Slamming the phone shut, I ran downstairs, snatched my car keys off the counter and stormed toward the garage. I slid into one of my parked cars, the black Bentley Continental GT... and drove away.
The rain slammed against the windshield in heavy sheets, the wipers swiping furiously from side to side, barely keeping up. My grip on the wheel was firm as I pressed the accelerator, ignoring the warning flash of the dashboard about the slick roads.
She was out there somewhere, alone and unprotected. Damn her stubbornness and my own restraint for not following sooner.
I shoved those thoughts aside, forcing my attention back to the road. I passed the estate streets, gray and distorted through the downpour. It was only a little past five, yet the sky was as dark as dusk, thunder rolling above like a growl that refused to quiet.
In no time, I pulled up at the estate's security office.
I grabbed the umbrella from the passenger seat, snapped it open, and stepped into the downpour. Rain drummed angrily on the canvas, but none of it touched me as my strides were too fast.
The middle-aged officer on duty shot up from his seat the second I walked in, his eyes wide as recognition dawned.
"Mr. Morano!" He straightened his uniform nervously, his respect almost comical. "What brings you here, sir?"
"My younger sister stepped out of the house without guidance, and hasn't returned." I said, my voice laced with authority that brooked no delay. "I need to check the CCTV footage around the neighborhood."
"Of course, sir. No problem at all." His tone was quick, deferential, eager to serve. He gestured toward the back room. "Please, this way."
I followed him into the control room, where three to four young workers sat in front of glowing monitors. At the sight of me, they all scrambled to their feet.
"Sit," I ordered with a wave of my hand. No time for theatrics.
The officer leaned close to one of the operators, murmured instructions, and the young man's fingers immediately flew across the keyboard. Footage began rolling across the screens... snippets of cars passing, pedestrians scurrying, and trees bending under the wind.
"Pause," I commanded sharply.
The worker froze the frame. My eyes zeroed in on the familiar figure in the corner of the screen, sweaty hair sticking to her temples, her gym outfit clinging to her body, and lips pulled tight in frustration.... Alessia.
The middle aged officer followed my gaze, then turned, his eyes widening. "Her?"
"Yes, that's her."
"Seriously?!" A flicker of recognition crossed his face. "I… I saw her this afternoon on my way to work. She..." He hesitated, then cleared his throat. "...she insulted me, sir."
Of course, she did. I closed my eyes briefly and tapped my forehead with my fingers, the motion heavy with exasperation. Alessia's temper would be the death of her one day.
"I apologize for her behavior—" I began but the officer quickly cut me off, bowing his head with a greasy smile.
"No, no, Mr. Morano, please don't bother. If I had known she was your sister, I never would have engaged with her."
I gave a curt nod, ignoring his obsequious tone. "Where exactly did you encounter her?"
"Just near the old coffee shop at the south side of the neighborhood," he said eagerly. "That was minutes before the rain started. I doubt she would have gotten far since then."
"Thank you."
With a brisk nod, I strode out, umbrella snapping open once more as I crossed the lot. Sliding back into the driver's seat, I gripped the wheel tighter, my expression hardening.
She had better still be there!
Minutes later, I reached the south side. My car crawled down the narrow lane, wipers working overtime, eyes scanning every corner.
Then I saw her...
Bent in front of a small coffee shop, knees drawn to her chest, her head buried between her thighs. Completely drenched, trembling, and looked so small. Even from a distance, I knew it was her through the gym outfit.
I killed the engine, grabbed the umbrella, and stepped into the heavy downpour. The rain hissed against the fabric above me as I strode toward her, my jaw tight, my pulse steady but harsh.
I stopped right in front of her, the shadow of my umbrella falling over her trembling form.
"Alessia?"
★★★
~Alessia's POV~
The moment my name rang through the storm, my head jerked up. My heart skipped when I saw him... Lorenzo... standing there like some dark omen, his fitted black shirt clinging to his broad shoulders, his blue slacks damp at both sides.
He held a black umbrella above me, shielding me from the rain as if he had appeared out of thin air just for that. His cold lifeless eyes bore into me.
For a second, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't tell if he was here because he cared or because it was his sense of duty. And that thought alone sent fire through me again.
I pushed myself off the ground without a word, brushing past him. The rain instantly hit me, sharp and cold, but I welcomed it more than the suffocating weight of his gaze. I crossed to the opposite side of the street, every step meant to defy him.
I didn't make it far. In an instant, his hand clamped around my wrist, firm and unyielding, pulling me back toward him. The umbrella shifted above us, blocking the strong wind.
"Come back home." His deep voice cut through the sound of the rain. His tone wasn't pleading, but commanding, absolute. And it made my chest burn.
I wrenched my hand free from his grip, glaring at him.
"Leave me alone!" My palm shoved the umbrella away, and it tumbled onto the ground, rolling uselessly across the pavement. The storm wasted no time, It crashed down over both of us, drenching us instantly.
My hair clung to my face, water sliding down my flawless skin. His carefully styled silver hair fell into his eyes, rain dripping from the strands and down his sharp cheekbones.
Yet even soaked through, he looked so attractive.
"Stop being stubborn and difficult because of your allergy!" he snapped, his voice louder than the thunder above. "Follow me home. Now!"
His words froze me for a heartbeat. Allergies? My chest tightened, and a hollow laugh escaped me, loud and jagged against the rain.
"So that's it," I said bitterly, tilting my head back to let the rain sting my face. "You're only here because you just found out. You're not worried about me... you're worried about a sickness you didn't even know I had."
I could see his lips part, ready to argue, but I didn't give him the chance. I laughed again, but this time it hurt, clawing up from somewhere deep inside me.
"Suit yourself, Lorenzo. Always playing savior when it suits you!"
I spun on my heel, the water splashing beneath my sneakers as I stormed away into the downpour. But I barely took two steps before he caught me again. His hand wrapped around my wrist tighter than before, dragging me to face him just an inch apart.
His voice roared, "What exactly is your problem, Alessia?!"
"It's because I like you!"