BRIANN P.O.V
We were finally back to the mansion after a whole day of nonstop shopping. The maids were busy arranging the shopping bags somewhere in the living room.For hours,the house was too chaotic with works,too busy for what was about to happen.
There was a sudden sound.
The front door burst open with a crash and Michelle's heels came clacking furiously down the hallway like war drums.I froze halfway through setting the dinner tray.The air seemed to thicken with her anger before I even saw her.
"Massilo!" She yelled,her voice echoing off the marble walls. "Where is he?!"
Massilo stepped out of his study,calm as always,though the tension around his eyes betrayed his surprise. "What's wrong now?"
Michelle's eyes flashed like lightning. "What's wrong?!" She shrieked. "Miss Zady just called me! She said she refused to marry you because you're in love with her!"
Her hand shot out—her finger stabbing toward me.
Before I could say a word,she was in front of me.I was given a slap in the face which stumbled back,my skin stinging with pain,tears welling before I could stop them.
"Michelle!" Massilo's voice thundered so loudly it silenced everything.His steps were heavy and quick as he came between us. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"She's destroying everything!" Michelle snapped back,her voice trembling with fury. "She's the reason Miss Zady pulled out! Do you have any idea what that means for Damel Investment? The board is restless,the investors are scared and the company is barely holding itself together! You're gambling with everything we've built because of a maid!"
"She's not just a maid!" Massilo roared. His voice cracked with emotion and for a moment,even Michelle seemed taken aback.
He took a breath,lowering his tone but not his strength. "I'll find another way to rebuild the company.I always do.But I won't sacrifice my heart to fix numbers on a screen"
Michelle's jaw dropped. "Are you even listening to yourself? What about the employees depending on you? What about your future? What about everything you've worked for?"
He met her gaze—steady and unwavering. "None of it matters if I lose her"
My breath caught.He said it so simply like it was the most obvious truth in the world.
But Michelle wasn't moved. "You'll regret this" She hissed. "And when you do,don't expect me to stand by and watch your empire crumble"
Massilo's eyes darkened. "If you ever lay a hand on her again" He said quietly, "you won't have to worry about Damel Investment.You'll have to worry about me.Because offending Briann…" He stepped closer,his voice like steel, "...is the same as offending me"
For a second,no one breathed.Then Michelle turned away sharply,clutching her bag. "You've lost your mind" She spat and stormed out of the mansion, slamming the door so hard it rattled the paintings on the wall.
The silence that followed was heavy.
I stood frozen,my hand pressed to my cheek,still warm from her slap.
Massilo turned to me slowly.The anger was gone from his eyes now,replaced by guilt,by something soft and heavy. "I'm sorry" He said quietly. "You didn't deserve that"
I shook my head,forcing a weak smile even though my throat felt tight. "It's fine" I murmured. "She's just...scared for you.For the company"
He sighed and reached for me,but I stepped back slightly. "I'll clean up the mess" I said,my voice was barely steady. "You should get back to work"
But that night,when I went to bed,I could still feel the burn of her hand and the ache of his silence.
The following weeks passed like a shadow that wouldn't fade.The mansion felt different—colder,quieter.The warmth that used to hum between us was gone.
Massilo buried himself in work.Morning,noon and night,he was at his desk,signing documents,making calls,typing endlessly.Sometimes he didn't even sleep.
Every morning,I set the table for breakfast.And every morning,the sound of the front door closing told me he'd already left.
Every night,I carried untouched plates back to the kitchen.
He barely looked at me when I brought him food.Sometimes I'd linger a little longer,hoping he'd say something—anything—but he never did.His world was drowning in work,and I was just a silent ripple in the background.
And yet,every time I caught his reflection in the glass,his tired eyes,his weary hands.I knew he was fighting for something bigger than me.Maybe for both of us.
Still…my heart ached.I thought maybe he was meeting Miss Zady in secret,trying to fix things the way Michelle wanted.Maybe love wasn't enough after all.
Then,one evening,as I walked into his room to drop his coffee,he looked up suddenly.
"Pack your things" He said simply. "You're coming with me to Italy"
I blinked. "Italy?"
"Yes.There's…business to handle"
"Oh" My voice fell flat.Of course it was business.Everything was business now.But when we arrived in Italy, nothing made sense.
From the airport,we were driven in a sleek black car straight to a place called Bonné Va Hotel and I swear I'd never seen anything like it.Gold-trimmed walls,white orchids in crystal vases,chandeliers dripping like stars.
The receptionist smiled and said, "Welcome,Mr. and Mrs. Mason.The VVIP suite is ready"
Mrs Mason?
I turned to him,confused,but he only smiled faintly and guided me upstairs.
When I stepped into the suite,my heart stopped.
The room looked like something out of a dream.Rose petals sprinkled across the bed in the shape of a heart,soft music humming from hidden speakers, champagne chilling in crystal glasses. The window opened out to a view of the Italian coast,golden under the setting sun.
I turned to him slowly. "Massilo" I whispered. "What…what is this?"
He closed the distance between us,his eyes glinting with something deep and unreadable. "It's not business" He said softly. "It's us"
"Us?"
He smiled. "A honeymoon,Briann"
My breath hitched. "But…I thought—"
He reached out and cupped my face gently. "I wasn't avoiding you.I wasn't meeting anyone else.I spent the last month fixing everything so I could finally stop.So I could finally give you what you deserve"
He hesitated,his voice cracking. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realise that it's you.It's always been you"
I opened my mouth to speak,but he kissed me before I could.
It wasn't a desperate kiss,it was slow, certain like he was sealing a promise with it.
I gasped softly and broke away.
"The door—Massilo,it's open! What if someone sees us?"
He smiled against my lips, his voice a low whisper. "No one cares"
Before I could protest,his hand found mine and pinned it gently against the wall.His other hand slid behind my neck,pulling me closer until I could feel the warmth of his breath.
"Briann" He murmured, "Don't run anymore"
And I didn't.
Because in that moment,I realised the truth I'd been too scared to believe,he hadn't disappeared into his work to escape me.He'd been fighting the world just so he could stand here,free,with me.
As he kissed me again,tears slipped down my cheeks,not of pain,but release.
I thought of everything I'd lost—my sister,my peace,the life I used to have. Every scar,every heartbreak,every night I'd cried thinking love wasn't meant for me.
But somehow,through it all,I'd found this.Him.
And in that beautiful room filled with roses and quiet laughter,I finally knew...love wasn't about perfection.It was about survival.
And with every beat of my heart pressed against his,I decided—no matter how much it cost,no matter what the world demanded,I would stay.
Forever.
*THE END*