By midnight, the Moretti estate had become quieter.
Most of the older guests had left while the remaining crowd settled into private lounges, expensive wine, and quieter conversations beneath dim golden lights.
Outside, Venice shimmered beneath soft rain.
Inside, the mansion still felt tense.
Evelyn noticed it everywhere now.
In the way security constantly moved through the halls.
In the way staff lowered their voices whenever Alessandro walked past.
In the way his fiancée smiled too perfectly around him.
Nothing here felt natural.
And somehow that made the entire place more exhausting than glamorous.
“You’re thinking too much again.”
Olivia dropped dramatically beside Evelyn onto one of the velvet couches.
Evelyn lowered her camera slightly.
“I’m working.”
“No.” Olivia stole one of the tiny desserts from the table. “You’re investigating people with your face.”
“I do not have an investigating face.”
“You absolutely do.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes, though part of her attention remained elsewhere.
Across the ballroom, Alessandro stood near a long marble table speaking quietly with two older men in Italian.
Still calm.
Still unreadable.
The bride stood beside him wearing a breathtaking white silk dress, but even from this distance Evelyn could see the tension between them.
Not once tonight had Alessandro voluntarily touched her.
No hand holding.
No affectionate looks.
Nothing.
It felt less like an upcoming marriage and more like some carefully arranged business agreement.
“You know,” Olivia whispered dramatically, “if he looked at me once the way he looks at you, I’d simply pass away.”
Evelyn nearly choked on her drink.
“He doesn’t look at me.”
Olivia gave her a deadpan stare.
“Evelyn. The man tracks your location like military surveillance.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Mmhm.”
Before Evelyn could argue further, a woman from the Moretti staff approached politely.
“Miss Carter?”
Evelyn looked up.
“Yes?”
“Mr. Moretti requested the photographs taken tonight before publication approval.”
Professional.
Reasonable.
Still, something about the request irritated her slightly.
“Now?”
“If possible.”
Olivia immediately smirked beside her.
“Oh my God.”
“It’s literally work,” Evelyn muttered.
“Mhm. Sure.”
Ignoring her completely, Evelyn grabbed her camera and followed the staff member upstairs.
The higher floors of the mansion felt entirely different from the ballroom below.
Quieter.
Private.
Almost intimidatingly elegant.
Massive oil paintings lined the dark hallways while antique chandeliers cast soft shadows across marble walls.
The staff member eventually stopped near large black double doors.
“Mr. Moretti is inside.”
Then she walked away immediately.
Evelyn stared at the doors for a second.
Something about this felt strangely personal for simple photo approval.
Still—
work was work.
She knocked once lightly.
“Enter.”
The deep voice came instantly.
Evelyn pushed the doors open carefully—
and froze.
Oh.
This wasn’t an office.
It was Alessandro’s bedroom.
A very large,
very expensive,
very masculine bedroom.
Dark wood.
Black silk sheets.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Venice.
And Alessandro himself stood near the fireplace with his suit jacket removed, sleeves rolled slightly past his forearms while reading something on his phone.
For one embarrassing second, Evelyn forgot how to function properly.
Because somehow he looked even more dangerous outside the ballroom.
More real.
His gaze lifted toward her calmly.
“You look confused.”
“You invited me into your bedroom.”
“It’s faster than going downstairs.”
Logical answer.
Still annoying.
Evelyn stepped inside awkwardly, clutching the camera tighter.
“You wanted the photos?”
Alessandro nodded once toward the seating area near the windows.
“Sit.”
Not please sit.
Just sit.
God, the man gave instructions like breathing.
Evelyn sat carefully while Alessandro walked closer.
Too close.
Again.
Her heartbeat reacted immediately, which irritated her deeply.
This was probably how everyone felt around him—
constantly aware of his presence.
Evelyn unlocked the camera screen quickly.
“I mostly captured atmosphere shots.”
Alessandro leaned slightly beside her to view the photographs.
The expensive scent of his cologne instantly surrounded her.
Warm.
Dark.
Dangerously distracting.
Evelyn focused harder on the camera screen.
Photo after photo passed between them silently.
Guests.
Decorations.
The bride smiling.
Then—
Leo appeared in one photograph, tiny hand holding Alessandro’s sleeve while staring sleepily toward the ballroom.
Alessandro’s attention paused there.
Longer than anywhere else.
Evelyn noticed immediately.
“He photographs naturally,” she said quietly. “Most children become nervous around cameras.”
Alessandro remained silent for a second.
“He’s used to attention.”
The answer sounded colder than necessary.
As if he disliked that fact.
Evelyn changed photographs carefully.
Then accidentally stopped on a different image.
The bride.
Caught mid-expression while staring toward Leo earlier that evening.
The irritation on her face looked unmistakable now.
Alessandro’s eyes hardened slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Evelyn glanced at him carefully.
“You don’t trust her around him.”
The room fell silent instantly.
Alessandro slowly looked toward her.
Those gray eyes felt heavier somehow inside the privacy of this room.
“You make many observations for someone here less than twelve hours.”
Evelyn held his gaze anyway.
“It’s my job.”
“No.” Alessandro’s voice lowered slightly. “Your job is photography. Observation is instinct.”
For some reason, that sentence made the atmosphere shift subtly.
More personal.
More dangerous.
Evelyn looked away first.
Smart decision.
She quickly moved to another photograph.
But before she could speak again—
a soft knock interrupted the room.
The door opened slightly.
And little Leo stepped inside sleepily in dinosaur pajamas.
The child immediately relaxed the second he saw Alessandro.
“Papa.”
Alessandro straightened instantly.
Again—
that strange automatic softness appeared around the child.
“What are you doing awake?”
Leo rubbed his eyes tiredly.
“Couldn’t find you.”
Then finally, the little boy noticed Evelyn sitting nearby.
His small face became serious immediately.
Very serious.
Tiny eyebrows furrowed while he looked between both adults carefully.
And then—
with complete suspicion—
Leo asked:
“Why is there a lady in your bedroom?” 🖤
By midnight, the Moretti estate had become quieter.
Most of the older guests had left while the remaining crowd settled into private lounges, expensive wine, and quieter conversations beneath dim golden lights.
Outside, Venice shimmered beneath soft rain.
Inside, the mansion still felt tense.
Evelyn noticed it everywhere now.
In the way security constantly moved through the halls.
In the way staff lowered their voices whenever Alessandro walked past.
In the way his fiancée smiled too perfectly around him.
Nothing here felt natural.
And somehow that made the entire place more exhausting than glamorous.
“You’re thinking too much again.”
Olivia dropped dramatically beside Evelyn onto one of the velvet couches.
Evelyn lowered her camera slightly.
“I’m working.”
“No.” Olivia stole one of the tiny desserts from the table. “You’re investigating people with your face.”
“I do not have an investigating face.”
“You absolutely do.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes, though part of her attention remained elsewhere.
Across the ballroom, Alessandro stood near a long marble table speaking quietly with two older men in Italian.
Still calm.
Still unreadable.
The bride stood beside him wearing a breathtaking white silk dress, but even from this distance Evelyn could see the tension between them.
Not once tonight had Alessandro voluntarily touched her.
No hand holding.
No affectionate looks.
Nothing.
It felt less like an upcoming marriage and more like some carefully arranged business agreement.
“You know,” Olivia whispered dramatically, “if he looked at me once the way he looks at you, I’d simply pass away.”
Evelyn nearly choked on her drink.
“He doesn’t look at me.”
Olivia gave her a deadpan stare.
“Evelyn. The man tracks your location like military surveillance.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Mmhm.”
Before Evelyn could argue further, a woman from the Moretti staff approached politely.
“Miss Carter?”
Evelyn looked up.
“Yes?”
“Mr. Moretti requested the photographs taken tonight before publication approval.”
Professional.
Reasonable.
Still, something about the request irritated her slightly.
“Now?”
“If possible.”
Olivia immediately smirked beside her.
“Oh my God.”
“It’s literally work,” Evelyn muttered.
“Mhm. Sure.”
Ignoring her completely, Evelyn grabbed her camera and followed the staff member upstairs.
The higher floors of the mansion felt entirely different from the ballroom below.
Quieter.
Private.
Almost intimidatingly elegant.
Massive oil paintings lined the dark hallways while antique chandeliers cast soft shadows across marble walls.
The staff member eventually stopped near large black double doors.
“Mr. Moretti is inside.”
Then she walked away immediately.
Evelyn stared at the doors for a second.
Something about this felt strangely personal for simple photo approval.
Still—
work was work.
She knocked once lightly.
“Enter.”
The deep voice came instantly.
Evelyn pushed the doors open carefully—
and froze.
Oh.
This wasn’t an office.
It was Alessandro’s bedroom.
A very large,
very expensive,
very masculine bedroom.
Dark wood.
Black silk sheets.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Venice.
And Alessandro himself stood near the fireplace with his suit jacket removed, sleeves rolled slightly past his forearms while reading something on his phone.
For one embarrassing second, Evelyn forgot how to function properly.
Because somehow he looked even more dangerous outside the ballroom.
More real.
His gaze lifted toward her calmly.
“You look confused.”
“You invited me into your bedroom.”
“It’s faster than going downstairs.”
Logical answer.
Still annoying.
Evelyn stepped inside awkwardly, clutching the camera tighter.
“You wanted the photos?”
Alessandro nodded once toward the seating area near the windows.
“Sit.”
Not please sit.
Just sit.
God, the man gave instructions like breathing.
Evelyn sat carefully while Alessandro walked closer.
Too close.
Again.
Her heartbeat reacted immediately, which irritated her deeply.
This was probably how everyone felt around him—
constantly aware of his presence.
Evelyn unlocked the camera screen quickly.
“I mostly captured atmosphere shots.”
Alessandro leaned slightly beside her to view the photographs.
The expensive scent of his cologne instantly surrounded her.
Warm.
Dark.
Dangerously distracting.
Evelyn focused harder on the camera screen.
Photo after photo passed between them silently.
Guests.
Decorations.
The bride smiling.
Then—
Leo appeared in one photograph, tiny hand holding Alessandro’s sleeve while staring sleepily toward the ballroom.
Alessandro’s attention paused there.
Longer than anywhere else.
Evelyn noticed immediately.
“He photographs naturally,” she said quietly. “Most children become nervous around cameras.”
Alessandro remained silent for a second.
“He’s used to attention.”
The answer sounded colder than necessary.
As if he disliked that fact.
Evelyn changed photographs carefully.
Then accidentally stopped on a different image.
The bride.
Caught mid-expression while staring toward Leo earlier that evening.
The irritation on her face looked unmistakable now.
Alessandro’s eyes hardened slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Evelyn glanced at him carefully.
“You don’t trust her around him.”
The room fell silent instantly.
Alessandro slowly looked toward her.
Those gray eyes felt heavier somehow inside the privacy of this room.
“You make many observations for someone here less than twelve hours.”
Evelyn held his gaze anyway.
“It’s my job.”
“No.” Alessandro’s voice lowered slightly. “Your job is photography. Observation is instinct.”
For some reason, that sentence made the atmosphere shift subtly.
More personal.
More dangerous.
Evelyn looked away first.
Smart decision.
She quickly moved to another photograph.
But before she could speak again—
a soft knock interrupted the room.
The door opened slightly.
And little Leo stepped inside sleepily in dinosaur pajamas.
The child immediately relaxed the second he saw Alessandro.
“Papa.”
Alessandro straightened instantly.
Again—
that strange automatic softness appeared around the child.
“What are you doing awake?”
Leo rubbed his eyes tiredly.
“Couldn’t find you.”
Then finally, the little boy noticed Evelyn sitting nearby.
His small face became serious immediately.
Very serious.
Tiny eyebrows furrowed while he looked between both adults carefully.
And then—
with complete suspicion—
Leo asked:
“Why is there a lady in your bedroom?” 🖤
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