would never let me leave his side. So, there was nothing left for me to do but wait and hope his memory was lost forever.
The difficult position I was in had only added to my stress and left me exhausted. Hungry, yet too nervous to eat, I decided to take a nap instead, hoping it would ease my raging headache. When I woke up, I felt bone-weary and the pulsating in my head hadn't subsided like I hoped it would. My stomach growled, and I trudged down to the kitchen to force myself to eat something. I was almost there, when a stern-looking Broderick rushed after me.
“Olivia, where have you been?” His large hands smacked his knees as he stooped low, trying to catch his breath. “I have been worried sick.”
“I'm sorry, Broderick. I just needed a bit of time for myself,” I explained, sounding apologetic.
Broderick's shoulders flexed. “What's wrong, Olivia? What has he done?”
“Nothing,” I said quietly. “That's the problem. He's being nicer than ever. It's like the calm before the storm. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to—”
“Is this a private conversation or can anyone join?” Alessandro's voice sounded behind me.
I swiveled around, my eyes feeling as though they were about to bulge out of my head, and my mouth flapping open and shut. He was supposed to be resting in his room, not roaming around the house listening in on other people's conversations.
“A-Alessandro,” I stammered in astonishment.
He smirked at me. “I'm glad you're feeling better, cara.”
Then, he turned toward Broderick and gave him a cutting smile; the same one he’d always share with men who happened to be in my presence. That smile equaled a kiss of death...
“I'm sure we’ve met before, but as you must have heard, my memory isn't serving me well as of late.”
“Yes Sir, I have heard,” Broderick replied with the same strained expression. “I am Broderick Matthews. Your wife's bodyguard.”
“Piacere. Nice to meet you.” He looked toward me. “Is he taking good care of you, tesoro?”
Tesoro...my blood ran cold at the term of that endearment, but I forced myself to stay calm.
“Of course he is,” I replied—desperate to do something with my trembling hands before my husband noticed—and grabbed a slice of bread and some jam. “You chose him yourself because he came with the best references. Isn't that right, Broderick?”
“Yes, Olivia,” he confirmed, not removing his gaze from Alessandro. “Don't worry, Sir. Your wife is protected at all times.”
Alessandro smirked with that dangerous expression again. “It's good to know she’s in good hands when I’m not around.”
Broderick returned the grin with insincerity, and it was clear the two men didn’t like each other.
Alessandro turned toward me again. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important. I wanted to talk to you about something,” he spoke in his characteristic rich drawl, glancing at Broderick.
“Excuse me,” Broderick said, taking the hint. “I just remembered I have to take care of something.”
His eyes met mine before he left, and I was comforted by the protectiveness in them. Broderick was willing to stand up for me no matter the consequences. It meant the world to know I wasn't alone in this hell.
“You seem to be really close to your bodyguard.” Alessandro's voice made me snap from my thoughts.
I nibbled a small piece of my jam on bread. “What makes you think that?”
“He calls you by your first name,” he pointed out. “While I was addressed as Sir.”
“I have known him for a long time now. First names just felt natural after a while,” I offered an explanation.
“How long?”
I swallowed another mini-bite and forced it down my constricted throat. All the while, I avoided Alessandro’s questioning gaze, pretending I hadn’t heard him, but he just wouldn’t drop it.
“How long have you known him, cara?” His body appeared tense as though he fought himself to keep calm.
“Two years.” I prayed I came across blasé while strolling to the sink to dispose of my barely touched plate.
“And you say I chose him myself?”
Facing him with a simple grin, I nodded.
Alessandro sneered. “I must have infallible taste.”
There was a hidden undertone of something dangerous in that sentence, and it left me so shaken that I was desperate to change the subject. “You said...you said you wanted to talk.”
Alessandro gave me a knowing look like he understood exactly what I was doing. To my relief, he didn't call me on my bluff, but went along with it.
“It's a beautiful day. I thought we could take a walk around