Page 70 of Cat and Mouse

Suddenly, Matteo appears, like he's always lurking. His smile is easy, and he offers me his arm.

"You need help, detective?"

"I'm fine," I mutter, but I still take his arm, more for balance than anything.

We walk through the sprawling hallways, over marble floors and ornate artwork that probably costs more than my entire precinct's yearly budget. Leonardo really is rich—like stupidly rich. It's hard to even wrap my head around. Chandeliers, marble staircases, tall ceilings… this isn't just wealth, it's power.

When we reach the kitchen, Matteo motions for me to sit at a long dining table.

"Sit. I'll get you something."

I sit awkwardly, staring at the grand space—cabinets everywhere, shiny appliances, and a massive island in the middle. Everything is sleek and expensive. I don't even belong here.

Matteo comes back with a plate of eggs, toast, and juice and sets it down in front of me. He pours me a cup of coffee without asking, and I immediately grab for it like it's a lifeline.

"This is Rosa," he gestures to the older woman bustling around the kitchen, clearly the housekeeper.

"Hi," I mumble, not knowing what else to say. She just smiles and continues whatever she's doing, probably used to strangers in Leonardo's house.

Matteo sits down across from me, crossing his arms as he leans back in his chair, watching me. "On a scale of one to ten, how much do you hate me right now?"

I raise an eyebrow at him, swallowing my bite of eggs before answering. "About a 12. You were there the entire time, and I didn't even know you were a mole. You let me walk into this whole thing blind."

His expression is unreadable. "I never sabotaged your investigations, Liz. All I did was make sure my cousin didn't get caught."

I scoff. "And how did you even pull that off?"

Matteo looks away for a second, like he's weighing his words. "You know Leo. He has his reasons for the way he does things. But—"

I cut him off. "Leo is a serial killer, according to my files. The man has bodies on him, Matteo. Bodies."

Matteo's lips twitch, and I know he's holding back a smile. "He's… eccentric."

Before I can respond, Leonardo strides in, his presence filling the room like it always does. He walks straight over to me, his lips brushing my cheek before I can even think to protest. I hate how my body reacts, melting into him like he owns me.

"You two talking about me?" he asks, clearly amused.

"Nothing good," I mutter.

Leonardo shoots a look at Matteo. "Go pick up the things I asked for."

Matteo stands, giving me a small nod before disappearing out of the room.

I narrow my eyes at Leonardo. "What things?"

He leans over, stealing a bite of my eggs like it's the most natural thing in the world. "Your wedding dress," he says casually.

I choke on my coffee, coughing. "Excuse me? What the hell do you mean? My wedding dress?"

He sits down across from me, completely calm, like he just asked me to pass the salt. "Where do you think your captain believes you are?"

I blink, trying to keep up with his ridiculous shifts in conversation. "I don't know, probably thinks I'm dead in a ditch somewhere."

He shakes his head. "Nope. I sent an email from your account. Told him you were traveling off-grid for a while."

I stare at him, completely dumbfounded. "And he believed that?"

Leonardo grins. "Of course. I'm very convincing."

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