Page 5 of Silent Night With Alessio

Inside is a ring that immediately takes my breath away. It’s no ordinary piece; the gleam of its gold and the fire in its diamonds speak of history, of legacy.

I know this ring, or of it. I’ve heard Nonno talk about it, about how it’s part of the signage ceremony, an event where, onceevery twenty years, the cardinal families of Winter Haven gather to leave their mark in the city’s history.

Nonno said it was our family’s duty to care for this ring before each ceremony, that the Marino family’s craftsmanship would ensure its brilliance and perfection before it was returned to the Luciana.

I lift the ring from its case, feeling its weight, letting its cool metal settle in my palm. The diamonds catch the light, refracting it into a thousand colors. It’s a stunning piece, its beauty undeniable even before I examine it under a magnifying lens.

“I’ll make sure everything is in order. It should be ready tomorrow.” I keep my tone firm, crisp, trying to reel back the strange effect his presence has on me.

He gives a slow, deliberate nod, his expression unreadable. “I’ll be back to get it tomorrow, then.”

As he adjusts his black hat back on his head, his eyes remain on me. And there it is again…that look, that quiet intensity.

It’s like we’re caught in a space between breaths, a silent pull between us I don’t understand but feel deeply.

I know I should look away, break the spell, but I can’t. I’m just… lost, drifting in those hazel eyes, feeling something warm and electric run through me I have no business feeling.

The moment hangs, stretches, until finally, he breaks it. Without a word, he turns and heads for the door. His hand reaches for the handle, fingers curling around it, and I have every intention of letting him go. Really, I do.

But before I know it, words spill out, unplanned and unrehearsed.

“Your name… sir?”

The question lingers in the air, and I nearly raise my hand to my mouth.

Dio, why did I say that? I don’t need his name; I shouldn’t want to know his name.

And yet, here I am, curiosity alight, caught in something I can’t name or contain.

He stops, turning slowly, those penetrating eyes finding mine once more. There’s a flash of something…amusement, surprise, maybe even the slightest bit of intrigue. I feel my cheeks warm again, and my voice comes out more jittery than I would have liked.

“I never got your name?” I repeat, my voice trailing off into the unsteady space between us.

He watches me for a moment longer, and then, finally, he answers, “Alessio.” The sound of his name ripples through me, settling in my chest heavily, like something significant.

And then, for the briefest of moments, a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. It’s small, restrained, barely there, but it’s there, and it feels like a secret, a fleeting glimpse of something he usually keeps hidden.

Before I can even return the smile, he turns, steps out, and the door closes behind him, the bell’s jingle lingering in the quiet shop.

The second he’s gone, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.“Phew!”I say out loud, more to myself than anything, realizing how tense I’d become. My heartbeat is thrumming faster than it has any right to, my hands a little shaky.

What is this?

Maybe it’s the thrill, the danger that naturally comes with a man associated with the Mafia. But I can’t deny there’s something else, something more, an attraction, powerful and magnetic.

Like I should have stopped him, asked him more questions, kept him here just a little longer.

The ridiculous thought that I should know everything about him, and that he should know me, drifts across my mind. I bite my lip, tempting down the spark of the mischievous thought before it flares up.

“Focus, Isabella,” I mutter, shaking my head. I pick up the Luciana ring again, turning it beneath the light, the diamonds sparkling as I reach for my magnifying glass.

Yet, even as I peer into its intricate detail, the trace of Alessio’s name in the air and that almost smile stays with me, lingering just behind my thoughts, like a half-remembered dream.

The hours slip by, blending together as I lose myself in the rhythm of my work. Time blurs, the day disappearing into dusk, then into deep night. But even as I polish and perfect each detail, my mind keeps wandering back to him, Alessio.

The way he’d filled the shop with his quiet intensity, his eyes capturing mine in a way that made me feel seen, almost exposed, so I can’t quite explain. I feel his gaze all over again, remembering that short, subtle smile.

That electric charge we shared…I can’t possibly be the only one who felt it, can I?

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