The Sweetest Temptation
Chapter 170: Overheard

Chapter 170: Overheard

Beatrix stood nervously in front of her window, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress as she gazed out at the bustling city street below. It had been a month since she had last heard from Damien, her fiancé, and her worry had grown into a gnawing pit in her stomach.

She had tried calling him, texting him, emailing him, but all she received in response was a deafening silence. It was unlike him to go radio silent for so long without any explanation, and she couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenarios.

Her mind wandered back to the last conversation she had with Damien. They had talked about their upcoming wedding.

He had promised to be there for her, no matter what. She remembered the warmth of his embrace as he kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you, Bea. I’ll be back soon." She had believed him, trusted him completely, but now, with each passing day, her faith in his promise wavered.

Beatrix’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was her best friend, Stella, who had come to check on her. Stella had always been the voice of reason and comfort for Beatrix, and she knew she needed her friend’s support now more than ever.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Stella asked, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I’m scared,Stella," Beatrix replied, her voice trembling. "I haven’t heard from Damien in a month, and I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t stop imagining all these terrible things happening to him."

Stella listened to Beatrix’s concerns and offered her some reassurance. "Maybe he’s just busy with work or dealing with something personal. You know how being the leader is not easy. A lot had happened. He is probably sorting it out."

Beatrix nodded, but the pit in her stomach refused to go away. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. She felt helpless, as if she was standing on the edge of a cliff, unable to see what lay beyond.

Sensing Beatrix’s unease, Stella changed the topic, hoping to distract her friend from her worries. "Hey, have you heard about the new restaurant that just opened up on 5th Avenue? I heard they have the best seafood pasta in town."

Beatrix looked at her friend, momentarily confused by the sudden change in topic. But she realized that Stella was trying to lift her spirits and take her mind off her troubles.

"Really? I haven’t heard about it. Do you want to go check it out tonight?" Beatrix asked, her voice sounding a little more enthusiastic than before.

Stella grinned. "Absolutely! I already made reservations for 7 pm. We can dress up and make a night of it."

Beatrix smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her friend. It was exactly what she needed - a distraction, some quality time with her best friend, and a delicious meal.

"Thank you, Stella. You always know how to cheer me up," Beatrix said, hugging her friend tightly.

Stella hugged her back, relieved to see a glimmer of happiness in Beatrix’s eyes. "That’s what friends are for, Bea. Now, let’s get ready to have a fantastic evening!"

As they sat down to talk more about the restaurant, Beatrix’s eyes sparkled with excitement, but she couldn’t help but notice that Stella seemed a little uneasy.

"Is everything okay, Stella? You seem a bit tense," Beatrix asked, her voice laced with concern.

Stella’s eyes darted away for a moment, and she hesitated before answering. "Yeah, everything’s fine. Just a little stressed with work lately."

Beatrix looked at her friend skeptically, sensing that there was more to the story. "Are you sure that’s all? It seems like something else is bothering you. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Stella took a deep breath, weighing her options before finally relenting. "Okay, fine. I’ll tell you. But you have to promise not to overreact."

Beatrix nodded, her curiosity piqued. "Okay, I promise. What’s going on?"

Stella took a deep breath before speaking. "Well, there is someone. But it’s complicated."

Beatrix’s eyes widened, surprised by the confession. "Someone? What do you mean? Are you seeing someone?"

Stella froze for a moment, caught off guard by Beatrix’s question. She tried to think of something to say, but her mind went blank.

She couldn’t tell Beatrix the truth. She couldn’t tell her that the person she was seeing was Beatrix’s brother, Remo.

"No, no one. I just meant that there’s a guy at work who’s been showing some interest in me, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for anything serious," Stella lied, her heart racing with guilt.

Beatrix nodded, seeming to accept Stella’s explanation, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that her friend was hiding something from her.

"Okay, well, just know that I’m here for you, no matter what," Beatrix said, her voice filled with sincerity.

Stella nodded, feeling a sense of relief that the conversation had moved on from her personal life. But she couldn’t help but feel guilty for lying to her friend, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.

"Let me ask my dad if I can go with you tonight with everything going on, everything has been pretty tense." Beatrix said, getting up.

Stella nodded, "Alright, I will wait for you."

Beatrix made her way to her father’s study. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She tried again, but still, there was no response.

She turned the knob, and to her surprise, the door was unlocked. She pushed it open and stepped inside, scanning the room for her father.

As she walked further into the room, she heard voices coming from behind the closed door of the adjacent room. She recognized her father’s voice and her brother Matteo’s.

"I don’t know, Matteo. I did something really bad, and I think it’s got to do with the packages we’ve been receiving," her father said, his voice strained.

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Matteo asked, his tone confused.

"It happened around the time your mother died. I was angry and hurt and grieving. My friends wanted to cheer me up. I-I shouldn’t have. I was intoxicated..... It’s all my fault," her father replied, his voice tinged with regret.

Beatrix’s heart sank. She had no idea what they were talking about, but the words "really bad" and "packages" made her feel sick.

She didn’t know what to do. Should she confront them or leave? She couldn’t just stand there eavesdropping, but at the same time, she needed to know what was going on.

As she stood there, frozen in indecision, she heard her father’s voice again.

"Beatrix can never find out about this. It would destroy her," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Beatrix felt a pang of hurt and confusion. Why did they have to hide things from her? Did they not trust her?

She couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She turned and hurried out of the room, her mind whirling with questions.

As she made her way back to her bedroom, she realized that her worries about Damien were insignificant compared to what was happening within her own family.

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