Hidden in the Ashes (Book 1 of The Rossi Legacy series)

Chapter 3

POV: Iris Laurent

I cradled another cup of coffee in my hands as I sit on the couch, its warmth barely cutting through the chill of my thoughts. It had been almost three hours since Lena left, and Ocean's Eleven played on the television, though I couldn't focus on anything but the grocery list on my phone.

I glanced up at Adonis's door—it was still shut, as if guarding a secret. He hadn't made a sound since Lena walked out, and the silence felt heavier with each passing minute.

I tried to finish my grocery order, hoping that focusing on something trivial would quiet my mind. But the hum of the movie and the unanswered questions in my head blurred together. As soon as I hit submit, my thoughts snapped back to Lena's words, gnawing at me like an itch I couldn't scratch.

Just because I'm with Enzo doesn't mean I'll turn on you, you know. Besides, he's not thrilled with the next heir either.

There was so much to unpack in that one sentence. Lena and Enzo's love had always seemed like an oasis—something pure in the middle of the Rossi family's chaos. But no matter how beautiful it appeared on the surface, it was still tainted by the Rossi legacy.

Then again, she said Enzo isn't happy with Matteo being the heir. But how far does that really go? Her hesitation at the end of that sentence... it was so unlike her. What was she hiding? Could I really trust her fully, knowing how close she is to the Rossis?

Enzo was one of them. No matter how much Lena wanted to shield their relationship from the family's influence, it was impossible to fully escape. He was bound to their dirty dealings, their lies. The family always came first. I couldn't help but wonder how much of their relationship was personal and how much of it was simply business.

If they could corrupt something as genuine as Lena and Enzo, then what hope did I have of getting out?

I tried to shake the thoughts from my head. The idea of not trusting Lena wasn't something I wanted to face. She was truly the only friend I had left in this world. Both of us had gotten ourselves tangled up with members of the Rossi family. Looking back, it was almost surreal to think of how different things used to be.

We were so young back then—naive, even. I had fallen for Matteo hard, before he had any real knowledge of what his family truly did. He was so different then. Charming. A hopeless romantic who seemed so devoted to me, so sure of us. Back then, he made me believe I was his entire world, and I made him mine.

But everything changed the moment he realized he was next in line. It was as though a switch flipped inside him, revealing a darker, more voracious side. He wasn't just Matteo anymore—he was the Rossi heir, the future king of their empire. Power became his obsession. The alcohol, the drugs, the rush of absolute control—it all consumed him, and with it, the man I once loved vanished, replaced by a stranger.

It felt like watching a fuse burn, knowing that an explosion was inevitable, but powerless to stop it. The longer I stayed, the more destructive he became. While he basked in the spoils of his newfound power, I carried the weight of his decisions—shouldering the responsibilities, the abuse, the torment. I took it all, feeling trapped in the cycle. And through it all, Lena was the only one who saw past the mask I wore. She saw the cracks and the pain I tried to hide, and I leaned on her in ways I never could with anyone else.

Adonis clearing his throat shattered my thoughts. My head snapped toward his door, startled by his sudden appearance.

"I didn't realize this movie was so emotional, darling," his gravelly voice cut through the tension, a cocky grin plastered across his face.