Page 23 of Ruined By the Enemy
I roll my eyes. “Please. Neither of us wants anything to do with the other.” He’s a selfish, narcissistic man who takes joy in being right all the time.
She’s still grinning at her joke when I reach into my bag and pull out my phone. But the moment I see the name on the screen, the mood turns somber, and my face falls into a well-rehearsed mask.
“I need to take this,” I tell her before excusing myself.
An hour later, I’m seated outside a small, whimsical cafe when a man dressed in casual clothing with a cap covering his face takes the chair in front of me.
“You were on a trip,” he says. No greeting. No prelude. Straight to the point. I’m used to it, but for some reason, it leaves an itchy feeling in my throat.
“A work trip,” I say.
He tilts his head to reveal an unimpressed look. “It doesn’t matter. You were supposed to report any changes to the schedule.”
I start to argue, but bite my tongue at the last minute. “I’m sorry.”
He sighs. “It’s fine. Did anything happen?”
I shake my head. “Not out of the ordinary.” I don’t have to report every last detail, do I? I doubt telling my uncle that I slept with the man he hates—that I’m supposed to hate—would make a difference to the plan.
“Good,” he nods. “Keep it that way.”
My jaw ticks. “Sure.”
A uniformed employee steps towards our table, but Enzo dismisses him with a short wave.I could’ve done with a cup of coffee.His expression softens as he turns to me again. “Your aunt misses you.”
“I—”
“I’ve told her you won’t be able to join us for Sunday brunch for a while because you have other things to focus on,” he adds.
His words are gentle but land like a stone in my chest.
I sit straighter. “You mean this—” I gesture between us, “—is more important than seeing my own family?”
Enzo lifts a brow. “No. I mean that you need to stay focused. Emotions make people careless.”
He says it like it’s a universal truth, not a warning. But it hits like one. I nod stiffly. “Of course.”
His gaze sharpens as he studies me for a beat longer than necessary, like he’s trying to see if something shifted. If I’m lying.
I fold my hands in my lap and try not to fidget. He seems satisfied after a while and rises. “Keep your head down, Sophie. We’re almost there.”
And then he’s gone, leaving nothing but the faint scent of espresso, a tightening knot in my stomach, and the stark reminder that I can’t afford to live like everybody else.
I’ve never doubted my mission, but for the first time, I find myself wanting more.
My phone chimes as the thought slips in, unbidden, and I see an email from Dom’s office, assigning me to another project with an impossible deadline.
I was mistaken.
There’s nomore.Domenico Moretti is the sole plan, and I can rest when he’s finally where he belongs—paying for the sins of his father.
Chapter Six
Sophia
I tuck the file securely under my arm as I stride down the hallway, each click of my heels echoing a little louder than necessary.
A rogue image—his hands, his mouth, that moment—flickers at the edge of my mind, but I shove it aside before it can take shape.
