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She met my gaze evenly. "I'm not defending him. I'm just saying that sometimes circumstances can be more complicated. Maybe he had his reasons, no matter how twisted they might be."
I shook my head, unable to comprehend her perspective. "I can't believe you're saying this. You're acting like it's no big deal."
Keisha's expression softened, and she reached out to touch my arm.
"Sophia, I'm not saying it's no big deal, but you've seen and spent time with him. There's more to him than just that one act. I'm not telling you to forgive or be with him, but maybe try to understand before you completely shut the door."
I stood up from the couch, needing to distance Keisha and myself physically. Her words lingered in the air, a cloud of uncertainty I struggled to dispel.
Was I being too quick to judge Matteo based on a single, horrific act? Could there be layers to his story that I had yet to uncover?
"Sophia, I'm not trying to downplay what he did," Keisha's voice was earnest, her eyes searching mine for understanding.
"I just think that sometimes people do things out of desperation, out of circumstances that push them to the edge. It doesn't excuse their actions, but it might give us some insight into why."
I turned away, my thoughts a jumble of confusion. "I don't know, Keisha. I saw him that night, standing over the body. There was no desperation in his eyes, just... coldness."
Keisha sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I get it, Sophia. I do. But people can be good and bad at the same time. None of us is entirely one or the other. Maybe there's a side to Matteo that we haven't seen, one that explains what happened."
I walked to the window, staring out at the cityscape below. The lights were beginning to twinkle in the gathering darkness, a reflection of the thoughts swirling in my mind.
Keisha had a point – there was so much I didn't know about Matteo, his life, his past, his motivations. But did that justify his actions?
"It's not that simple, Keisha," I finally said, my voice tinged with frustration. "Even if there's more to his story, it doesn't erase the fact that someone lost his life because of him."
Keisha joined me at the window, her gaze thoughtful. "You're right. It's not simple. But life rarely is. I'm just asking you to consider that there might be layers to this situation that we can't fully understand. Besides, have you forgotten?”
I stared at her, confused.
“You’re a hacker. You can find out what you can about him.” She smirked.
I turned to her. My expression conflicted even if I reciprocated her smirk with a small laugh. "And what if understanding doesn't change anything? What if I still can't get past what he did?"
Keisha gave me a reassuring smile. "Then that's okay too, Sophia. You have every right to feel the way you do. I want you to remember that people are complex, and sometimes, they surprise us in ways we never expected."
As I looked at Keisha, her words resonated within me. It was true – people were complex, and Matteo was no exception.
I couldn't deny the chemistry between us, the pull that seemed to defy logic. But could I find a way to see beyond his actions? I wasn’t sure.
Chapter 16
Matteo
TheweightofLeo'srevelation still pressed heavily on my mind. The carefully orchestrated death of my father was a truth I struggled to accept.
Anger churned within me, but I had managed to rein it in, channeling it into a determination to seek justice for my father's memory.
My plans were set into motion. I had dispatched Antonio to deal with Detective George, to bring him to a safe location where we could extract the truth from him.
Only when George was out of the picture could I focus on unraveling the bigger picture surrounding my father's death.
It was risky, but I couldn't afford to let George slip through my fingers.
As I sat in my office, my fingers drumming rhythmically on my desk, my thoughts strayed to Sophia.
The gala, the interrupted moment between us – they seemed like distant memories now, overshadowed by the gravity of recent events.
The news that had shattered the illusions of my father's accident was more important than anything else, yet a pang of guilt tugged at me for leaving Sophia alone at the event.
