Page 163 of King of Obsession

‘But it’s not enough, is it, carissima?’ I asked, keeping my voice soft but probing.

She glanced away, the city lights throwing radiance over her face.

‘It’s not,’ she admitted, just above a whisper. ‘I can’t live here, in Sydney. It’s not me.’

My brow furrowed, concern deepening. ‘You want to go home?’ I asked, searching her face for an answer.

Home.

The word twisted something in me.

For I, too, wanted a sanctuary, a haven with her.

‘Sydney isn’t it, but neither is the farm. The memories there are too dark and painful, and with the cabin gone, nothing’s left for me,’ she said, shaking her head.

I melted and reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. ‘I need to find a forever haven, too, with you,’ I rasped. ‘Shall we search for a home together? Or will you believe in me to locate the best place for us?’

Cleo gazed into my eyes, searching. ‘Out of the city?’

‘Si,’ I nodded.

Her smile returned, flitting on the edges of her lips. ‘You pick it. I trust you.’

‘Do you, mia sola?’

‘You’ve more sophistication than I do,’ she huffed. ‘I’m a farm girl but one who can appreciate luxury if it’s surrounded by wilderness, earth, and realness. A house isn’t a dwelling with four walls. I believe it’s what you build with someone who cares enough to stick around. It’ll be the perfect home if we’re together and in nature.’

CLEO

How could I explain that Alessio’s efforts to make me feel at home in Sydney, though well-intentioned, only caused more disorientation?

The chasm between the woman I had been on my property and the one he wanted me to be seemed to grow wider with each passing day.

While I wanted to share a life with Alessio, I didn’t enjoy the noise and the distractions surrounding our current reality in the city.

I spent nights in his arms, trying to hold it together. But itwas no use. The cracks were already spreading, the foundations of my trust crumbling beneath my insecurities.

Surrounded by a vast, uncaring metropolis, I shrunk.

With all its glitz and glamour, Sydney was suffocating, as if I was drowning in it.

I was often sucking air, needed to escape the oppressive press of bodies and the weight of vile words.

Why couldn’t I just be happy, grateful for this beautiful life Alessio was offering me?

I hated myself for my inability to embrace it, to let go of the past and step into the future he envisioned for us.

My man, credit to him, got the memo.

So it was with much relief that he had me pack a bag.

He whisked me away from the bustle of the city, driving us up winding roads that seemed to ascend into the clouds.

We were heading to Lorenzo and Mia’s mountain retreat, a place they calledBlue Bliss.

The name sounded almost too perfect, like something out of a dream, but as we climbed higher into the mountains, the weight on my chest began to lift.

The property was even more breathtaking than I imagined when we arrived. Nestled among towering peaks, the house was an elegant blend of rustic charm and modern luxury.

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