Episode 4

...(Lorenzo's Presidential Suite)...

...(⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠) *Lorenzo Moretti* (⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠)...

The sound of ice clinking against glass was the only thing filling the silence of the presidential suite.

The night was cold, and the city lights flickered through the large panoramic window behind me. I swirled the glass of whiskey in my hand, watching the amber liquid slide against the crystal.

My mind was restless. I had gotten married that morning without seeing the bride. Without knowing her, just a damn signature.

I should be satisfied. The deal was done. The press could no longer speculate about my personal life, and soon all that unwanted attention would disappear. The news of my marriage had even come out in the newspapers and news broadcasts today.

But still, something inside me was bothering me.

"So you really did it," Danilo's husky voice echoed in the room, pulling me out of that bubble.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't remember he was there in my suite, getting on my nerves as always.

Danilo has been my friend since school. However, I consider him my best friend, a brother I never had.

I looked up at him, who was sprawled in one of the armchairs in the room, holding an identical glass to mine.

"Yes." I took a sip of the whiskey and let the alcohol burn down my throat.

Danilo chuckled and shook his head.

"Married without seeing the bride. That's pathetic, Lorenzo."

I sighed and ran my hand over my face.

"I don't care who she is. It's irrelevant to me."

He raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"What if she's someone completely incompatible with you?"

"It doesn't matter," I retorted. "Within a year, we'll be divorced."

Danilo swirled the liquid in his glass and smiled wryly.

"Sometimes, I think you really believe in that speech of yours."

I ignored the comment.

He knew me well enough to know that, for me, relationships were just unnecessary distractions. And this marriage was an agreement, nothing more. I've been alone for five years, and since I broke up with Isabella, I haven't even had a casual fling.

"What are the newspapers saying?" I asked, changing the subject.

Danilo picked up his cell phone and swiped his finger across the screen.

"The official announcement has already been released. Some sites tried to dig up information about your wife, but since your grandmother took care of everything to keep her name secret, there's nothing concrete. Just speculation. And they even put up a photo of you, showing off the ring."

I nodded, satisfied.

"Better that way."

He analyzed me for a moment before taking a sip of his whiskey.

"But what if she wants more than the agreement provides?"

I let out a dry laugh.

"She won't want it."

"How are you so sure?"

I set the glass on the table and looked directly at him.

"Because she signed this contract for the same reason I did. Necessity."

Danilo stared at me for a moment before shrugging.

"Let's see how far this goes."

After a few minutes, we changed the subject. We talked about business, investments, and some recent problems in the company. The alcohol began to relax my muscles, and for a moment, I thought the night would end peacefully.

But then, Danilo set his glass on the table and looked at me with a certain regret in his eyes.

"You know, Lorenzo..."

I recognized that tone immediately.

The tone he always used when he was about to touch on a subject I didn't want to discuss.

"Don't start," I warned, already hardening my expression.

"It's been five years, man."

My jaw clenched.

"Danilo."

"Have you never wanted to investigate further?"

The air in the room seemed to weigh down.

I squeezed the glass in my hand, keeping my gaze fixed on him.

"Investigate what?" My voice came out low, charged with coldness.

"What really happened to Isa."

I closed my eyes for a second before slowly opening them.

"That matter is closed."

"Is it really?" Danilo crossed his arms, analyzing me. "Lorenzo, you've always been a meticulous man, who doesn't leave loose ends. But with Isabella... you simply believed what you saw."

My fingers tightened around the glass.

"You saw the same thing I did. The damn photo. You saw evidence that directly accused her."

"Yes, I saw."

My nostrils flared with heavy breathing.

"We're not going to continue on this subject."

"Lorenzo..."

I stood up abruptly, swirling the glass forcefully before pouring the rest of the whiskey down my throat.

"You want to know something?" I said, my voice icy. "Isabella betrayed me. And that matter is buried. Better that way."

Danilo stared at me, firmly.

"What if it's not true?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"For me, it is."

I knew he wouldn't give up so easily, but I also knew he respected me enough not to cross the line I was imposing.

He sighed and shook his head.

"If you had really forgotten Isabella, you wouldn't react like this every time I mention her name. You still love her, my friend, don't fool yourself."

My jaw clenched even more.

"If you're really my friend, Danilo, never mention Isabella near me again."

He held my gaze for a few seconds before looking away and finishing his whiskey.

"Right."

But I knew he didn't agree.

I knew he still thought I should stir up the past. But some things are better buried.

After Danilo left, I was alone in the office, staring at the city through the glass.

My chest was tense, as if an invisible weight was pressing on my heart.

Isabella.

I hadn't spoken that name in years. I didn't allow it to cross my thoughts.

But now, thanks to Danilo, she was there again. The woman I loved. The woman who betrayed me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and threw the glass on the table, moving away from the window.