When the car finally comes to a stop, I blink, realizing we're not at the Costanzo estate but at Stefano's apartment. "What are we doing here?" I ask, my voice hoarse from crying.

Stefano doesn't answer as he comes around to my side of the car. He reaches for my hand, but I jerk away, wrapping my arms around myself like a shield. The last thing I want right now is his touch, no matter how much my traitorous body craves it.

"Why am I here?" I demand, anger rising in my throat. I can't believe I thought this night was over. With Stefano, it seems the drama never ends.

He sighs deeply dropping his face to meet mine. At first, his expression is one of pure exhaustion, but as his eyes rove over my tear-stained face, I see a furrow appear between his brows. Shit. He knows I've been crying. I quickly swipe at my cheeks, but it's too late.

"Have you been crying?" Stefano asks, his hand coming up to cup my chin. I twist away, my skin burning from his touch.

"I asked you a question," I snap, glaring at him through the fresh tears that blur my vision. "Why am I here?"

Stefano's jaw clenches. "Fucking answer me. Why were you crying?"

I whip my head back to face him, disbelief and fury warring in my chest. "Did you seriously just ask me that? Did you?" My voice rises to a shout, echoing in the still night air.

He opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Save it," I spit, pushing past him out of the car towards the entrance of his building. If he won't let me go home, I'll wait inside. Anywhere is better than being trapped out here with him.

But Stefano's next words stop me in my tracks. "Fuck, Andrea, I can't... I can't do this again."

Slowly, I turn back to him, my heart pounding against my ribs. "Can't what?"

He takes a step closer, his eyes burning into mine. "Do you have any idea what you mean to me? Do you?"

I scoff, crossing my arms. "No, Stefano, I don't have a fucking clue. All I get from you are mixed signals and hot-and-cold bullshit."

In three long strides, he closes the distance between us. My heart races as he gently takes my hand and places it over the spot where my heart would be.

"You mean so much to me," he says, his voice raw with emotion, "that if your heart stopped..." He then takes my palm and places it on his own chest, right over his heart. "Mine would, too."

I freeze, my mind going blank as the magnitude of his words hits me like a tidal wave. I stare at him, my brows furrowing in shock, my lips parting on a sharp inhale. I can't believe what I'm hearing, can't process the depth of feeling he's revealing to me.

"Stefano," I breathe, his name a whisper of disbelief and wonder on my tongue.

Under my palm, I can feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat, strong and sure.

Stefano's forehead drops against mine, his breath warm on my skin. "You're my heartbeat, luce del sole," he murmurs, his voice low and rough with emotion.

And then he closes the scant distance between us, his lips capturing mine in a searing kiss that steals the breath from my lungs. For a moment, I'm frozen, stunned by the intensity of his passion. But then my body responds, melting into him as my eyes flutter closed and my arms wind around his neck.

The taste of him floods my senses - a heady mix of desire and something uniquely Stefano. It's intoxicating and overwhelming in the best possible way. I've imagined this moment countless times, dreamed of how he would feel, how he would taste. But the reality is so much better than any fantasy.

Stefano nips at my bottom lip, and I gasp, my mouth opening under his. His tongue sweeps inside, tangling with mine in a sensual dance that sends sparks of pleasure racing down my spine. It's electrifying, the slide of his lips against mine, the heat of his breath mingling with my own.

My fingers thread through his hair, reveling in the silky strands as I pull him closer. I can feel the hard planes of his body pressed against my softer curves, every inch of us aligned as we lose ourselves in the kiss.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard, our chests heaving as we struggle to catch our breath. Stefano rests his forehead against mine once more, his eyes dark and glittering with a mix of longing and remorse.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Andrea."

I blink up at him, taken aback by the raw sincerity in his apology. A part of me knows how much it must have cost him to utter those words - this proud, stubborn man who holds his cards so close to his chest.

But even as my heart clenches with a bittersweet ache, I realize that an apology, no matter how heartfelt, isn't enough to erase the hurt and confusion of the past weeks. The wounds are too fresh, the trust too fragile.

Slowly, I step out of his arms, wrapping my own around my middle as if to hold myself together. "Thank you," I say softly, my voice trembling with the effort to keep my composure. "But I think I still need some time. Some space to process everything."

Stefano's brow furrows, a flash of pain and uncertainty darkening his gaze. He reaches for me again, but I hold up a hand, halting him in his tracks.

"Please, Stefano," I whisper, my eyes pleading for him to understand. "You hurt me deeply. And as much as I want to just fall into your arms and let you kiss away the pain, it's not that simple. I need to work through this in my own way, on my own terms."

For a long moment, he simply stares at me, a muscle ticking in his jaw as a war of emotions plays out across his face. But then, to my relief, he nods, a slow, deliberate gesture of acceptance.

"Alright," he says, his voice carefully neutral even as his eyes betray his inner turmoil. "Let me drive you home, at least."

I release a shaky sigh, suddenly feeling the full weight of my exhaustion as the adrenaline of the night begins to ebb away. "Thank you," I murmur, allowing him to guide me back to the car with a gentle hand at the small of my back.

As I settle into the passenger seat, I close my eyes, leaning my head back against the headrest. The cool leather is a balm against my flushed skin, and I take a moment to just breathe, trying to center myself amidst the whirlwind of emotions still churning inside me, but not long after sleep carries me away.