The night was quiet, the estate bathed in silver moonlight. Alessia Romano had taken her usual walk around the gardens, the calm her mind craved after the chaos of the office.
Then, near the edge of the estate, something unusual caught her eye — a small white cage sitting alone among the hedges. Inside, a tiny white dog whimpered softly. Beside the cage lay a single flower, pristine under the moonlight.
Curiosity and caution battled inside her, but Alessia approached, heels crunching softly against the gravel. Her eyes scanned the cage, the flower — and then the note pinned delicately to the top.
She picked it up, unfolding it carefully. Written in flowing, confident handwriting were the words:
"Your uncle was so selfish to throw away what is meant for my queen."
Alessia froze.
My queen.
A small laugh escaped her lips — soft, almost shy. She hadn't smiled like this in years, not since the day her mother died. Her heart, usually armored and untouchable, felt a flicker of warmth.
She picked up the flower and held the dog gently. The little creature licked her hand, tail wagging cautiously. Alessia smiled, truly smiled for the first time in her life.
She knelt on the ground, brushing her fingers through the dog's fur and inhaling the scent of the flower. For a moment, the fierce Romano heiress faded, leaving just a woman — capable, strong, but still human, still able to feel the soft touches of kindness in a cruel world.
And somewhere, in the shadows, the observer watched, silent. The game continued, unseen, undetected — and yet, Alessia had unknowingly taken her first step into the intricate web of their connection.
As she walked back toward the estate, the dog trotting happily at her side and the flower clutched in her hand, her mind was already planning the next day, already thinking of strategies, already plotting.
But for the first time, her thoughts were tinged with something new.
Who could be thoughtful enough… to know exactly what I needed without me asking?
The night held its secrets close, but one thing was certain: Alessia Romano had just received a message she wouldn't forget — a message that would linger in her mind far longer than the scent of a single flower.