"I just wanted him to stay with me for a few more days. Just a few more days, that's all!"

Her voice finally cracked, tears welling in her eyes.

I stood there quietly, listening. My gaze, however, drifted past her to Darren.

He was staring straight at me, muscles coiled, his eyes dark and stormy—a caged beast ready to break free.

This man, who once followed me everywhere, was now Scarlett's guard dog. If I showed the slightest malice, he would pounce and tear me to shreds.

A dull ache bloomed in my chest. All I knew was that I couldn't be selfish enough to chain him to my side again.

"There's no need to be afraid," I told Scarlett, forcing a smile. "I'm here to take you both back to the Valachi estate."

Scarlett was stunned, her eyes wide. "Both of us?"

"That's right." I nodded. "You're the one he loves. He would never come with me if I left you behind."

"Go pack your things. You're both coming with me."

My voice remained calm, even. "His father knows about you. He's agreed to let you be together."

Scarlett let out a long sigh of relief, her face beaming. She grabbed Darren's hand, smiling wider than I’d ever seen, and hurried off to pack.

Only then did Darren seem to realize I had no intention of harming Scarlett. The tension in his shoulders eased, and he pursed his lips.

"Sorry," he said softly. "I thought you were going to do something to her."

His entire world now seemed to revolve around her.

I remembered how he used to flee into my arms whenever Scarlett pestered him, feigning distress. He would insist I publicly declare he was mine.

"Tell them I'm yours. Use your toughest voice."

He'd even scrunch his face into a fierce little grimace for me to copy.

We would always dissolve into helpless laughter, tumbling onto the sofa in a heap.

But that was all gone. Darren was no longer mine.

I forced another smile and brought them back to the Valachi estate.

When it came time for introductions, everyone hesitated.

So, I spoke up. "Hi, Darren. I'm Alessia."

"We grew up together. I've always seen you as my little brother. You even promised to find me a good man, but then you lost your memory, so I'm still single."

Those in the know exchanged uneasy glances, but Darren just laughed.

"Alright, Alessia. Once I get settled, I promise I'll find the best man in the world for you."

That night, the smell of smoke woke me.

I went outside to find a fire blazing in the backyard. The blaze devoured every trace of the life Darren and I had built together.

Childhood photos, my father's old manuscripts, and even the little knight he’d carved for me from a bullet casing when he first confessed his love...

Everything crackled as it turned to ash.

A sharp pain seized my chest, as if something vital was being ripped from me.

Just then, Darren turned and saw me.

"We were all we had back then, so of course we were close."

"But now that Scarlett's here, having these things around would only make her uncomfortable. So I burned them. You don't mind, do you?"

I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my composure, to hide the heartbreak from my face.

"It's fine," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "The things in my room… go ahead and burn them, too."

I gathered Darren's old belongings from my room and tossed them into the fire.

The flames roared, and waves of heat washed over my skin, but I felt as if I were submerged in ice water.

For the next few days, the estate was filled with the sounds of demolition.

The rooftop greenhouse Darren had built for me with his own hands was dismantled, replaced by a lavish cigar bar Scarlett preferred.

The shooting range where we’d spent hours practicing, the place we watched the sunset, was leveled to make way for a dance floor for Scarlett’s parties.

Even the terrace where we’d exchanged our first promises was torn down, replaced with the Italian-style garden Scarlett wanted.

The day the garden was completed, Scarlett cornered me in the hallway.

Her chin held high, she made a show of the bracelet on her wrist.

"Darren found this in the safe," she announced, shaking her wrist. "He said it was obviously meant for the future matriarch of the Valachi family. He put it on me himself."

She waved her hand in my face. "What do you think?" she purred. "Like it?"

It was a family heirloom, passed down for generations, a symbol of the matriarch’s status.

I nodded sincerely. "It's gorgeous. It suits you."

But Scarlett's face instantly darkened. "I don't like it."

"We both know who this was meant for," she spat, her eyes sharp. "You keep saying you don't care about Darren, but your past with him is a time bomb ticking right next to me. I can't relax for a second with you around."

"Then what do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Well..."

Before she could finish, she suddenly cried out and tumbled down the stairs.

A powerful force shoved me from behind. I staggered, falling hard.

A sharp pain shot through my ankle, and my palms scraped against the rough floor, a searing sting spreading up my arms.

Before I could scramble to my feet, Darren shoved me aside, his face a mask of cold fury.

As he cradled Scarlett protectively in his arms, a murderous rage radiated from him.

He frantically checked her for injuries, his voice tight with panic.

"Scarlett! Are you okay? What did she do?"

"Where does it hurt?"

After a moment, she shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed up at him. "I'm fine… It's just… I think Alessia pushed me by accident."

"I shouldn't have worn the bracelet. She wouldn't have thrown it off, and now it's gone."

She held out her bare wrist.

"I'm not welcome here," Scarlett said to Darren, her eyes red. "Why don't we just go back to our little apartment? At least no one will hurt me there..."

Her pitiful act was designed to break his heart.

His expression hardened into pure fury.

Clutching my swelling ankle, I stared in disbelief. "It wasn't me—"

But Darren shot me a look so cold it sent a shiver down my spine.

"I didn't push her, and I damn well didn't take the bracelet," I choked out.

"You know exactly what you did," Darren bit out.

He helped Scarlett to her feet and gave a sharp nod to the bodyguards beside him.

"Make her 'find' that bracelet."