors. The scandal. The night with the Bratva girl. I lay it bare without flinching, because for once, I’m not spinning the truth. I’m owning it.

“I’ve lived a life where everything came easy. Money, women, power. But if I strip all that away... I realize I never really had anything. None of it was ever really mine. Not the way I thought it was.”

I shift slightly, eyes still on Sophie.

“It’s easy to be charming when you’re rich. It’s harder to be good when no one’s watching.”

The room feels still. Even the cameras seem to be holding their breath.

And Sophie? Sophie’s not just listening.

She’s seeing me.

Really seeingme.

Sophie glances down at the clipboard, hesitates for half a second.

Her voice is softer this time, lower, more dangerous.

“Why did you agree to this interview?”

I blink. That wasn’t on the list.

I could give a thousand clever answers. Spin something smooth. Charming. Safe.

But instead, I look at her.

Really look.

The lights blur at the edges of my vision, but her face is crystal clear. Eyes sharp and uncertain, mouth set like she’s bracing for impact.

“Because someone believed I could be more than a headline.”

The words hang in the air, heavier than they should be.

She doesn’t speak. Doesn’t move.

But I notice the tremble in her throat. The way her grip on the clipboard tightens just enough to turn her knuckles white.

This isn’t for the press. Not for the investors. Not even for the merger.

This is forher.

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