MasukARYA’S POVIt has been a week and I haven’t heard a word from Giovanni after the birthday party. Every night since then I was tormented by our last conversation, mainly because of guilt and also because I regretted the words I spoke. Giovanni was trying his best to reconcile but all I did was throw it back in his face. I wish we had the opportunity to talk again. I would take back some of the words I spoke. “Cara,” Dad's voice interrupted and I looked up from the desk, “are you good?”I forced a smile on my face and nodded. “What is it?” He cleared his throat and walked further into the room. “Giovanni called earlier this morning.”Before I could help it, my heart leapt for joy and I scrambled to my feet. I immediately realized how embarrassing my excitement was but Dad didn't seem to mind. “What… why did he call?” I asked, pretending to be disinterested.My dad’s facial expression made me pause. "Giovanni has filed for divorce."The room tilted. "What?"Dad had a gruff look on
ARYA'S POV I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and all morning, I kept replaying it in my head.I couldn't forget the feel of his hands on my face or the desperation in every touch.In the kitchen, I was supposed to be making breakfast, but I burned the toast twice."Arya, are you alright?" Mom asked, rescuing the smoking bread from the toaster. "You seem distracted."I shook my head. "I'm fine. Just tired."But I wasn't fine. I was a mess.Later, I tried to play with Dante in the nursery, but I couldn't focus. He kept showing me his toys and laughing, and I kept drifting off, thinking about Giovanni's face when I pulled away from him on the balcony."Mama, more!" Dante demanded, shoving a block at me.I blinked, snapping out of it. "Right, yes. More blocks."Christabel noticed too when she came to visit. "Are you sick? You seem weird.""I'm not sick." I forced a tight smile.She didn't look like she believed. "You're acting weird. Your eyes are all dreamy.""They are not." I sh
ARYA'S POVThe after-party was in full swing, there was music and food and lots of laughter.I tried to enjoy it but everywhere I turned, people looked at me with that same expression of pity mixed with uncertainty.Like they didn't know whether to acknowledge what had happened to me or pretend it never did."Arya! Oh my God, it's been so long!"I turned to find Sophia Moretti, someone I knew vaguely before everything happened."Sophia, hi. How have you been?""Good, good. You know, just-" She laughed nervously. "I heard about what happened. That must have been so... difficult."I smiled tightly. "It was."An uncomfortable silence fell. She glanced away, then back at me. “Well, you look great. Really great. I mean, everything considered…" She stopped, blushing. "Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound-"I waved her dismissively. "It's fine."But it wasn't fine. This happened with everyone I spoke to. The same underlying pity and discomfort. After the fifth such conversation, I felt exhau
ARYA’S POVI stood in front of my bedroom mirror, the midnight blue dress flowing around me like water. My hair was still loose around my shoulders, and I couldn't decide what to do with it. A soft knock echoed at the door. "Arya? May I come in?""Yes, Mom."She entered, already dressed in a beautiful champagne-colored gown, her hair swept up in a chignon."You look beautiful," she said, coming to stand behind me. "But your hair… here, let me help."Her hands were gentle as she ran her fingers through my hair, arranging it so it fell in soft waves over my shoulders."You should keep it like this," she said decisively. "It looks lovely down."I watched her in the mirror, remembering all the times she had done this when I was younger."Are you sure about this?" she asked quietly, her hands still smoothing my hair. "We can still stay home. No one would think less of you."I shook my head. "I need to do this. Dr. Rossi says avoiding Giovanni isn't helping me heal.” A sigh left my throat
ARYA'S POVThe makeshift office was warm and comfortable. Dad didn't want me to leave the estate so he arranged a space in the guest house for me and the therapist to do our sessions. Dr. Elena Rossi sat across from me with a notepad resting on her knee."How have you been sleeping this week?" she asked.I picked at a loose thread on my sleeve. "The medication is helping. I only had nightmares twice instead of every night.""That's good progress." She made a note while nodding her head. "And during the day? The dissociative episodes?"I sighed and leaned against the plush couch. “I caught myself zoning out yesterday, but I was able to pull myself back.""That's significant improvement, Arya.” She was smiling brightly now, “you should be proud of yourself."I didn't feel proud. I felt numb but at least I wasn't constantly reliving my trauma."I know you're concerned about the medication," Dr. Rossi continued, as if reading my mind. "That you don't want to become dependent on it."My
GIOVANNI'S POVRobert's study smelled of leather and old books. I sat across from him at his massive oak desk, the map I brought with me rolled out on top of the table. "We hit twelve locations simultaneously," I explained, pointing to marked positions on the map. "Their main warehouse in the industrial district, three safe houses, two weapons depots, and six businesses they used for money laundering.”I leaned back and cleared my throat. “Total assets seized are estimated at forty-three billion dollars."Robert nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the papers. "Any casualties?""On their side, seventeen dead, twenty-three arrested.” I eyed the map, glimpses of the battle flashing through my mind. “ And nothing fatal on our side. It was clean, considering the scope."Robert reached for the map, trailing his fingers through it. "And the leadership?""Most of them are dead or in custody. But…” I hesitated. "Some escaped. We're still tracking about six high-ranking members who went undergrou
GIOVANNI’S POVI closed the bedroom door behind me and leaned against it, pressing my palms flat against the wood.My hands were still shaking and I looked down at them, staring at the fingers that had been wrapped around Arya's throat not twenty minutes ago and felt something crack inside my chest
ARYA’S POVI pulled the duvet up, acutely aware of every movement. The bed dipped as Giovanni settled beside me, and suddenly the mattress felt much smaller than it had moments ago.We lay there in silence, both staring at the ceiling like it held the answers to questions we didn't know how to ask.
GIOVANNI’S POVI watched Arya flip the coin with an intensity that was probably excessive for a simple game, but something about seeing her like this made warmth spread through my chest.The coin spun in the air, catching the cabin lights, and landed on the table between us.Tails.Her face fell im
ARYA’S POV"What? Why!?” I could barely keep my voice low. Giovanni just shrugged. “We can stay here anymore.”“We can't stay here anymore?" I repeated, my voice rising with disbelief. "But… but we just got here""We've been here for weeks," Giovanni interrupted. “Besides, this was supposed to be







