Alessio's POV
The sharp knock on my bedroom door pulled me from the deepest sleep I'd had in years.
For a second, I frowned, refusing to move.
Then I felt her.
Adriana.
Curled against my chest, breathing softly, completely lost in sleep.
A small smile found its way onto my lips.
Careful not to wake her, I slowly slipped out of bed, making sure the blanket remained wrapped around her before walking toward the door.
Another knock.
"I'm coming."
The moment I opened it, I found Zia standing there with a silver tray in her hands. Two mugs of coffee filled the air with a rich aroma.
"I made coffee for both of you," she said with a warm smile.
I reached for the tray.
"You didn't have to—"
Her eyes wandered past my shoulder.
They landed on Adriana, peacefully asleep beneath the blanket. Then they shifted toward the elegant dress lying near the floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
A knowing smile curved her lips.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"...Zia."
She chuckled quietly.
"I'll pretend I didn't notice anything."
I couldn't help letting out a breath of embarrassment.
"I actually came to ask if you've heard anything about your father," she continued.
My expression immediately became serious.
"No."
"Nothing at all?"
I shook my head.
"Not yet."
She gave a thoughtful nod before placing the tray into my hands.
"When the two of you are awake, come downstairs. We need to talk."
"We will."
She turned to leave before pausing for a brief moment.
"And Alessio..."
"Yes?"
"Take good care of your wife."
A small smile tugged at my lips.
"I always do."
Satisfied, she disappeared down the hallway.
I quietly closed the bedroom door behind me.
Running a hand through my messy hair, I set the coffee on the bedside table before turning around.
My eyes found Adriana immediately.
She hadn't moved.
The afternoon sunlight poured through the glass windows, wrapping her in a soft golden glow.
A few strands of dark hair rested across her cheek, and the blanket rose and fell gently with every peaceful breath she took.
For a long moment...
I simply stood there.
How had someone like her walked into my life?
After everything I'd done...
After every life I'd taken...
After every stain of blood that would never leave my hands...
I still couldn't understand why fate had decided I deserved her.
"You deserve someone better than me," I whispered.
"But I'll spend every day proving that loving you was never a mistake."
I walked back to the bed.
Sitting beside her, I gently brushed the loose strands of hair away from her face before letting my fingers glide through her hair.
She leaned into my touch even in her sleep.
My heart clenched.
God...
She trusted me completely.
I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, resting my chin lightly against the top of her head.
For the first time in my life...
I wasn't thinking about enemies.
Or business.
Or blood.
I was thinking about the woman sleeping in my arms.
The woman who had somehow become my home.
A few minutes later, she stirred.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
The moment they met mine, she smiled.
And somehow...
That simple smile was enough to make the entire world disappear.
"Good afternoon, princess," I murmured.
She let out the cutest sleepy laugh.
"We slept that long?"
"It would seem so."
She stretched slightly before looking up at me.
"How long have you been awake?"
"Long enough to admire my wife."
A faint blush dusted her cheeks.
I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"How are you feeling?"
She gave me a reassuring nod.
"I'm okay."
I searched her face for a second longer, making sure she meant it.
Only then did I relax.
When she tried to stand, she barely managed one step before freezing.
Her eyebrows pinched together.
I couldn't stop the amused smile that escaped me.
"I knew it."
"Don't you dare laugh."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm smiling."
"That's even worse."
Before she could protest again, I slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, lifting her effortlessly into my arms.
She sighed dramatically, though I caught the smile she was trying to hide.
"I can walk."
"I know."
"Then put me down."
"No."
She wrapped her arms around my neck anyway.
I smiled to myself.
Exactly.
That's what I thought.
Holding her close, I carried my wife toward the bathroom, silently promising myself that no matter what awaited us downstairs...for these few quiet moments, the world could wait.
I nudged the bathroom door open with my shoulder before setting her down carefully on the marble countertop.
"Stay," I said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes, though the corners of her lips curved upward.
"Bossy."
"I prefer 'caring.'"
"Oh? Is that what we're calling it now?"
I chuckled, reaching over to turn on the shower. Warm water poured from the rainfall showerhead, filling the room with gentle steam.
When I turned back, Adriana was watching me with those impossible eyes—the same eyes that somehow stripped away every wall I'd spent years building.
"What?" I asked.
She tilted her head.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"I was just thinking."
"Dangerous."
She laughed, shaking her head.
"I was thinking that I've never seen this side of you before."
"What side?"
"The one who smiles so much."
I stared at her for a moment before answering honestly.
"I didn't know this side existed."
Her expression softened.
I stepped closer, resting my forehead against hers.
"You changed that."
A comfortable silence settled between us.
Not awkward.
Not forced.
Just...peaceful.
It was strange.
I'd negotiated with politicians, threatened rival bosses, survived ambushes, and ordered men twice my size without a second thought.
Yet standing here with Adriana, hearing her heartbeat close to mine, felt far more significant than any victory I'd ever claimed.
She reached up, gently smoothing a strand of hair away from my forehead.
"You're thinking too much again."
"I always do."
"Not when you're with me."
I smiled.
She was right.
For once, my mind wasn't occupied with territories, shipments, or enemies waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
It was occupied by her.
Only her.
I took one of her hands and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles.
"No matter what happens," I murmured, meeting her gaze, "I want you to remember one thing."
"What?"
"You'll never have to face this world alone again."
Her fingers tightened around mine.
"And neither will you."
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
The sound of the running water was the only thing filling the room.
Then, somewhere downstairs, a grandfather clock chimed.
Reality was calling us back.
The questions about my father...the responsibilities waiting beyond this room...they hadn't disappeared.
But they could wait another minute.
I smiled at my wife, brushed my thumb gently across her cheek, and drew a slow breath.
One more quiet moment with her.
That was all I wanted before stepping back into the world.