The words slipped from my lips before my brain could even catch them.
The rain poured harder, as if the heavens themselves had gasped at my admission. I froze, the cold drops sliding down my cheeks mixing with the heat burning across them.
Lorenzo didn't move. He just stared at me, his silver hair plastered to his forehead, his eyes so lifeless under the curtain of rain.
I immediately swallowed hard and laughed nervously.
"I...I didn't mean it like that. Relax, It was just... just a joke." My lips curved into a weak smile, but even I didn't believe it.
His gaze cut through my lie instantly.
"Alessia," my name rolled from his lips in a tone that left no room for my acclaimed silly joke. He stepped closer. "Don't lie to me, say exactly what you meant."
I tried to step back, but he caught my wrist again, not painfully, just firmly, keeping me tethered to him under the endless rain. The closeness made my chest ache. His scent... soap and the faintest trace of expensive cologne, clung to my nose even through the storm, tormenting me.
"I…" My throat tightened as every instinct screamed to swallow my words, but his eyes wouldn't let me.
"Fine! I wasn't joking, okay? I've liked you for a long time, Lorenzo. Longer than I even realized. And staying alone with you just these two days has only… made it worse."
His eyes remained cold, disrupting my thoughts and not knowing what he's thinking right at that moment.
"You shouldn't say that," he finally muttered, more like an order.
"Why?" I snapped. "Because you're my brother's friend? And you think I'm just a spoiled brat who doesn't know what she feels?"
His grip tightened, rain dripping from his chin as his gaze bore into mine.
"Because Adams trusts me with you and I've built walls I can't just tear down. Lastly, I can't afford to let your words mean more than they should."
My chest stung. "So you're saying it's not real? That my feelings are just some silly crush? Infatuation?"
His silence said more than his words ever could. The conflict in his eyes tore at me... he wasn't dismissing me outright, but he wasn't accepting me either. And that hesitation hurt more than rejection.
Finally, he let out a heavy breath, shaking his head slightly. "Get in the car."
I wanted to turn it down but I was cold, soaked to the bone, and trembling too much to keep arguing in the rain. So I obeyed, slipping into the passenger seat while he circled to the driver's side.
The drive back was silent. The rhythmic swish of the wipers was the only sound between us, both of us drowning in thoughts neither dared to speak aloud.
But then, without warning, he slowed and pulled the car over to the side of a quiet street. My heart skipped as I turned toward him. The seriousness in his eyes made my breath hitch.
Was he finally going to answer me? My fingers curled against my damp clothes, bracing for whatever words might come.
But before he could speak, his phone vibrated sharply against the console. Adams' name flashed on the screen...
★★★
~Lorenzo's POV~
Adams' voice came through the line, cheerful as always. I forced my tone into something steady, businesslike.
"She's fine and with me, Adams."
He laughed lightly, rambling on about something trivial, but my focus stayed on the girl beside me, staring out the rain-speckled window, her damp clothes clinging to her flawless curves.
I gave Adams enough reassurance to keep him from asking more, then cut the call short with the excuse of a late meeting.
Silence reclaimed the car as I pulled back onto the road. Alessia didn't say a word, but I could feel her confession echoing inside me, louder than the storm had been.
'Because I like you!' The words replayed again and again, carving through the walls I'd built over years of control.
I wanted to dismiss it as infatuation, the reckless feelings of a twenty-four-year-old who thought she understood the world. But the sincerity in her voice, the fire in her eyes… it didn't feel shallow.
And that unsettled me more than I cared to admit.
Back at the penthouse, I unlocked the door, letting her slip in ahead of me. We avoided each other's eyes, moving in opposite directions to change. I swapped into dry slacks and a white shirt, slicking my damp hair back with impatient fingers.
When I stepped into the kitchen, I found her already curled on the couch, her knees hugged to her chest like a wounded kitten.
"Tea," I muttered, more to myself than to her, and reached for the kettle. She blinked at me as if I'd sprouted horns.
"You're… making tea for me?" she asked softly, disbelief in her tone.
"You were out in the rain, you need it," I replied curtly, setting a steaming cup in front of her a few minutes later. "Drink, It'll help with your allergy."
Her lips parted in surprise. She hesitated, then took a sip, watching me over the rim of the cup with guarded eyes. Her brows raised in confusion, and for the first time tonight, her anger softened.
I sat across from her, the distance very important.
"Alessia, what you said earlier…" I paused. "Are you sure it's not just a crush? You're young and have barely lived outside your studies. I'm older. Your brother—"
"Don't use my age as an excuse." She cut me off with a shake of her head. "And don't drag Adams into this. My feelings are mine, Lorenzo. I know what I feel."
Her defiance stirred me as I leaned back, arms crossed, trying to build my shield again.
"You don't understand what you're asking for."
She set her cup down, leaning forward, eyes blazing. "Then explain it to me."
Our stares locked, heat pulsing between us despite the cold tea. I shifted uncomfortably, meaning to move away, but my hand brushed against hers on the table.
Electricity surged instantly, and she sucked in a breath, her cheeks flushing as I pulled back too quickly.
I forced myself to stand, needing distance. "It's late. Rest, we'll talk another time."
She opened her mouth as if to protest but stayed silent, only nodding faintly and I walked away...
--
By morning, the house was quiet again. I left before she woke, exchanging my turmoil for the order of routine. On the counter, I left a note in my clipped handwriting:
"Your internship begins today, so be ready at nine."
The drive to the office did little to clear my thoughts. But when my inbox chimed with an urgent email from HR, reality crashed back. My personal assistant had gone on emergency medical leave for six months.
As I read the message, one thought refused to leave me. 'Alessia becoming my personal assistant for the next three months...'