The sound of the shower echoed gently from the bathroom, steam fogging the glass walls as Alessandro stood by the window, hands in his pockets, waiting.
He didn’t like waiting. But when it came to Rose, he made an exception.
The bathroom door creaked open a few minutes later, and Rose stepped out with her damp hair tied in a loose bun. She looked fresher, calmer, at least until her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Her smile faded when she saw the name on the screen.
Dad.
Her fingers hovered, trembling slightly before she picked it up.
“Hello?” she said cautiously.
“Finally,” her father’s voice crackled through the speaker. “So now you don’t even bother to call me anymore?”
She swallowed. “I’ve been busy.”
“Busy playing rich man’s doll?” he sneered. “Or have you forgotten who raised
