92 • A Deal With The Cali Alpha

◇ MYKAELA ◇

The party ended roughly two hours after dinner. My family and the last of our guests just left.

Except Rafa. He'd be sleeping in the guest room tonight, and most likely for the next few days, until he was due to go back to Rome.

Or Florence? I forgot to ask. I wasn't sure if Alodia was allowed to leave her ex's vacation house. Or if she still wanted to hang out with Raffaele from time to time.

Enzo mentioned they were no longer an item.

My breaths formed light mists in the crisp air as I tidied up his dimly lit backyard. The clatter of plates, clinking glasses, and the sounds of laughter lingered in my head. But the cold breeze only emphasized the emptiness I felt now.

The heavy silence made room for darker thoughts. To keep distracting myself, I went back inside the house to fix the mess in Enzo's kitchen, scowling at the remnants of the party clinging to the countertops. I was used to this, though. Cleaning at the dead of night and being alone with my thoughts. I actuall