Beau carried Giulia into the guest room and carefully placed her on the bed.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Good."
He straightened, but he didn't leave. He simply stood there, looking down at her. Giulia looked back, and for several quiet seconds, neither of them moved. She couldn't even bring herself to blink as her brain raced with a single, overwhelming question.
Why is he pretending?
Why was Beau Orsini, of all people, playing along with his brother's ridiculous lie?
She had expected confusion, suspicion, or even anger. Instead, he had calmly carried her out of a collapsing hospital, brought her to his family mansion, defended her against his brother, and now stood in front of the bed as if this were the most natural situation in the world.
It made no sense.
Giulia couldn't help wondering if this was some strange game the brothers played. Maybe since Finn had failed to sleep with her, it was now Beau's turn to try.
The thought made her stomach twist, and she clenched her fingers tightly beneath the blanket.
She had believed Finn's declarations of love, the way he looked at her, the promises he made, and the future he had painted so carefully, all because she believed he was different. But all he had truly wanted was for her to become another notch on his bedpost.
She wasn't going to make the same mistake with this brother. She would stay guarded.
Beau walked toward the window, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked out at the sprawling grounds surrounding the mansion.
For the first time, Giulia noticed the dust clinging to his clothes. A thin layer had settled across his shoulders, his dark hair, and his eyelashes. Without his usual immaculate appearance, he looked strangely young, almost mischievous, and nothing like the cold CEO she knew at work.
She hated that she noticed.
"I remember the first time I saw you." his voice was soft, almost contemplative, as his eyes met hers and held. "I couldn't help wondering what you were hiding."
Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, he's good. So good.
His expression remained calm, but Giulia wasn't buying it. He was enjoying this. He wanted to see how far she would take her little act and make her uncomfortable.
Fine. Let's play.
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She had felt a flicker of guilt about dragging Beau into her lie, not wanting to become like Finn and manipulate people for her own benefit.
But perhaps there was nothing wrong with teaching them both a lesson, especially after everything Finn had done.
"When was the first time you saw me?" she asked.
Beau didn't hesitate. "The day your department made the Scorned Will Rise presentation."
Giulia's eyes widened slightly, though she quickly masked her reaction. Beau's gaze remained fixed on her face, searching for a reaction, recognition, or anything at all.
"What was interesting about that day?" she asked, tilting her head. "I don't remember it."
It was a lie. She remembered it perfectly.
Each of the game development departments had been given an unreleased title. Their task was to dissect it, identify its weaknesses, and pitch improvements. The strongest presentation would earn the department the right to develop the game.
For most people, it was an opportunity to impress the CEO. For Giulia, it was a chance to prove to herself that she belonged there.
It had been the first time she'd seen Beau in person, barely a month after she started working at the company. Back then, she was still trying to understand the corporate hierarchy and figure out how to survive without drawing a lot of attention to herself.
She had always loved games, not simply playing them, but breaking them apart.
Her father used to say it didn't matter that he had a daughter instead of a son because they could still be game buddies.
They had spent countless hours getting lost in virtual worlds, frequently getting scolded by her mother for spending too much time in front of a screen.
After his death, Giulia had clung to video games as a way to remember him. When she got an opportunity to work in a company she admired so much she had taken the chance quickly.
Being noticed had never ended well for Giulia. She'd learned that lesson years ago, under circumstances she still couldn't think about without feeling sick. So she kept her head down, her voice quiet, and her ambitions hidden at work.
It had been years since she'd learned that lesson, but the fear still clung to her like a second skin. Being noticed was dangerous, so she had stayed at the edge of the team, listening, taking notes, and contributing quietly.
Nobody cared about the new girl sitting in the corner, and that was exactly how she liked it.
Until the presentation.
She could still remember the long glass table, the projector humming quietly, and Beau Orsini sitting at the head of the room.
He hadn't looked like a CEO to her. He looked too young, too handsome, with dark tattoos crawling up his neck. His expression had been so cold that half the room was terrified to speak.
When he finally asked if anyone had anything to add, Giulia had hesitantly raised her hand. She started explaining a critical flaw in the game's reward structure and progression system, backed by pages of detailed notes and alternative solutions she had prepared beforehand.
She hadn't even gotten halfway through her explanation before Pei ling interrupted with a sweet smile: "I actually had a similar suggestion."
Pei ling had then presented Giulia's exact ideas, one by one, almost word for word. Giulia had been too stunned to react as Beau listened, asked questions, and ultimately praised Peiling for her insight.
Giulia later realized Pei ling had taken her missing notebook while she was away getting coffee.
It had infuriated Giulia, but she'd learned that people like Pei ling always dug their own graves eventually.
Just as she'd predicted, Pei ling's arrogance eventually caught up with her. Put in charge of a major project, she'd overpromised and underdelivered, costing the company millions in investor money. Giulia hadn't gloated. She'd simply watched.
It surprised Giulia that Beau was bringing up that day.
"I have no memory of that day," she lied sweetly. "Can you tell me about it?"
"You actually don't remember anything about that day?" Beau asked.
"Nothing."
Beau stared at her for several long seconds, then a faint smile touched his lips. "That's unfortunate."
Giulia frowned. "Why?"
He took a step closer to the bed, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "Because that was the day I decided I wanted to know you."
Her heart stopped.