CHRISTIAN POV:
The steering wheel felt steady beneath my grip, yet my heart raced with a rhythm far less composed. My other hand lingered near the gear shift, but my attention was drawn elsewhere to the blue rose cradled between Lina's fingers. The bloom seemed almost otherworldly in her grasp, as if night and sky had woven themselves into its petals. Against the golden afternoon light, it was a striking contrast much like her presence in my life, a mystery I longed to unravel.
She gazed out at the passing landscape, lost in thought, her silence like a delicate veil between us. She had no idea how much thought had gone into this trip, how carefully I had planned every turn of the road leading us here to this sanctuary of mine, hidden between lakes and mountains, untouched by the world. A place where I could finally have her to myself, away from the noise of work and obligations.
Breaking the quiet, I asked, "Have you ever been to Italy before?"
Her eyes flickered toward me, her expression composed as always. "A few times. Once with Luca and Ashley, another for business."
I absorbed her words, letting them settle. "And when you stay, where do you live?"
"Mostly private inns, unless Luca and Ashley know I'm coming." Her response was casual, yet guarded, revealing only what she intended to.
I admired her reserved nature, but damn, I wanted more. I wanted to understand her beyond the surface-level conversations about work and logistics.
She was like a fortress of measured words, and I am an eager traveler seeking the key to her gates.
"Is your business based in Italy?" she asked, shifting the conversation back to neutral ground. Predictable, polite, distant.
I allowed a small smile. "My business stretches across Europe, but my parents live here. I visit them around New Year's." A pause, a moment of hesitation before I added, "My mother is Chinese, my father Italian. They met in college, fell in love. We celebrate both cultures."
Something changed then. Lina turned fully toward me, her lips softening into the barest hint of a smile. "That must be a beautiful experience, growing up with a blend of cultures," she mused. "I visited China during the Autumn Festival once. I loved their traditions."
The warmth in my chest was unexpected, a quiet thrill at her admission. She had let me in just a little.
The winding road brought us to the wrought-iron gates of my estate. At the press of a button, they creaked open, unveiling rolling fields and shimmering lakes, a haven sculpted by time and solitude.
Lina's sharp gaze took in everything, the lush greenery, the distant lakes, the towering mountains framing the horizon.
She took it in with quiet admiration. "Is this your private estate?"
A smirk played on my lips. "You noticed early. Come, let me show you."
I parked and swiftly circled the car to open her door. She stepped out gracefully, still clutching the blue rose. It was a fragile thing, delicate yet stubborn much like the woman who held it.
Leading her to the back of the estate, I watched as her gaze softened at the sight before her. The lake mirrored the sky, a canvas of liquid gold under the sun's embrace. Swans drifted across its surface, their movements like whispered poetry upon the water.
"It's beautiful," she murmured, voice almost lost to the breeze.
"Sit here," I said, brushing off a wooden bench near the lake, offering her a place to rest.
She lowered herself gracefully, capturing moments through the lens of her phone, frames of tranquility, fragments of time. I watched, fascinated. Most overlooked such details, but she absorbed them, stored them away like treasures.
After a while, she glanced at me. "What time is it? We left Ray. Shouldn't we head back?"
I checked my phone and replied casually, "Luca and Ashley are already back. They texted me."
She frowned slightly. "They're back so early? Luca said he'd return by evening."
"Maybe they had other things to do," I said smoothly, suppressing a smirk.
What she didn't know was that this had all been arranged. Luca had been in on it from the start.
"You don't have to tell me. This was just a trick to get Lina to the villa. Otherwise, without my plan, you'd never get close to her!"
His second message had made me chuckle:
"You better perform well, otherwise, forget about it if she doesn't like you!"
A glance at my phone told me time had slipped through our fingers. "Shall we have lunch?" I asked.
Inside, the villa's housekeepers stole curious glances at us. This was the first time I had ever brought a woman here.
"What would you like?" I asked. "Any allergies?"
"It's a bit late for lunch," she noted. "How about pasta?"
The chef, anticipating the request, had already begun. Meanwhile, I led her through the villa, finally pausing before my library.
She browsed the shelves, then placed the blue rose amidst a vase of white flowers. "It's withering," she observed, voice almost wistful.
I watched her closely, a smile tugging at my lips. She lingered over an old book, fingers tracing its spine before she pulled away.
"You like fiction?" she asked, a note of curiosity in her voice. "That's surprising."
A chuckle escaped me. "My younger brother left that book here."
Something flickered in her expression. "I have a younger sister and brother too."
My interest piqued. "Then it must be easy for them to meet you."
Her gaze sharpened slightly, but before she could answer, I smoothly led her downstairs where our meal awaited.
After finishing lunch, Lina glanced at me. "I need to return to Luca's place. My bag is still there."
I remained unfazed. "I left something there too. I'll take you back."
By the time we arrived at Luca's villa, it was already 6:30 PM. As we stepped inside, I immediately spotted Luca and Ashley lounging in the living room with three other people. I recognized two, but my gaze locked onto the third, a man dressed in black, his posture exuding arrogance, his expression unreadable.
The moment Lina stepped in, he rose and strode toward her, hands gripping her shoulders with easy familiarity.
"Darling, where did you go? Did you forget about our date?" he teased.
A slow, icy anger settled in my chest. My eyes darkened as I studied him.
Lina, however, sighed in mild exasperation. "Addison, quit playing around. Did you finish your work?" She brushed his hands off her shoulders effortlessly and walked away.
I didn't move. I didn't have to. My gaze never wavered from him, and he smirked when he met my eyes.
He was testing me. I did not look away, my gaze hard and unwavering. One I returned with a slow, measured smile, one laced with warning.
He leaned forward again. "Lina, let's go. It's getting late, and you're leaving tomorrow."
My head snapped toward her. She's leaving? The words hit like a silent blow.
"You're leaving?" My voice was steady, but something inside me shifted. "What about the location?"
"My team will contact you," she replied, unreadable. "If any issues arise, I'll reach out."
The absence of certainty in her words left a bitter taste. "Where are you going?"
She hesitated. "Business trip."
Luca sighed, the weight of something unspoken thick in the air.
I leaned back into the couch, my thoughts tangled in unanswered questions and the fleeting nature of time. And somewhere amidst its darkness, I wondered when would she let me in??