Page 2 of Silent Night with Massimo

I need to see Massimo.

"Hey, you aren't supposed to be up here." A deep familiar voice causes me to freeze. My breath catches in my throat.Every muscle in my body goes stiff. Adrian.

"I'm talking to you." Adrian snaps. Massimo's brother is ruthlessly loyal to him, and he is the last person I want to bump into right now. When he thought I had betrayed Massimo, he wanted to kill me, not banish me.Knowing Adrian, he still does.

With my hope sinking to the pit of my stomach, I turn to face him. "Adrian." I sigh softly.

His eyes narrow instantly. "What the fuck? What the fuck are you doing here, Vera?" he snarls, stepping forward and grabbing my arm roughly. I wince in pain.

"Please, just let me speak. I can explain. I need to see Massimo. I have evidence to prove I was framed."

"Bullshit." He spits. "You're probably here to cause some other kind of damage. I won't let you get away with it."

Adrian’s grip is like iron, and every sharp word slices into me like a blade. His dark eyes burn with hate as he drags me back down the stairs, past the other housekeepers who watch in horror as I'm pulled toward the back of the lodge.Their stares are daggers, but I’m too desperate to care.

"Adrian, please, just stop," I shout, begging for a moment to just be heard.

"What's going on, Adrian?" Massimo's voice hits me like a tidal wave, crashing through my mind with memories. It sends shivers through me, a mix of fire and ice—heartache and desperation warring within me, pulling me closer to the man I long for, even now.

I forget the pain of Adrian’s grip. I forget everything.

"You won't believe it—but I caught her sneaking around upstairs." Adrian spins me around to face Massimo.

His expression is one of pure shock.For a moment, I think I see the man I loved—the man who loved me—beneath that mask.

For a moment we just stare at each other. I plead with my eyes.I feel a tug between us, the bond we once had, struggling to survive beneath all the anger and hatred. I silently wish and beg and hope that he will give me a chance.

His eyes are wide, but they begin to narrow and darken.

Then shock morphs into cold rage.

"Vera Santoro." He says my name slowly, as though it were a curse he was reluctant to utter.

"Massimo, please, I need to speak to you," I say, my eyes stinging with tears of fear.I hate that my voice trembles. I hate that I’m so weak in front of him, when I swore I’d be strong. I am afraid he will kick me out and not give me a chance—or worse—he will want to have me killed for trespassing.

"How dare you come back here after what you did." He snarls, heated and dark.

"Please." I try again. My voice breaking at the edges.

"What do you want me to do with her?" Adrian asks, his fingers digging into my arm, leaving bruises.

Massimo's jaw clenches, the muscles feathering with tension. The years haven't changed him—he's as devastatingly gorgeous as the day I left. His thick dark hair is swept back, and his piercing blue eyes lock onto me, sharp and unrelenting, as though I'm his prey.

"Put her in the cellar jail. Lock her up. She will pay for her stupid choices. She should've never come back here."

"Massimo." I call out his name, but Adrian is already dragging me away and Massimo has turned his back on me. I glance over my shoulder, seeing him clench his fists and roll his shoulders in agitation.

My heart is breaking. He didn't even consider giving me a chance to speak. He didn't even blink when he ordered his brother to lock me away.

What are they going to do with me?

I think I've made a huge mistake coming back to Bellini Lodge. But what choice did I have?

In the cold cellar, Adrian pushes open a heavy wooden door, revealing a barren stone room with a single bed and an open, unwelcoming bathroom. The emptiness is as cold as the walls themselves. He shoves me inside without a word.

"You were stupid to come back here, Vera. Massimo is right about that. You'll never see the light of day again, traitor."

"Adrian, I beg you to ask Massimo to see me. I can prove I didn't do it."

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