Chapter 21 Stolen Happiness

Over the next few days, a new and strangely intimate routine formed between Lucia and Alessandro. He no longer left her alone in the bedroom. Instead, he quietly allowed her into his life. Sometimes she read in his study while he worked nearby. When he held meetings, she sat on the couch in the corner, pretending to flip through magazines while secretly listening to business terms and family disputes she barely understood. When men in black suits came in to report and saw her, they only gave a brief nod before continuing. They kept their eyes forward, as if she were nothing more than a decorative piece, but Lucia knew things had changed. This was Alessandro's way of announcing her status to everyone. She was no longer a caged songbird. She was Alessandro Rossi's wife. At night, he returned to the master bedroom. He no longer left as soon as she was done with her, nor did he take her to another room. He slept beside her. Sometimes, he held her from behind, with his broad chest press