Nico's posture grew even more rigid. I kept my smile in place. "Really? Then it must be fate that brought us together."
Marco, hearing this, laughed. "Alessia," he chuckled, "after all these years, you're still as subtle as a sledgehammer when you want to get close to someone."
She gave his arm a playful shove, their easy intimacy on full display.
Nico stood by like a sullen outsider. His eyes narrowed—a sure sign he was furious.
He turned to Marco. "Since you're here, I'll leave Scarlett in your care. I'm leaving."
But Marco stopped him, holding out a set of car keys. "Perfect. Why don't you drive Alessia home?"
Nico stared at the keys, motionless. Finally, Alessia pushed Marco's hand away. "Don't trouble him. I can get home myself."
With that, she said a brief goodbye to Marco and offered me a considerate "get well soon." Then, she turned and hurried away.
Nico's gaze followed her every step.
Marco looked at him, exasperated, and sighed loudly. "Christ, I hand you an opportunity on a silver platter and you just stand there. Aren't you going after her? Do you really want to lose her all over again?"
At that, Nico instinctively glanced at me, his expression hardening. He snapped, "Did you drink too much coffee? What nonsense are you spouting?"
Marco froze, baffled by Nico's sudden rage. He rolled his eyes, pushed past him, and dangled the car keys. "Fine. If you won't drive her, I can't just let Alessia go home alone."
Soon, only Nico and I remained in the silent room.
My calm demeanor seemed to unnerve him. He opened his mouth, as if to explain, but a nurse entered to announce I needed more tests.
Nico just nodded, gently helping me up and telling the nurse to be careful. He was as considerate as ever, but his mind was clearly a million miles away.
As I followed the nurse down the hall, I spotted two familiar figures in the adjacent corridor. Marco was leaning against a railing. "From the way you acted just now, it seems you're really not interested in getting back with Nico."
Alessia lit a cigarette, exhaled a lazy plume of smoke, and sneered. "Get back with him? Over my dead body."
As the words left her mouth, I saw Nico standing stiffly at the far end of the hall. He was staring at Alessia, as if they were the only two people in the world.
Marco stubbed out his cigarette and patted Alessia's shoulder. "Well, this ought to be a show. You two talk it out. I'll be in the parking lot."
But after Marco left, Alessia and Nico weren't just talking. They were arguing. Though I couldn't hear their words, Nico's agitated gestures told me it was intense.
I stood across the way, a tangle of emotions coiling in my gut. It was the first time I'd ever seen him lose his composure.
He was always cool during high-stakes family negotiations, always calm during life-threatening car races. But now, a single sentence from Alessia had made him completely unravel.
I couldn't watch anymore. I turned and followed the nurse.
When I came out from my tests, I heard Marco's voice again. "Alessia, if I'm not mistaken, you came back for him. You obviously still have feelings, so why say something like that? Aren't you afraid he'll get angry and actually give up?"
She laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Him? Give up on me? From day one, I've always held the power to walk away. You don't know Nico, Marco. He's the type who needs a firm hand, not a soft touch."
"If we don't fight, how will he remember the pain of our breakup? Pain sharpens the memory. It makes the love feel real. I need him to feel that ache again, to remember what it was like to be utterly obsessed with me."
"Obsessed with you?" Marco scoffed, pulling out his phone and scrolling through photos. "Look at this. Nico never forgot. Sure, he dated a lot of women, but every single one of them was a carbon copy of you."
"It was all just for show, too. The moment he heard you were coming back, he dumped them all. I never realized how devoted he was..."
Alessia glanced at the photos, then looked up, her tone laced with a deeper meaning. "Dumped them all? I wouldn't be so sure."
Marco frowned. "Impossible. He's head over heels for you."
She just smiled, a secret curve of her lips. "He loves me, but it's not enough. Not nearly enough. If he was so devoted back then, why did I leave?"
"Everyone thought I left for my career. The truth is, his parents forced me out after my family went bankrupt."
"They wouldn't let him be with me, let alone marry me. That's why I have to play these games, to make sure his heart is mine and mine alone. Only then will he find the courage to defy them."
Seeing Marco's shocked expression, she patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. We may have fought, but all it takes is a little coaxing, and he'll come running back."
With that, she and Marco headed downstairs. As she left, she glanced up, right at me. I didn't miss the glint of provocation in her eyes.
