In the heart of a modern city, two rival families hold the power. Valentina, a fiercely loyal daughter, and Matteo, a cunning and determined son, find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous feud. But when their paths unexpectedly intertwine, th...
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I woke up, the events of yesterday flooding my consciousness, allowing my mother's words to echo once again.
I push myself up from my bed. Matteo steps out of the bathroom, his face unreadable as he dries his hair with a towel. "Hope the bed was comfortable," he says, voice dripping with sarcasm.
I roll my eyes, unable to hold back. "You didn't have to sleep on the floor, you know."
He raises an eyebrow, his tone turning cold. "Trust me, I did. Sharing a bed with you isn't exactly my idea of a good time."
"Seriously?" I scoff. "It's not like I'm thrilled about this either, Matteo."
"Then maybe you should be grateful I'm doing you a favor by keeping my distance," he snaps back, his eyes narrowing. "Or would you prefer I pretend this is all some grand romance?"
I glare at him. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't want any of it."
His smirk is laced with bitterness. "Yeah, well, neither did I. But here we are, playing the part. And by the way, we've got some stupid party to go to later, so try to pull yourself together."
I cross my arms, trying to maintain my composure. "You think I'm looking forward to that?"
Matteo's voice hardens. "You think I care? All I need from you is to play along and not embarrass me. That's it. So whatever issues you have, save them for someone who gives a fuck."
"Then why are you even here?" I snap back. "If I'm such a burden, why bother?"
"Because I don't have a choice!" he snaps, his voice rising. "I'm stuck with you, remember? And I'm just trying to make the best of it without losing my mind."
"Stuck with me?" I repeat, my voice shaking with anger.
We stand there in tense silence, the air thick with unspoken words. Finally, I turn away, grabbing clothes from my drawer. "Whatever," I mutter.
I head to the bathroom to change, trying to calm my nerves. The cold water on my face helps, but only a little. When I come back out, Matteo is sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at his phone. He doesn't look up when Sabrina enters the room, her usual bubbly self.
"Morning, chicka!" she greets me with a big smile.
"Morning," I reply flatly, not in the mood for small talk.
Sabrina gives me a concerned look. "What's wrong?"
"Nada," I say, my voice low.
Matteo glances up, his expression softening slightly when he sees Sabrina. "Where's Julian?" he asks, his tone more neutral than it was with me.
"He's around," Sabrina answers with a smile. She seems to notice the tension but doesn't comment on it, thank goodness.
I check my phone when it buzzes with a message from Logan.
