Chapter 62

• On his way home, Damiano received a notification from one of his father's men, informing him that he would be away for the night and the following day. Seeing the message arrive on his phone late at night, he regretted not having planned something earlier, as it would have been the perfect opportunity to get Victoria and Alexa out of there. He didn't know how Victoria would react upon learning that her friend was being held captive so close to where she slept peacefully every night. Since discovering this, Damiano had been in contact with Cortez to see if there was any way to get Alexa out without arousing suspicion. They eventually came up with a plan that was likely to succeed. But at the same time, he felt torn, thinking it would be riskier to save Alexa than Victoria when the opportunity arose. It was as if he had to choose, since this chance might be the only one he'd have for a long time. He constantly accelerated the car, almost as if he thought it would help him escape all the disturbing thoughts that plagued him throughout the day. But his day had been good. He made great progress in memorizing all the internal rooms of Paradiso and getting a solid understanding of the basement where the covert activities would take place. Besides the casino being set up, there were several well-equipped rooms for the partners to use as they wished. What disturbed him, however, was finding dormitories at the back, with bunk beds and furniture, as if they were meant to house people on-site. It seemed impossible for anyone to live in a place like that. It was furnished for about eight people but could barely accommodate five with their luggage. It was terrifying to think that his father had such absurd plans, and it only increased his need to consider getting out of there. Finally, he arrived at the mansion almost automatically, not paying attention to the route he had taken back home. He saw the lights in Victoria and Catarina's rooms were off and wondered why they might be absent. Damiano didn't know what to think about Victoria getting close to his sister so suddenly and inexplicably, as the blonde had never seemed open to anyone passing through that house. In any case, it was good to think that he could communicate with the redhead without needing to do some kind of acrobatics, now that he had found a way to get her a gift. He hurried up the stairs, running toward his room, and when he opened the door, he saw nothing but darkness. Startled, he quickly turned on the light and had the most beautiful sight he could have in days. Victoria was asleep on the bed like an angel. Her peaceful expression was calming, and he felt his heart warm at seeing her again. It had only been a few days apart, but for him, it was enough to remind him how irritatingly colorless his life was without her by his side. He felt like a love struck teenager, and even without having experienced this sensation during his adolescence, it was good to finally feel this way. It was comforting to have someone who made his dopamine levels rise, bringing a euphoric sensation to his body just by remembering that the person existed. Damiano approached Victoria slowly, sitting beside her on the bed. Her sleep was so deep that she didn't even wake up when the bed moved with the weight of the older man's body. However, he wanted to see her more than before, so he stroked her face, sliding his hand down her neck and chest, trying to wake her subtly. Still asleep, she smiled, probably dreaming of something that made her happy. He almost felt tempted not to wake her, but tonight would be the perfect opportunity for them to have a moment alone without being watched by all the henchmen who always roamed the house, ready to report any slight deviation from the norm. "Victoria?" he asked softly, kissing her cheek lightly. At that moment, she opened her eyes quickly, almost startled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, touching her hand gently. "Finally." She broke into a big smile, jumping towards him to hug him. Her legs wrapped around the older man's waist, and they remained glued to each other for long minutes, simply relishing the delightful sensation of touching each other again. "Why did it take you so long?" she asked, looking confused. Still sleepy, she rubbed her eyes, trying to clear what was preventing her from seeing the dark-haired man's face clearly. "I haven't had a moment alone since I got back. It was as if he was suspicious of me for some reason because his men kept passing by my room," he said, irritated. "I didn't want to raise any suspicions; I didn't want to risk what we're building." "We?" She said with a big smile on her face. "When did you get so sweet? What did they do with my Damiano?" she joked, giving his arm a light slap. He smiled, pinning her down on the bed and positioning himself over her. "Do you miss the bad version? I can bring him back quickly," he said with a mischievous grin, pressing his body carefully against hers. She felt a sudden warmth invade her seeing him like this, with his hair hanging over his face and his unsettling smile directed at her. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad, would it?" she teased, getting close to his mouth and then pulling away. He did the same, and Victoria's slightly irritated expression made him laugh. Finally, they both gave in after staring at each other long enough to remind themselves how much they wanted each other, sealing their lips together for the first time since they had returned.