CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

VINCENZO

I watched as Anya walked away, her presence lingering in my thoughts. There was something about her, something different that stirred emotions within me I had long tried to suppress. I couldn't deny the effect she had on me, the way she made me feel alive in a way I hadn't experienced in years.

But I knew better than to allow myself to feel. Weakness was not an option for me, not with the enemies that lurked in the shadows, waiting for any sign of vulnerability. My father's mistakes had taught me that lesson all too well, and I couldn't afford to repeat them.

No matter how much I tried to distance myself from her, to remind myself of the past and the pain it held, she continued to invade my thoughts. It frustrated me, infuriated me even. I couldn't afford to have distractions, especially not with Emiliano's presence looming over us, a constant threat to the famiglia.

I had tried using the excuse that her father was responsible fo