LOGINLorenzo counted Louis's moles and eyebrow hairs but won't say "I love you.", that problematic Volterra 😤. And Gia just asked Isabella if Serafina is still alive. I wonder if she is 😩. Yeah, I’m the author so what 😏
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN: ASHES TO ASHES The reading room at the Milano Film Studio was bright and airy, smelling of fresh espresso and printed paper. Long tables were arranged in a U-shape, surrounded by sleek chairs and pitchers of iced water. This wasn't a low-budget indie. The studio was backing a high-profile political drama…The Silent Party…and the cast was stacked with heavyweights. Louis sat at the head of the table, his script open in front of him, a pencil tucked behind his ear. He was the lead. The fast-rising star. The industry's current obsession and he commanded the room with a quiet, effortless confidence. "Okay," Louis said, tapping his script. "Let's take it from the top of scene twelve. The confrontation in the hotel room." The actress playing the journalist took a breath, adjusting her glasses. "You think you can just buy my silence? Your entire party is built on the backs of the poor, and you want me to write a fluff piece on your new housing initia
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIX: CANCEL HONEYMOON The private hospital wing was suffocatingly quiet. The only sounds were the steady, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the soft hum of the ventilation system. Louis sat in the chair pulled flush against Aunt Gia’s bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped so tightly his knuckles were white. He hadn't changed out of his wedding trousers, though his bowtie was lost somewhere in the chaos of the past four hours. He stared at her face. She looked so small against the white hospital pillows, her silver hair fanned out, an oxygen tube taped beneath her nose. The door clicked open. Lorenzo walked in, his suit jacket discarded, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows. He looked exhausted. He didn't say a word. He just walked over, pulled Louis out of the chair, and wrapped his arms around him, pressing Louis’s head against his chest. Louis melted into him, his fingers curling into the fabric of Lorenzo'
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE: THE VOW The greenhouse was quiet, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. The fairy lights cast a warm, golden glow over Lorenzo’s face, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted. He looked human. Louis stood his ground, his arms still crossed. "Five minutes. Start talking." Lorenzo took a slow breath, gathering his thoughts. He didn't try to close the distance between them. "I was wrong," Lorenzo said, his voice stripped of its usual commanding tone. "Not about how I feel about my mother. But about how I handled it. I shouldn't have lied to you." "You made me look like an idiot in front of William," Louis said, his voice sharp. "You let me sit there and talk about how nice it would be to have a mother-in-law, knowing full well you'd seen her." "I know and I am sorry. I would never do that again." Lorenzo’s jaw tightened. "But Louis, you have to understand…when I saw her, it was like being a child ag
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR: THE SECOND CHANCE By midnight, the penthouse was suffocatingly quiet. Louis was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. His posture was rigid, his jaw set in a hard line. He wasn't crying but was just waiting. The door opened. Footsteps across the floor. The rustle of a jacket, a watch hitting the nightstand. "You're still awake," Lorenzo said. "Couldn't sleep." Louis didn't look at him. "You're late today again, Lorenzo” "Meetings ran long." The bed dipped as Lorenzo climbed in beside him. He smelled like cold air and expensive cologne. His hand found Louis's hip, sliding under his shirt, drawing him closer. His lips brushed the sensitive skin of Louis's neck. "I'm pausing all travels till after the wedding," Lorenzo murmured. "No more trips. Just you and me. I miss you so much baby” Louis didn't lean into the touch. He sat perfectly still, a statue of coiled tension. "Lorenzo." "Hmm?" The kisses trailed lower. "I was wondering
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THREE: THE PERFECT FIT The glass doors slid open, curtains parting like water as Lorenzo guided Louis into the bedroom. The penthouse was quiet, warm, lit soft gold from the lamps Lorenzo had left on. "How did it go, love?" Lorenzo's hand found the small of Louis's back, steadying him as they walked. "You must be so tired." Louis was already pulling away, shedding his coat, his energy a restless buzz. "You would not believe the way they treated my staff. The makeup artists… Lorenzo, they had them working fifteen-hour days with no breaks. Fifteen. And the lighting crew?” “They were drinking energy drinks like water because production refused to hire a second shift. I had to step in myself, I told them if they didn't fix it I was walking, and then…" "Oh really?" Lorenzo followed him, unbothered by the rant. "…and then the director had the nerve to say I was being difficult. Me. Difficult. Because I wanted my people to not collapse on set…" "Yeah?"
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWO: THE WOMAN IN THE ROOM The phone rang three times before someone picked up. "Volterra residence." Louis tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear, toeing off his shoes by the door. "Hey, it's Louis. Is Aunt Gia around?" The housekeeper hesitated. It was a small thing…a beat of silence that lasted a second too long….but Louis caught it. "Signora Gia is not available at the moment." "Not available?" Louis frowned, padding into the kitchen. "It's eight in the morning there. She's always up by six." "She took a trip, Signore. An emergency trip." "A trip?" He stopped at the counter, fingers drumming against the marble. "Where?" "America." "America." He repeated it slowly, like the word might rearrange itself into something that made sense. "Aunt Gia flew to America." "Yes, signore. She left last night." Louis pulled the phone away from his ear, stared at it, then put it back. "She's in her eighties. Isn't she a little old to be flying across t
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US. The mansion felt different with Chloe in it…brighter, louder, like someone had turned up the volume on a song Louis didn't realize had been playing too low. She sat in a wheelchair, not because she couldn't walk but because she tired easily, her bod
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE BLOOD ON THE STREET The private jet sat on the tarmac, engines humming, ready to take him to Zurich. Lorenzo stood at the bottom of the steps, one foot on the first stair, when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. The estate. "What." The voice on the other end wa
CHAPTER SIX: THE GRANDMOTHER Louis stood in the middle of the bedroom, staring at the massive bed like it was a cage about to snap shut. He should be getting ready for bed. That's what normal people did. They brushed their teeth, they changed into something comfortable, they lay down and clos
CHAPTER FIVE: MARRIED TO A CRAZY ONE IN MILAN. The private jet felt ridiculous. Louis had never been on a plane that felt more like a hotel room. Leather seats that reclined into beds. A table set with actual silverware. A flight attendant who kept asking if he wanted anything…champagne, caviar







