faintly of antisept

way the lights hummed softly above her. The steady rhythm of guards' footsteps somewhere beyond the turn

broken

here were not measured by size

ned to her room. She closed the door carefully behind her, le

ng ha

o shouting.

d have rea

it made h

house usually meant some

with fractured images-gunfire echoing through halls, Alessandro's shadow stretchin

e to sh

this

egistered-voices raised, urgent, close. Boots pound

me the

dist

muff

at Elena felt i

r was unlocked-another small mercy, or another calculated choic

pening?" sh

" he barked w

was alre

eart of the estate. The place Alessandro rarely allowed her near.

they w

sprawled near the staircase, eyes glassy, chest unmoving. Another l

a fr

next-metallic, s

not you

as she grabbed Elena's arm, pulli

wallowed hard. "I

curiosity was w

uld answer, Ale

lethal, furious. His jacket was gone, sleeves rolled up, a thin li

ound Elena

dark

ou?" he said, voic

you," Elena replied befo

ed like a spar

ssed Mara with a sharp gesture and gripped Elena's arm, pulling h

rule," he s

way," she shot back. "

decide where the

htened. He turned briefly, issuing rapid orders to his men. The i

taining marble that would ne

to Elena, his expr

an

e

ed," he said, lower now.

So could he," she said softly, nodding towar

an betr

er?" she asked. "Watching

s isn't about comfort.

k like it costs you s

n caught hi

vement around them. It was just the two of them standing in

e here," Alessan

replied. "Whether y

ing sharp and conflicted

," she continued. "The breach.

es

new it wou

uspe

danger on purpose,

silence was a

dden. "You don't get to play guardia

don't understand the w

nding I'm too fr

her

ro did someth

go of h

th me,"

im a look.

ated, not raising his voice, b

oticed before, away from the chaos. The sounds of t

ned with dark wood and mirrors-

ng the silence, "was trusted. He at

betray

es

mirror-how rigid he stood, how tig

ed. "For hal

you," she said. "Not

et hers in

said quietly. "Challenging me. Watchi

plied. "It mak

fully. "Honesty gets

ven't you ki

between them, dang

tepped close

, "you remind me of the w

eath c

fair," she

r is th

king the moment. Alessandro exhaled, s

out permission again," he said fir

"And if I hear

stay

if I

"Then the consequen

or who?"

every

scrubbed clean and the estate returned to it

still see

ear the

ear, something el

violence, but it was held together b

ro De Luca w

le of blood and betrayal, he

t her see

ore dangerous than an