Shadows of Desire

Chapter Twelve: The Weight of Regret

Chapter Twelve: The Weight of Regret

Vincenzo had been drowning in silence ever since Elleyanna left. His world had been a blur of business deals and the constant weight of expectations from the De Lucas family, but none of it mattered. The real battle was raging inside him.

He hadn’t wanted her to go. That much was clear from the moment she walked out the door. He had tried to convince himself that he had done the right thing by letting her go, that she needed the freedom to make her own choices. But every day, the absence of her presence, the silence that echoed in the space she had once filled, was like a wound that never healed.

For the first time in his life, Vincenzo didn’t have control over the situation. He couldn’t dictate the outcome of this, and it was tearing him apart.

---

The Aftershock

In the weeks that followed, Vincenzo threw himself into his business. He made power moves, crushed rival families, expanded his influence. But each success felt hollow without Elleyanna by his side.

Every evening, when he sat alone in his penthouse, he found himself staring out at the city, his thoughts consumed by her. Her absence was like a constant shadow looming over him.

He hadn’t reached out to her directly. He knew that if he did, it would only push her further away. But the urge to call—to hear her voice, to know she was safe—was overwhelming.

Nadia had been the only one to reach out, but her words hadn’t brought the comfort he thought they would. Instead, they made him feel like he was losing her all over again. He’s not the same without you. Those words haunted him.

---

A Chance Encounter

One rainy evening, when the weight of everything seemed unbearable, Vincenzo decided to leave the penthouse for the first time in days. He drove through the dark streets of the city, his mind restless. He needed to think, to clear his head.

He didn’t expect to run into anyone, but fate had other plans. As he turned a corner, he saw someone familiar—someone who had always been part of his world, yet felt like a ghost now.

It was Matteo.

Vincenzo pulled over, rolling down the window. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone more biting than he intended.

Matteo gave him a knowing look. “You’ve been avoiding me, Vincenzo. And you’ve been avoiding yourself, too.”

Vincenzo sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie,” Matteo said bluntly. “You can’t keep pretending that everything is okay when it’s not. Elleyanna left, and you’re not handling it well. You’re not yourself.”

Vincenzo tensed. “What do you want me to do about it, Matteo? She left. I don’t have control over that.”

Matteo leaned against the car, his expression hardening. “You never had control over her, Vincenzo. You never will. But you’re letting your obsession with that control destroy you. You’re letting your ego get in the way of what matters. If you love her, you need to let her be. If she comes back, it will be because she wants to. Not because you forced her.”

Vincenzo felt the weight of his words sink in. Matteo was right. He had always prided himself on control, on being the one to dictate the terms of his life. But with Elleyanna, he had been wrong. He had pushed too hard, held on too tightly. And in doing so, he had lost her.

---

The Turning Point

The next few days were a blur for Vincenzo. He didn’t care about the business, the family’s reputation, or any of the power he had fought so hard to gain. The only thing that mattered was Elleyanna—and the guilt that had been gnawing at him.

The truth was, he had never fully realized how much he had relied on her, how much he had needed her, until she was gone. She had been his anchor, his tether to a world he had thought he understood. And without her, he felt adrift.

For the first time in his life, Vincenzo realized that he had lost something far more precious than any business deal or alliance. He had lost her—and it was a loss that couldn’t be undone with power or influence.

---

The Visit

On the tenth day after their last encounter, Vincenzo couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to see her. He needed to know that she was okay, even if it meant confronting the reality that she might not want him in her life anymore.

He called Matteo. “Get me her address. I need to see her.”

Matteo hesitated, but then relented. “You sure about this, Vincenzo?”

“I have to see her,” Vincenzo said firmly. “I have to make things right.”

It didn’t take long before he was standing in front of a small, nondescript building, the same quiet corner of the city where Elleyanna had started over. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he walked up the steps.

When he knocked on the door, there was a long silence before Elleyanna appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

“Vincenzo…” Her voice was soft, filled with a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

“I couldn’t stay away,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I had to see you. I had to know you’re okay.”

Elleyanna looked at him, her eyes searching his face, as if trying to gauge his intentions. “I’m fine,” she replied, her voice steady. “I’m living my life now. I’ve made my peace with my choices.”

Vincenzo felt a sharp pang in his chest. She was strong, resilient, but there was something in her voice that told him she wasn’t as whole as she appeared.

“I know I hurt you,” Vincenzo said quietly, his voice thick with regret. “I know I tried to control everything, and in doing so, I lost you. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know that I’m sorry. I was selfish.”

Elleyanna’s eyes softened, but there was still a distance between them. “You weren’t the only one at fault, Vincenzo,” she said quietly. “I was just as afraid as you were. But I had to walk away to find who I am without you, without this life.”

He nodded, his chest heavy with the weight of her words. He had never understood just how suffocating his world had been for her until now.

“I won’t ask you to come back,” Vincenzo said, his voice low but resolute. “But I need you to know that I love you. And I always will.”

Elleyanna looked at him for a long moment before speaking. “I love you too, Vincenzo. But I have to keep living my life. I have to do this on my own.”

Vincenzo took a step back, his heart breaking but his resolve firm. “Then I’ll give you the space you need. I won’t make this harder on you. I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. And that you’re always welcome in my life, if you ever decide you want to come back.”

With those words, Vincenzo turned and walked away. For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of peace. He had let her go, truly and completely. And though it hurt, he knew that was the only way she could ever find herself again.