Chapter 19

• Dominic arrived at his room feeling agitated, the tie making it hard for him to breathe. He loosened the knot, took it off, and sat on the bed, bringing both hands to his face, feeling frustrated. He had never before suppressed his desires for a woman; they all yielded to him. But Alessandra, no, the worst part was that she was getting under his skin. Lately, he found himself thinking about her a lot and starting to understand why his brother had been interested in her. Although he knew he couldn't offer her anything serious because he was not and would never be a man for relationships like Vittorio’s, it bothered him to know that he would never have her. That was truly stressful and frustrating.
• Meanwhile, Alessandra was left bewildered by the magnate's last words. ‘She was the first woman to see his house and ride in one of his cars.’ Could that be possible? Him, such a womanizer and handsome man, never brought any of his lovers to his house? Where did he take them then? To a hotel, obviously, her subconscious answered. Of course, that explained the confusion she noticed in Dante and the other men upon arrival. Maybe he was telling the truth; he didn't like commitments, and that's why he had those "rules," if they could even be called that. She decided to write to Paulina and let her know that she wouldn't be coming to sleep that night. Even though they didn't live together, her friend sometimes stayed over at her apartment, so it was better to inform her in case she came looking for her.
• A few minutes later, she heard faint knocks on her room door, her pulse quickening at the thought that it could be Dominic. Had he forgotten to tell her something? Still, with all the nervousness in the world, she decided to open the door. She was met by the woman from earlier, who smiled at her almost adoringly.