Cassandra’s POV~
At first, I didn’t believe what I was hearing.
I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the screen like maybe I had misunderstood… or maybe my brain had started playing tricks on me. But no—Caterina’s name was still there, the call was still active, and her voice kept echoing through the speaker, just as smug and venomous as I remembered it.
I froze.
ADRIANO’S POV~A groan tore from my throat before I even realized I was conscious.The pain hit first. A sharp, searing wave that ripped through my ribs and set my nerves on fire. I sucked in a breath… too fast, too shallow and it felt like knives slicing through my chest. My hand flew instinctively to my side, and the second I moved, agony lashed through me so hard I saw black for a moment.
Cassandra’s POV~At first, I didn’t believe what I was hearing.I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the screen like maybe I had misunderstood… or maybe my brain had started playing tricks on me. But no—Caterina’s name was still there, the call was still active, and her voice kept echoing through the speaker, just as smug and venomous as I remembered it.I froze.
Adriano’s POV~They stopped asking me questions on the third day I marked Cassandra’s retreat.Before that, they’d tried everything—threats, mockery, the good cop bullshit, even silence, as if I’d break just to hear a voice. I didn’t. I stopped talking after the first hour. My mouth dried, bled, then sealed. They could’ve pulled my nails off and I still wouldn’t have given them the satisfaction of a sound.
Cassandra’s POV~I didn’t go back to Adriano’s villa.I couldn’t. I didn’t want to be reminded of anything anymore. I didn't want to see the butler’s constant worried look. The way he kept lurking around the hallways, trying to eavesdrop on any of my conversations to make sure Adriano was okay. Neither did I want to be reminded of anything about Adriano. I wanted to heal from thi
Cassandra’s POV~My throat felt like it was stuffed with dry, burning sand.No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get a single word out. It was as though something invisible had wrapped its hands around my neck and squeezed. The silence wasn’t helping either. It was too quiet in here, too still. This kind of silence made my skin crawl.Bu
Cassandra’s POV~The letter wouldn’t stop haunting me.I’d read it at least ten times, maybe more after I had taken it home. And each time, my chest burned like something inside me was twisting, cracking, slowly. Adriano’s parents… my father. That one letter flipped everything I thought I knew upside down.I didn’t want it to change anything. But it did.