A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER LVII

The tension in the car was palpable as they drove to Matteo’s office. The soft hum of the engine was the only sound that filled the air. Mia sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her fingers pressing into her palms. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Matteo, but she could feel the weight of his presence beside her. His silence was heavy, almost suffocating, and with every passing minute, Mia felt her nerves fray further.

Matteo’s face remained unreadable, his gaze fixed out of the window as the city passed by. The calm expression he wore didn’t give anything away, but Mia knew him well enough to understand that his silence was far from reassuring. It was the calm before the storm. His mind was working, and that terrified her.

He can’t know, she kept repeating in her mind. There’s no way he could know… but what if he does?

Every small movement from Matteo, the occasional shifting of his hands or the subtle tightening of his jaw, only amplified her fear. She swallowed hard, trying to appear composed, but inside, she was a wreck. She could hear her screams and the things Matteo would do if he knew about, but she thinks to herself, if Matteo had knew he wouldn't have let her in just like that, he would've thrown her out by now, but no sign.

As they neared the office, Mia’s anxiety reached its peak. Her thoughts raced through every possible scenario. If Matteo knew about her betrayal, there would be no mercy. His world operated on trust, loyalty, and precision, and once you lost any of those, you were finished. And Mia knew better than anyone how ruthless Matteo could be when he felt betrayed.

The car came to a slow stop in front of the De'Luca Enterprises building. Matteo’s gaze flicked briefly in her direction before he opened the door and stepped out. Mia exhaled shakily, realizing she had been holding her breath.

"Congratulations, Matteo, on winning the deal, but how can I not know about your detailed analysis of the plan you made before" she said, trying to sounds normal

"Mia..., the wall have ears, do you know that, and it's also full of snakes, I can't risk it, you know  it better that if I want it I'll take down the heaven for it to be used,....Darling" he replied, she felt a pang in her heart, praying that he won't know

She quickly followed Matteo into the building, her heart pounding in her chest. The walk to his office felt like it stretched for miles. Mia could barely focus on the environment around her; all she could think about was the conversation that might happen once they were alone.

They reached Matteo’s office, and as the door closed behind them, the silence became almost unbearable. Mia stood a few steps behind him as Matteo went to his desk, still saying nothing. His back was to her, and she could feel the tension radiating from him. She swallowed again, her throat dry, her nerves frayed.

Finally, Matteo turned around, his eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them, but Mia could sense the weight of the moment. The anticipation was crushing her, every second of Matteo’s stare felt like an eternity.

“You’ve been loyal to me for years, Mia,” Matteo finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with something darker. “So tell me… how did Carter think he could get so close to my plans?”

Mia’s blood ran cold.

Mia’s pulse quickened as Matteo’s words hung in the air, heavy with accusation. Her mind scrambled for an excuse, something that could explain everything without revealing the truth. She forced a nervous smile, her voice trembling as she spoke.

“Matteo… I don’t know what you mean. Carter’s been trying to undermine you for a while, but I’ve always stayed loyal,” she stammered, her eyes avoiding his piercing gaze. “Maybe he just got lucky, overheard something, or had someone else feeding him information. It wasn’t me. You know I would never—”

Matteo cut her off with a sharp glance, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He stepped closer, the tension in the room growing with each of his slow, deliberate movements. “Enough,” he said coldly, his voice no longer calm. There was a storm brewing behind his eyes, and Mia could feel its weight.

Her heart raced as she tried to backtrack, realizing that she had underestimated him. “Matteo, I swear—”

“Don’t lie to me, Mia,” he interrupted, his voice rising slightly, but still controlled, as if he was holding back the full force of his fury. “I know everything. You’ve been feeding Carter information about my deals. You think I wouldn’t find out?”

Mia’s breath hitched in her throat. She had never seen Matteo like this, not with her. His eyes burned with betrayal, a fury so cold it made her shiver.

She opened her mouth to say something, to try to salvage whatever was left of the situation, but Matteo raised his hand, silencing her again.

“Don’t,” he said, his tone final. “It’s too late for excuses.”

He walked over to his desk, his back to her once more, as if trying to compose himself. Mia stood frozen, knowing she had been caught but still clinging to the hope that she could make things right.

“I trusted you,” Matteo said quietly, his back still turned. “And you sold me out to Carter. Why, Mia? After everything, why?”

Mia’s mind raced for a response, but she knew there was no escape now. Matteo had seen through every lie, and she could feel the walls closing in around her.

"I was jealous, I was jealous" she replied, her knees gave out that she felt to the floor

Matteo stood motionless, Mia's confession hanging in the air like a weight he hadn't expected. His shoulders tensed as her words echoed—jealousy, love, betrayal. Slowly, he turned to face her, his expression unreadable.

"You what?" His voice was low, simmering with disbelief.

Mia stepped forward, her eyes filled with desperation, hoping he would understand. "I was jealous, Matteo. You don’t know how hard it was watching you with her, seeing the way you look at Isabella. You’ve never looked at me like that. I thought if I helped Carter—it could make you stay far away from her. He promised that if we could drive her away you then, I could—" Her voice faltered, and she dropped her gaze, ashamed of her actions. "I love you, Matteo. I’ve loved you for a long time."

Matteo’s face darkened, his jaw clenched as he took in her words. "So, you let your jealousy ruin everything? You let your so-called love for me destroy the trust we had?" He took a step toward her, his eyes hard.

Mia’s eyes filled with tears. "I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I was only thinking of us, Matteo. I thought if she was out of the picture, you’d see me—really see me."

Matteo let out a bitter laugh. "See you?" His voice grew colder. He shook his head, his disappointment clear. "If you really think of me, you wouldn’t have done this."

Mia's tears fell as she realized the depth of her mistake. "I was wrong," she whispered. "I was wrong, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to end up like this."

The silence between them grew heavy, and Mia felt the finality in his words. She had crossed a line that could never be undone.

Matteo stood as he looked  at Mia,the weight of betrayal settling heavily on his shoulders. He had been betrayed not just by a colleague, but by someone he thought he could trust. But now, his focus shifted back to the one person who mattered most—Isabella.