Chapter 3 - The Grip on My Wrist
The diner noise faded into a dull hum as Alessandro’s fingers tightened just enough to stop me from pulling away. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird while I searched for a lie convincing enough to fool a man who built empires by reading people.
“I don’t think so, sir,” I managed to say, keeping my voice steady despite the panic threatening to choke me. “I tend to remember people who look like they belong in boardrooms instead of diners.”
A slow, knowing smile touched the corners of Alessandro’s mouth, though his amber eyes remained sharp and analytical. He slowly released my wrist, leaving a lingering warmth on my skin that felt entirely too familiar.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Alessandro murmured, leaning back against the vinyl booth. “People in boardrooms are usually much easier to read than you are.”
I muttered a quick excuse and rushed back to the kitchen, pressing my back against the stainless steel refrigerator as I tried to calm my racing pulse. He didn’t recognize me as Emma from the Obsidian Hotel yet, but getting too close to him was a game of Russian roulette.
When my shift finally ended at four in the afternoon, I practically sprinted out the back door and headed toward the subway station. The autumn wind bit through my thin jacket, but the cold air was the only thing keeping my head clear.
By the time I unlocked the front door of the apartment, Liam was sitting at the small kitchen table surrounded by blueprints for a plumbing repair job. He looked up immediately, his expression shifting from professional focus to deep concern.
“You look pale again,” Liam said, standing up and crossing the room to block my path. “Emma, seriously, what is going on with you? You’re sweating, you haven't eaten properly in weeks, and you look like you're hiding from the FBI.”
“I’m just stressed about my nursing finals, Liam,” I lied, hanging my coat up with trembling fingers. “Nursing school isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”
“Stop using nursing school as an excuse,” Liam countered gently, reaching out to touch my shoulder. “We’ve lived together for two years. I know when something is breaking your heart. You can talk to me.”
I looked into Liam’s honest, steady eyes and felt a wave of guilt wash over me. Liam had protected me when I had nobody, yet I couldn’t tell him that I was carrying the child of one of the most dangerous billionaires in Chicago.
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“Just give me a little time, okay?” I whispered, turning away to hide the sudden sting of tears in my eyes.
Liam sighed softly, knowing better than to push me when I walled myself off. Little did we both know, time was the one thing we were running out of, because Alessandro Vitali’s private investigators had already begun searching for the mysterious girl from Room 1520.
