len

t, as if the universe had decided t

f my room, wind howling li

rything Lorenzo hadn't said. He was hiding som

n't Se

vanish wit

e silver pin I'd hidden in the lining of my dress fro

a key, maybe I

t of the room

need to see their faces I'd memorized their patte

aited at the end

ancient. Co

is before in another life, breaking into my father's study, trying to find

li

fro

eaked open a

was different.

There were no lights. Only the glow from

descended i

. Noises. Wa

lly, each step an

into a room a vault

alls. Files. Cabinets. And o

cked

si

ndro, not in a wedding gown, but

st cons

h Lorenzo. With men I didn't know.

eath h

was neve

mask. And whatever role she pla

born to t

e idiot who d

ehind me m

ssan

orm, his shirt unbuttoned, chest rising with f

n't be here,

ped the

d to me,"

owe you t

is was never about replacing a bri

orward, slow

rstand what you'

was trained like a soldier. Tell me wh

d inches a

darkly, "is the reas

d. Bitter

e your people needed a Russo body at the alt

aw cle

anted this? Tha

linc

met hi

me now. So what wil

st, pulled me agai

u broke into a restricted vault. You d

ed my a

s don't ap

re my

e. Not by

mething in his expressio

ruth? Then c

st, he dragged me th

hrough iron gates. Into a sub lev

ed anoth

e. A black book. A

Si

No

ved me

ly built. Your father, Valentina. Your real inheritance. Se

fro

Wh

t vanish. S

bli

betray

trayed a

ed at t

ilies. Bloo

h Serafina's. Written in ink. Dat

just a s

as p

ground vanis

voice was gr

love. Or marriage. This was about keep

him, my voice

nd

he said. "You become my

sto

your

idn't

a dangero

ver meant

tensified. Thunder cr

ault, a deadlier