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Chapter 4

Author: Aged
Gianna took my silence as a retreat.

She started moving things around the villa as she pleased, changing the wallpaper and the furniture to suit her own taste, all under the pretense of easing my stress.

The way Dante looked at me changed. There was something searching and uneasy in it.

He started holding me more often, asking what I’d done that day and whether I was feeling all right.

“You’ve been quiet lately,” he said.

I nodded. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Then get to bed early.” He brushed the loose strands of hair off my forehead. “If anything’s wrong, tell me.”

I smiled but, in the end, said nothing.

After all, in a few more days, none of this would have anything to do with me.

Gianna liked this villa, and she liked Dante. She could have them both. I didn’t want anything anymore.

There was only one thing I had to take with me: the piano my parents had left me.

During the darkest time of my life, Dante had stayed by my side. But what truly brought me back to the piano bench were the memories that piano held.

My mother sitting beside me on the bench, correcting my hand position. My father standing nearby, smiling and saying, “One more time.”

It was their encouragement that pulled me out of the darkness.

While Dante was busy in his study, I was in the living room figuring out how to take the piano with me when a jumble of chaotic notes suddenly came from upstairs.

I rushed up to the second floor and pushed open the door to the music room. Gianna was sitting at my parents’ piano, slamming her palms against the keys.

“Stop.” My voice was tight.

She didn’t stop. Instead, she gave me a gentle smile. “What’s wrong? It’s been sitting so long it’s gone out of tune. I’m helping you tune it.”

She pounded the keys harder and harder.

“I don’t need your help!” I couldn’t keep from shouting.

“Fine.” Gianna stopped. The gentleness on her face slowly peeled away like a mask.

She took out a can of gasoline, poured it over the piano, and flicked a lighter on.

“Since you don’t need me to tune it, there’s no point keeping this piano around.”

I lunged forward to grab the lighter.

But Gianna suddenly let out a terrified scream. “Alina! What are you doing—”

She fell backward, and the lighter slipped from her hand and landed on the piano. The flames raced along the trail of gasoline, engulfing the entire piano in an instant.

Dante charged in behind me and swept Gianna protectively into his arms.

He knocked me to the floor. My arm struck the burning edge of the piano, and the pain was so sharp it brought tears to my eyes.

But I didn’t care. I scrambled up and grabbed Dante’s pant leg.

“Dante, save the piano. My parents left it to me...”

Just then, Gianna burst into tears in his arms.

“Dante, my stomach hurts so much... I wanted to clean the piano for her, and she just snapped and pushed me... She even tried to set me and the baby on fire...”

Dante held her close and frowned down at me.

“Alina, I know you’ve been under a lot of stress lately, but you can’t treat Gianna like this.”

“I didn’t push her! She started the fire—”

“Enough.” He cut me off. “It doesn’t matter who started the fire.

“I’m getting Gianna out first. She’s pregnant. Nothing can happen to her.”

I clung to his pant leg, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. “But... my parents’ piano is still in here. Please. There’s still time...”

Gianna started crying again.

“Dante, she’s still worried about that piano... All that PTSD of hers is fake!

“I know she’s always hated me. She wants to burn me and the baby to death...”

I shook my head desperately. “That’s not true!”

But Dante’s eyes were filled with deep disappointment and helplessness. “If the piano’s gone, we’ll buy another one. Once we’re outside, apologize to Gianna.

“Don’t make such a disgrace of yourself.”

I froze where I was and let go of his pant leg.

Dante didn’t stay a second longer. He carried Gianna out of the music room.

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