Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

How long should it really take to pick someone up from the airport? Matteo stared down at his phone, irritation simmering beneath the surface as he waited for a reply from Leo. The plane had touched down over an hour ago, yet there was still no word confirming whether she had arrived safely—or at all.

“Mr. Accardi,” a voice called from the doorway. Alexander stood there, clipboard in hand. “Mr. Brooks is waiting for you in the conference room.”

Matteo exhaled deeply and quickly sent another text to Leo before rising to follow Alexander. As he entered the conference room, he muttered a half-hearted apology to the men already seated around the table.

“That’s quite alright, Mr. Accardi,” Paul Brooks replied with a nod to his assistant. “We’ve had plenty to discuss while you were… otherwise engaged. How have things been on your end?”

Matteo shrugged, unable to resist a dry, sarcastic edge. “Oh, you know—the usual. Dead mother, dead brother, and a woman who refuses to admit she’s in love with me.”

The room erupted with laughter, breaking the tension.