The morning started with a strange feeling. After the heat of the night before, Eimi and Marco went downstairs for breakfast. They felt closer, but they were also nervous.
Marco's grandfather, Lorenzo, was already at the table. He looked at them with his sharp, lion-like eyes. He noticed how Marco pulled out Eimi's chair and how Eimi's face turned red when Marco touched her hand.
"You two look different today," Lorenzo said, his voice cold. "The attack yesterday... did it make you realize life is short? Or are you just getting better at acting?"
Marco tightened his grip on his coffee cup. "It wasn't an act, Grandfather."
Lorenzo laughed dryly. "Be careful, Marco. In our world, feelings make you weak. A woman like Eimi is a distraction for a man who wants to rule an empire. If you get too close, you might lose your focus."
Eimi felt a sting in her heart. She looked at Marco, expecting him to defend her. But Marco stayed silent, his face turning back into a mask of stone. He didn't want to show his weakness to the old man.
Eimi felt a cold wave of doubt. Does he think I'm a distraction? Was last night just a mistake?
An Old Friend Arrives
After breakfast, Marco left for the office without saying a sweet goodbye. Eimi felt lonely and confused. To clear her head, she decided to go to a small cafe near the villa.
While she was sitting there, a voice called her name. "Eimi? Is that really you?"
Eimi looked up and gasped. "Jon?"
Jon was a close friend from her university days in Japan. They had been very close, and some people even thought they would date, but they were just best friends. Jon was in Italy for a business trip.
"I heard you got married!" Jon said, sitting down across from her. He reached out and playfully ruffled her hair, then held her hand over the table. "You look beautiful, but you also look like you've been through a war. Are you okay?"
Eimi smiled for the first time that day. Talking to Jon felt like home. They laughed and talked about old times. From a distance, it looked like a very romantic date.
The Phone Call
What Eimi didn't know was that one of Marco's security guards was watching her. The guard took a photo and called Marco immediately.
"Sir," the guard said. "Mrs. Moretti is at a cafe with a young man. They are holding hands. She looks... very happy."
At the office, Marco stared at the photo on his phone. His blood began to boil. He remembered what his grandfather said about distractions. He felt a sharp pain of jealousy in his chest. I saved her life, and now she is laughing with another man? Instead of calling Eimi to ask the truth, Marco's pride took over. He wanted to hurt her back. He wanted to make her feel the same fire he was feeling.
The Jealousy Trap
That evening, Marco came home late. But he wasn't alone.
Eimi was waiting for him in the living room, wanting to explain about Jon. But when the door opened, Marco walked in with a beautiful woman on his arm. It was Elena, a model who worked for his company.
Marco had his hand on Elena's waist, and he was smiling—a cold, fake smile.
"Eimi," Marco said, his voice like ice. "I forgot to tell you. Elena is staying for dinner. We have a lot of... business to discuss."
Elena giggled and leaned into Marco's chest. "Marco told me so much about you, Eimi. He said you were very... quiet."
Eimi felt like she had been slapped. She looked at Marco, but he wouldn't look her in the eye. He looked like the heartless billionaire again.
"I had a nice day too, Marco," Eimi said, her voice shaking. "I met an old friend. His name is Jon. He actually cares about how I feel."
Marco's jaw tightened. He stepped closer to Eimi, still holding Elena. "I don't care who you meet, Eimi. Remember the contract? You do your thing, and I do mine."
The heat from the night before was gone. In its place was a wall of ice. They were standing in the same room, but they had never been further apart.