CHAPTER 47 — "BETWEEN THE QUIET MOMENTS"
A new day. Busy schedules. Sweetness, longing, and a reunion three days later.
Auri's POV
The next morning arrived before I was even ready for it.
Sunlight spilled through my curtains, soft and golden, warming the small apartment I now called home. I stretched, groaning a little, my muscles sore from another late night of reorganizing my tasks for the Moretti accounts. It wasn't glamorous, but I didn't mind working from home. If anything, it helped me stay focused.
And it also kept me closer to the one person who made work feel… light.
My phone buzzed.
Dante Moretti: Good morning, sweetheart.
A smile tugged my lips instantly. The nickname warmed every corner of my insides.
Auri: Morning, Mr. CEO. Did you sleep at all?
Dante: Define "sleep." Because if closing my eyes for 14 minutes counts, then yes.
I snorted. He was impossible.
Ever since that family dinner—where Olivia's parents and his own plotted like medieval monarchs—Dante had buried himself even deeper in work. Back-to-back meetings. International calls. Unexpected trips. Endless paperwork. His phone barely had time to charge.
And yet… he always found a moment for me.
Always.
But he didn't tell me everything. I could feel it. It lingered beneath his messages, the pauses in his replies, the exhaustion in the way he answered my calls.
He told me not to worry.
He told me everything will be alright.
He told me he'd handle it.
Maybe I was foolish for believing him so easily—but I did.
I trusted Dante Moretti the way a heart trusts a steady pulse.
Later That Day — Auri
The apartment was silent except for the clacking of my keyboard.
I ran through employee files, checked spreadsheets, handled emails, and reviewed proposals. The hours passed faster than I expected. At some point, I caught myself glancing at my phone, hoping for another message.
It finally came around noon.
Dante: I'm in a meeting that's been going on for 90 minutes. If someone doesn't interrupt me, I might start screaming.
Auri: Don't scream. They'll think you're malfunctioning.
Dante: I AM malfunctioning. I miss you.
My fingers froze.
He never said it so directly.
Heat flushed across my cheeks as I typed back.
Auri: We just saw each other three days ago.
Dante: Three days too long.
I bit my lip hard enough to sting, hiding my grin for no one.
For several minutes, no message came. Maybe his meeting resumed, maybe someone tugged him away—maybe he was drowning in another crisis.
But then—
Dante: Auri… thank you for being patient with me.
Something inside my chest twisted—soft, painful, tender.
Auri: Always.
Dante's POV
Three days.
That's how long it had been since I'd touched her—seen her—heard her voice in person. I thought I could stomach it, rationalize it, manage it.
I couldn't.
The moment my last meeting concluded—after hours of heated discussions, numbers, signatures, and a schedule that was absolute hell—I got in my car without thinking twice.
I didn't tell her I was coming.
I couldn't risk her telling me "don't drive, you're tired."
I needed her like oxygen.
Auri's POV — The Knock
I was preparing tea in the small kitchenette when I heard a knock on the door.
A soft one.
Careful.
But somehow… urgent.
My heart lodged in my throat instantly.
I didn't even check the peephole.
I didn't need to.
I swung the door open—
And there he was.
Dante Moretti. Hair tousled, tie loosened, suit wrinkled, exhaustion painting shadows beneath his eyes.
But the moment he saw me—
His whole expression softened.
Then he pulled me into him.
No warning.
Just arms, strong and desperate, hauling me against his chest as if he'd been deprived of warmth for years instead of days.
He buried his face in the crook of my neck.
"Dante," I whispered, startled—but God, I melted instantly.
"I missed you," he said. Not with calm CEO composure. Not with his usual control.
He said it like a confession breaking out of him.
I wrapped my arms around him, letting my fingers slide into his hair, feeling him breathe me in. His chest rose and fell with uneven desperation.
"You look tired," I murmured.
"I am."
He tightened his grip.
"But this—being here—this is what I needed."
My chest tightened with emotion so overwhelming I could hardly speak.
"I thought you had another meeting," I said into his shoulder.
"I canceled it."
"You canceled a meeting?" I pulled back to stare at him, half shocked, half amused.
His lips curved, the faintest smirk appearing. "Don't look at me like that. I only cancel meetings for emergencies."
"And this was an emergency?"
"Yes."
He leaned in, lips brushing mine.
"You're my emergency."
My breath caught.
He kissed me—softly at first, then deeper, needier, as if the distance of the past days poured into that single moment. His hands cupped my waist, fingers pressing, almost trembling.
When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine.
"You have no idea," he whispered, "how much I thought about you."
I swallowed. "Then don't stay away so long."
He huffed, almost guilty. "I didn't want to."
"Work?" I guessed.
His jaw tightened—too tightly for it to just be 'work.'
But before I could push, he kissed my forehead.
"It's handled," he murmured.
"You don't need to worry."
Something inside me wanted to ask more. But he sounded so certain… so soothing.
And I trusted him.
Inside the Apartment — A Little Fight
Dante walked in like he belonged there—like the space recognized him. I followed behind, arms crossed, watching him loosen his tie further and slump onto my couch.
"You didn't eat," I said immediately.
His eyes snapped open, pretending innocence. "How do you know?"
"Because you're cranky."
"I'm not cranky."
"You're very cranky."
He sat up straighter. "I am not—"
"You are," I said, stepping closer and poking his cheek. "See? Cranky face."
His brows lowered. "Auri…"
I poked him again.
"Stop poking the CEO," he warned.
"No."
He grabbed my wrist with lightning reflexes, making me gasp.
"You're testing my patience," he murmured, leaning in.
"Oh? Are you going to fire me?" I teased.
He stared at me as if offended. "Fire you? Absolutely not. I'd burn the entire company before I let you leave."
The intensity in his voice made heat flood my stomach.
I pulled my wrist free gently. "You're dramatic."
He smirked. "I'm exhausted. That makes me honest."
"Then honestly," I said, hands on my hips, "you need to eat something."
He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "Are you going to feed me?"
"Maybe."
He sat back, arms spread along the couch, legs parted in lazy control.
"Then feed me, sweetheart."
I threw a pillow at him.
It hit his chest.
He stared at it, then at me.
"You're lucky I'm tired," he muttered.
"You're lucky you're cute," I replied.
His smile transformed into something devastating.
The Soft Moments
After I warmed leftover pasta, I placed the plate on the table. Dante stood behind me, arms sliding around my waist, chin resting on my shoulder.
"You smell good," he murmured.
"You smell like stress."
He groaned. "Don't remind me."
"Eat, Dante."
"Feed me."
I rolled my eyes, picking up the fork. "Fine, open your mouth."
He obeyed instantly.
But he grabbed my waist tighter, pulling me back against him.
"You're clingy today," I said softly.
"Three days," he muttered. "Three days without you. Of course I'm clingy."
My heart squeezed.
He ate a few bites quietly, head leaning against my shoulder. Every now and then, he pressed a small kiss to my jaw, temple, neck—soft, featherlight, as if reassuring himself I was real.
When he finished, he pulled me onto the couch with him. Literally pulled—like I weighed nothing. I ended up sitting between his legs, back against his chest, his arms wrapped around me.
His breath tickled my ear.
"When I'm not with you," he whispered, "my head feels like a storm."
"Is it calmer now?" I asked gently.
He tightened his arms around me.
"Yes."
Auri's POV — The Guilt I Didn't Know
He stayed like that for a long time.
Quiet.
Still.
His heartbeat steadier with each passing minute.
But in the back of my mind, a tiny ache formed.
He still wasn't telling me everything.
There was something he was protecting me from.
Something I wasn't seeing.
But he looked so worn, so relieved just holding me…
I couldn't ask.
Not tonight.
Tonight, he needed rest.
Tonight, he needed peace.
Tonight… he needed me.
Dante's POV — Holding Her
Auri fell asleep against me sometime after the sunset began.
Her breathing softened, her body warm and relaxed in my arms.
God, she had no idea.
No idea what was happening behind the scenes.
No idea the war that was brewing between my parents and me.
No idea Olivia's parents were pushing, threatening, demanding.
No idea that both families were determined to force a wedding I would never agree to.
No idea how many fires I was putting out every day.
And she trusted me.
Completely.
Her trust felt like both a blessing and a blade in my chest.
I kissed the top of her head.
"I'll fix this," I whispered into her hair.
"No matter what they do. No matter what they try."
She stirred lightly but didn't wake.
I held her tighter.
"I'm not losing you, Auri."
Not to business.
Not to pressure.
Not to anyone.
Not even to my own family.