𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

I left Miranda in charge of my case. At this point, I no longer care what happens. My main focus is Maia, especially because I know that, right now, she needs all the support she can get. The support that was never given to me.

I look at her peacefully sleeping, after long hours telling me, Nate and Ro what happened.

Earlier today, after school she was approached by Mark - our dad's friend - and he told her he needed to get in his car. She initially refused, knowing how dangerous he is, but he threatened to out her to our parents.

"I know about your little girlfriend, Maia. If you don't want me to tell mommy and daddy, you'll get in the car."

He grabbed her arm, giving her no choice, and proceeded to pull her to the passenger's seat. He made random conversation with her, which she didn't reciprocate. He parked by a park and started to touch her leg in a way that she clearly stated made her uncomfortable. His response was, "The only reason you're with a girl is that you've never been with a real man."

He aggressively kissed her and tried to unbutton her pants. I don't know how, but she managed to escape to a hidden part of the park.

She thinks her phone must have fallen as she was running.

Rochelle, who was waiting for her, for their date, called her multiple times with no response and got worried because it's so out of character for Maia to go missing with no explanation. Thankfully, she also called Nate, who managed to track her phone to the park. It took about an hour to find her, crouching on the ground, rain pouring on her.

I'm glad she trusted us enough to tell us, so that now (or when she is ready) we can put that monster behind bars.

My phone starts ringing and I step out of the room to answer. "How is she?" Hanna asks from the other line. "She's okay, she's just resting right now."

"I've just been contacted by Alessandro - I don't know how he has my phone number - but he asked me to pass on a message. Do you want me to tell you?" He's the last thing on my mind. I haven't thought about the case since yesterday when I left the firm abruptly. "Can it wait 'til later?"

She agrees and tells me to wish Maia a speedy recovery. I told her she was hospitalised because she felt extremely ill.

As requested by Maia, the nurses take pictures of her bruises, which she asked to be stored with the results of the tests they did. Their mother is out of town for the month, so I plead for her to stay with me, for as long as she needs.

She's reluctant but she agrees. On the way home, we stop at my old house to get necessities for both twins.

The ride from the hospital to home is quiet and no one attempts to start a conversation.

Rochelle stays for some hours to keep Maia company, but the latter remains quiet, as expected, and eventually, Ro needs to go back home.

I take some food up to her room and ask if she wants me to call her mom. She simply shakes her head no.

Nate is locked in his room and doesn't hear me when I call out for him or knock on his door. I figure he's listening to music, so I let him be and move to the living room, where the TV is playing some 90s movie.

I watch Leonardo DiCaprio break down in tears, but I'm interrupted when there's a knock on the door. Putting down my plate on the table, I make my way to the door, but I'm taken aback when the door flies open as soon as the key turns to open it.

Alessandro walks in and quickly closes the door behind him.

"What the actual fuck are you doing in my house? Get the fu-" before I can finish the sentence he reaches out to the key, locks the door, and puts it in his pocket. "I need you to listen to me, please." He pleads.

"And the best way, you thought you'd achieve that was to trap me in my own house? If I wanted to listen to you, I would've called you or something. Now, leave my damn home."

"It wasn't me. I never said that stuff about you. I gave my team my statement, clearly stating that we're friends but they disregarded it and destroyed your reputation. Whatever they offer, reject. We can offer higher. That's all I came to say."

I sigh in frustration, "I'm not after your money. I want my name to be cleared, but for that to happen you would need to say the truth and that's not gonna happen or your company would have to admit they were wrong. So, I will see you in court, Alessandro."

During my rant, I moved to the kitchen, and faced away from him, which is why I'm surprised when I turn around and he's mare inches away from me.

"I can't leave. Not the building. Or you. You didn't showing up at the meeting to settle and I don't know if it's because you're avoiding me or loathe seeing me, but I kept waiting for you to enter and say anything or nothing. I can't stand not being able to come to you when I need to." His scent is intoxicating, and the closeness between us is confusing.

His hand lays on my waist and pulls my body closer to him. "Angelica, I can't seem to stay away from you. I crave you and your body all the time." His voice is husky and it's making my body temperature rise. "Angelica, we both feel it. I know that. I'm willing to do whatever you want, so we can continue to be in each other's lives."

All I'm hearing is, I want you to forgive me and take the money and let this go away so we can continue fucking, and maybe that's all I need, right now. That's what I need to get a break from the reality of what's going on, right now.

All sense goes out the window when he's this close to me, so when he places his other hand on my cheek, I lean into him and kiss him deeply.

I remove his shirt with ease and stare at his naked chest lovingly. "Make me forgive you, Alessandro. You have one chance to show me how much you want me to forgive you. So, show me." His body tenses with every word accompanied by my hand caressing his chest.

He pulls me into a hard kiss and fights for dominance, as our tongues dance together.

I stop him, "Wait, my siblings are upstairs so we need to go to my room." Eagerly picking me up, Alessandro starts to head towards my room and as soon as we're in, he closes the door.

The cropped top I'm wearing is pulled off my body, and his mouth covers my exposed nipples immediately. A moan escapes my lips and my hands find their way to his hair, as pleasure courses through my body.

•

I lay facing my ceiling, Alessandro's body laying next to me. I glance towards the clock and realise it's 1:17 am. He's been here for two hours. "Angelica, you up?"

I grab a blanket from the floor and use it to cover myself, before getting out of bed. "Yes, and I told you to call me Hela only. You met me when I was stripping, so you should refer to me accordingly, with the name I was using when we met. Okay?"

He's taken aback and I've probably hurt his feelings but that is not my concern.

Even if he is truly sorry - and he did show me he was, like I asked him to - because of him, or his people, my business is suffering and losing hundreds of thousands of dollars every night since the article was released and him being in my life is the last thing I need.

"Okay. . . Hela. . . I was thinking, maybe, we could go out for breakfast, later."

"No." My sentence is short and to the point.

"Would you rather I bring it here."

"No."

He's very confused now, and it's evident on his face. "I don't want anything with you. My family is my priority, then it's my business, and you're at the very end of things I care about. Take your apologies and money out of my home, and if you want me to not take this to court, start talking to your lawyers. I'm not settling for anything less than what I've lost and extra compensation on top of that.

I open the door to my room, so he can exit.

I watch as he swiftly puts his shirt and joggers back on, and leaves, my room then my apartment.

Being harsh was necessary both for him and for me. I needed him, to forget, and I did for a while, but I have reality to deal with, and his presence in it just makes my life much more complicated than it should be.