LOGIN~~LENA~~ I couldn’t take it anymore, it was eating me up. The next morning I went looking for him with fire in my chest, I had barely gotten any sleep and was running purely on coffee. Every time I closed my eyes I saw the red emergency lights, his damp skin, the hearing aid, and all those photographs of my life that he had kept hidden. The attraction growing between us only made everything worse. I hated how my body remembered the way he froze when I touched him. I hated how badly I wanted answers and him at the same time. I found Niccolò in his office. He was standing by the window, staring out at the garden like he hadn’t slept either. The moment I walked in and closed the door behind me, he turned around. “We need to talk,” I said boldly. “And this time you’re not walking away.” He watched me carefully but stayed calm. “Lena—” “No. I’m done with the half-
LENA A storm started out of nowhere. Rain fell against the windows like it wanted to break in and thunder rolled so loudly that it made the walls. I was walking through one of the long hallways when everything went black. The lights died instantly and a mechanical clicking sound followed, all the doors locked down as the security system switched to emergency mode. “Shit,” I whispered. Dim red emergency lights shone on along the floor and ceiling. They cast everything in a bloody glow that made everywhere creepy. The mansion suddenly felt like a completely different place. It was cold and unsafe, I felt like I was trapped. I tried to keep walking but the next set of doors wouldn’t open. The system had locked sections of the house and I was trapped in this hallway, all alone. My
~~NICCOLÒ~~ By the time dinner finally ended, I had developed a headache. It wasn't because of the noise. Santoro family dinners had always been loud. With enough relatives gathered under one roof, silence was simply impossible. No, tonight's headache had a name. Lena. I stood near one of the windows overlooking the gardens, with a glass of whiskey in my hand as I replayed the disaster she had created at the dinner table. Out of every subject available for discussion, she had chosen Isabella Voss. Isabella. Even now, I couldn't understand what had possessed her. I had known Lena was curious. Curiosity practically defined her existence. Ever since she had discovered that photograph, I had been waiting for the inevitable questions. It had only been a matter of time. What I didn’t expect was for her to casually mention Isabella's name in front of the entire family as though she were asking about a distant relative. The woman had no survival instincts. Absolutely none
~~LENA~~The silence was not what I had expected. Actually, that wasn't entirely true.I had expected silence from Niccolò. Perhaps even from his father. I had anticipated a few uncomfortable glances, some awkward shifting in seats, or maybe someone attempting to steer the conversation in another direction.What I had not expected was for the entire table to fall completely silent. The reaction was immediate. And deeply unsettling.Forks stopped halfway to mouths. Conversations ended abruptly. Even the soft clinking of cutlery against porcelain disappeared. It felt as though I had accidentally spoken a forbidden word.For several long seconds, nobody moved. Nobody spoke nor even seemed willing to breathe too loudly. I suddenly became painfully aware that I was still smiling.The smile vanished immediately.Oh God.What had I just done? My gaze moved around the table.Several people were openly staring at me. Some looked uncomfortable. Others appeared curious. One elderly woman looked
~~LENA~~I had originally assumed that finding the perfect opportunity to question Niccolò would be nearly impossible.The man rarely remained in one place long enough for an uninterrupted conversation. Even when he was physically present, his mind always seemed occupied by something else. He worked constantly, disappeared without warning, and had perfected the art of avoiding discussions he did not want to have.So, when he returned home that evening and informed me that the entire household would be attending a family dinner hosted by his father, I genuinely thought I had misheard him."We're going out?" I asked, lowering the book I had been pretending to read.Niccolò loosened the cuffs of his shirt without looking at me. "We're attending a family dinner."I frowned. "A family dinner?""Yes."I stared at him suspiciously. "Voluntarily?"That finally made him look at me. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"I folded my arms."Nothing. I just didn't know your family believed in s
~~LENA~~ I remained seated on the floor long after I discovered the photograph. The file lay open beside me, forgotten. My entire attention was fixed on the picture in my hands. Isabella Voss. At least, she had been alive six months ago. I read the handwritten note again. And once more, because apparently my brain had decided that repetition might somehow produce a different answer. It did not. The words remained exactly the same. "Isabella Voss. Alive." I exhaled slowly. "Okay, Lena. Don't panic." Unfortunately, telling myself not to panic had never actually prevented me from panicking. Questions began piling up immediately. Who had taken the picture? Who had been tracking Isabella? Why had they hidden the photograph inside an old personnel file? And most i
~~NICCOLÒ~~ I woke up in the middle of the night. Lena was sprawled against my chest calmly, one of her arms was tucked beneath my ribs while the other rested over my stomach. Her breathing was even now, and she felt soft on my skin. Every few minutes she shifted slightly closer without even re
~~LENA~~ Niccolò was already walking toward the dining table. His dark shirt sleeves were rolled to his forearms, exposing the tattoos that disappeared beneath the fabric. His expression remained as unreadable as ever, but something felt different about him this morning. Whatever the reason, I bec
~~LENA~~“He’s coming today,” my stepmother said.I froze in the middle of the hallway, still wearing yesterday’s clothes. “What?”“Yes, Lena, you heard me right. He’s coming today.” She turned me toward my bedroom door. “So go get dressed. Something tight. Show your curves. Make sure he likes what
~~LENA~~I knew something was wrong the moment I pushed the door open.“Lena!”My stepmother’s voice sliced through the silence from the kitchen.I dropped my bag near the door and walked in slowly. The acrid smell of burnt stew hung thick in the air.“I just got back,” I said carefully.She turned







