Chapter 3 - THE MASK CRACKS
The sitting room was quiet when Matteo pushed the heavy door open.
Sofia had already left through the side service entrance. Elena sat alone on the velvet sofa, holding a cold cup of tea, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the glittering Manhattan skyline.
She looked small in the vast room, wearing a simple silk robe, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders. The tear tracks on her cheeks were dried, but her dark eyes were hollow with a bone-deep fatigue.
When she heard his footsteps, her body instantly went rigid.
In a fraction of a second, Matteo watched her pull the cold, distant mask back over her face. Her posture straightened, her eyes hardened, and her lips compressed into a line of utter indifference.
It was the same cold facade she had worn every day for three years.
Only tonight, Matteo saw the subtle tremble in her delicate hands before she hid them beneath her sleeves. He saw the faint catch in her throat. He saw the agonizing effort it took for her to pretend she despised him.
“What do you want, Matteo?” she asked, her voice clipped, devoid of any warmth. “If it’s about the legal documents, my lawyer said they would be delivered tomorrow.”
Matteo stood five feet away, watching her.
For three years, he had responded to this tone with anger, icy sarcasm, or total withdrawal. Tonight, he felt a painful knot form in his chest.
“There are no documents, Elena,” Matteo said softly.
Elena hesitated, her eyes flickering with a momentary flash of confusion before she smoothed it over. “What are you talking about? You said you were signing them tonight. You said you were tired of this marriage.”
Matteo didn't answer right away. He walked slowly across the room, ignoring the subtle flinch in her shoulders as he approached, and sat down on the leather ottoman directly in front of her.
He had not been this close to her in over a year.
“Matteo, please,” Elena said, leaning back slightly, putting distance between them. “Don't do this. Just sign the papers and let me go.”
“I burnt them,” Matteo said gently.
Elena froze. “You... what?”
“I burnt the divorce papers, Elena,” he repeated, keeping his voice steady and calm. “They’re sitting in the fireplace in my study right now.”
Elena’s facade began to fracture around the edges. Panic sparked in her dark eyes. “Why would you do that?! We’re miserable! You hate me! You’ve hated me since Naples!”
“I never hated you,” Matteo said, his heart aching as he looked at her pale face. “I was hurt. I was angry. But I never hated you.”
“You’re lying!” Elena snapped, her voice rising as she tried desperately to maintain her wall. “You know what happened in Naples! You know what I did!”
“I know what you did,” Matteo agreed quietly.
He reached out slowly, giving her ample time to pull away, and gently placed his hand over her cold, trembling fingers.
Elena tried to pull her hand back, but her strength failed her. “Matteo... don't...”
“I know about the bullet, Elena,” Matteo whispered.
The room went entirely, terrifyingly silent.
All the air seemed to leave Elena’s lungs at once. Her eyes widened in absolute, paralyzing horror. The color drained completely from her face until she looked like a marble statue.
“W-what...?” she choked out, her breath hitching wildly. “What did you say?”
“I know about the marksman in the alley three years ago,” Matteo said, his thumb gently smoothing over her knuckles. “I know you didn't go to that meeting to sell me out. I know you stepped in front of the rifle to save my life.”
Elena stared at him, her body shaking uncontrollably. Tears immediately welled up in her dark eyes, spilling over her lashes in hot, uncontainable streams.
“No...” she gasped, trying desperately to shake her head, her voice rising in sheer panic. “No, no, no! Who told you that?! That’s not true! I betrayed you! I met with them for money! I hated you!”
“Stop lying to me, Elena,” Matteo pleaded softly, leaning closer. “I heard you talking to Sofia ten minutes ago. I heard every word.”
Elena let out a ragged, heartbreaking sob, covering her face with her free hand. Her entire body collapsed forward as the three-year burden she had carried alone finally crushed her defenses.
“Why did you listen?!” she sobbed hysterically, hitting her fist weakly against his chest. “Why didn't you just sign the papers and leave?! You were supposed to leave! You were supposed to be safe!”
May you like
Matteo didn't pull back. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her small, shaking frame directly into his chest, holding her against his heart for the first time in three long years.
“I’m not going anywhere, Elena,” Matteo growled softly against her hair, his own eyes burning with unshed tears. “I’m never letting you go again.”
