From Crime To Court

Chapter 9

▪️A L E S S I O▪️

I lay on the bed, my body heavy with exhaustion and the remnants of the evening's revelry.

Tilting my head, I watched Sereno's internal battle play out in the furrow of his brow and the uncertainty in his eyes. As the seconds ticked by, the weight of indecision seemed to hang in the air, casting a palpable tension.

With a soft smile, Sereno eased himself onto the edge of the mattress and said, "I'll stay..."

"Thank you," I murmured, the words barely more than a breath, escaping my lips with a delicate vulnerability.

In that moment, my own voice sounded foreign to me, carrying a hint of fragility that I could not quite place. Was it the lingering effects of the alcohol, dulling my senses and amplifying my emotions? Or was it something deeper, a yearning I had not allowed myself to acknowledge until now?

"Of course, Alessio."

As Sereno's voice softly intoned my name, I felt a subtle but unmistakable shift within me. My heart beat a little faster, my breath catching in my chest. I looked into his beautiful brown eyes, searching for answers that eluded me. I grappled with the unfamiliarity of these emotions, struggling to make sense of them. It was a mixture of longing, admiration, and a profound connection that defied easy explanation.

"But I can only stay for a little while," Sereno said, pulling my attention back to him.

"Why can't you stay the night?" The question escaped my lips, sounding almost absurd even to my own ears.

His gaze met mine, a mix of surprise and something deeper flickering in his eyes. He seemed to consider his words carefully before he spoke, his voice gentle yet tinged with a hint of regret.

"I wish I could, Alessio, but I'd rather not cause a scene. What would the household think if they knew I had spent the entire night in your chambers?"

"I don't really care about gossip," I blurted out, the words surprising even myself.

Sereno's gaze met mine, and for a moment, a shared understanding passed between us. The unspoken acknowledgment of the complexities we faced resonated in the air. The world outside this chamber, with its judgements, seemed a distant concern.

"You might not, but I do..."

His words carried a weight of caution, a reminder of the societal expectations that loomed over us. I understood his concern; the villa's gossiping tongues could be merciless. Still, a twinge of disappointment coursed through me.

"I see," I replied, my voice tinged with a blend of understanding and frustration. "It's a shame that appearances hold such sway."

Sereno nodded, his eyes seeming to reflect a shared sense of regret as he responded, "Indeed, but perhaps there will be another time, when discretion isn't so imperative."

"I look forward to that then..."

Due to our positions on the bed, it allowed me to study Sereno's face more closely. There was a delicate femininity to his features, a subtle grace that transcended traditional notions of masculinity. High cheekbones sculpted by some unseen hand bestowed upon him an ethereal quality. His lips, usually composed, now betrayed a hint of softness, a feminine subtlety beneath the masculine facade. It was as if Sereno's true self momentarily broke free, revealing itself to the world and I longed to know that part of him, the part that he kept so guarded.

While I had never been physically attracted to men, I could still appreciate the beauty in another person, irrespective of their gender.

To be honest, I was not really sure what I felt for Sereno.