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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Data de publicação:
2026-05-02 00:43:17
Último capítulo
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER NINETEEN
I knew before Romero said anything.There was a particular quality to the house when Matteo was deliberately absent from it, different from when he was simply busy, or travelling, or shut inside his study with the door locked and his mind three cities away. This was different. This was a withdrawal, careful and deliberate, like a tide pulling back from shore with full knowledge of what it was leaving exposed. I had grown too familiar with the rhythm of him to miss it. I felt it the morning after he'd brought me the water and the tablets and stood too long at my door, and I felt it again every morning after that when training simply did not happen and no one offered me a reason."He's unavailable this morning," Romero told me on the first day, in the careful tone of a man delivering a message he hadn't written."All right," I said.I went to the garden alone. I sat in the spot where we had trained and counted my breathing the way Matteo had taught me and told myself this was fine. He w
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The call came at seven in the morning, which meant Vinnie was either in a different time zone or had something to say that couldn't wait. With Vinnie, it was usually both."You sound like you haven't slept," he said, by way of greeting."I slept fine." I leaned back in my chair and pressed two fingers to the bridge of my nose. Outside the study window, the Los Angeles morning was already bright and offensively cheerful. "What do you want, Vinnie?""I'm calling to check in on my oldest friend." A pause that lasted exactly long enough to be deliberate. "And to ask how the girl is doing."I set my pen down. "She's fine.""Fine," he repeated. "That's all I get. Fine.""That's all there is.""Mm." Another pause. I could hear him moving, the familiar sound of a chair scraping back, footsteps crossing a hard floor. He'd always thought better on his feet. "So you cancelled the Geneva meeting for no reason.""I rescheduled it.""You rescheduled it," he said slowly, like he was tasting the word
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I woke up with my arms aching.Not the dull, familiar ache of a bad night, though I'd had one of those too. The kind where I clawed my way out of a dream right before the fire got to me, but something more immediate. A burn in my shoulders, a tenderness at my wrists where Matteo had gripped them and said, step in, not away. It was strange to wake up in pain that had nothing to do with grief. Strange, and almost a relief.I lay there for a while, listening to the house breathe. It had its own rhythm now that I knew it. The distant clatter of Gretta setting up breakfast somewhere below, the low mechanical hum of the air conditioning cycling on, the faint birdsong that came every morning from the side garden where the hedges were thick. I used to hate the mornings here. They felt like the same darkness with better sound design. Lately, I had been waking up before Gretta knocked. I wasn't sure what to make of that.I got up slowly, stretching my arms overhead and wincing at the pull in
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I stood because he told me to. That was the thing about Matteo—he didn’t ask, not really. He spoke like gravity itself bent to his words, like I’d follow before I even realized I was moving. And the most irritating part? I did.The bench felt suddenly cold without him beside me, and the sunlight was too sharp on my face. His hand hovered close, waiting, and though I hated the idea of needing him, I hated more how natural it felt when my fingers slipped into his. His hand was warm, steady, alive in a way I hadn’t let myself touch in weeks.“Count your steps,” he said. Low. Certain. Unyielding.So I did.“One. Two. Three…”At first, it felt childish. Like I’d been reduced to a little girl learning to cross a street again. But his voice followed me, not with corrections, just presence—close enough to catch me, far enough to let me try. Somewhere between twenty and thirty, I caught the rhythm of it. Breathing on the even numbers, like he told me, grounding myself with each inhale.The path
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MATTEO'S POVI found her in the garden. The sun wasn't even completely up yet, and there she was, just sitting, her eyes closed as her head was tilted up to the sky. I could have sworn I saw a small smile there as a bird passed her by. She was beautiful, all bundled up in her grey cotton sweater. I could tell this moment was probably one of the things that kept her going. Her serenity. I remained there for a couple more minutes, just watching her, until the sun sat right in the sky, it's rays chasing off what was left of the early morning shadows. I took a couple of steps towards her direction, making my presence known. “Good morning,” I said, finally.She turned towards my voice so fast, her hair slid over her shoulder, cascading down her back. I could see the relief that washed over her features for a second before it was replaced with a slight scowl. “Oh, it's you. You sound better,” she said. “Less… tired.”I let out a small smile. “Coffee is a miracle, and sleep.”“Sleep,” she e
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Gabriella's povIt's been days since I gifted Matteo the music box, days since I hid the mini recorder in there, and days since I got nothing tangible. Most of what he talked about was work. The actual work he had mentioned in the beginning, selling cars and other things. A part of me was slightly relieved at the fact that just maybe he wasn't a bad guy, but I knew he was. I knew he was trouble. A trouble I found myself slightly interested in, and I hated that was actually the case. “I need to see him." I said to Romero after my dinner one night.He didn't stop me, instead he just sighed. “Give me a moment." I heard him say something quietly over the phone. "Okay.”"So?”"He's busy and can't see anyone.”"What?” I said, my tone pitched slightly in surprise. "Did you tell him that it was important? That I really needed to see him?”"I'm sorry, Gabriella. He was very strict about not seeing anybody.”“Is–Is something wrong?” I asked, suddenly concerned. Romero’s tone hinted at somethin
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Matteo's pov As much as I wanted to hear what Gabriella wanted to say, I didn't want her to be here. After our last argument, I decided it was best I stayed away. Both for my good and for hers. I couldn't afford those feelings I felt when I was around her. They did more harm than good. They were d
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER TWELVE
Gabriella's pov"Today, I want to go to a phone store to get a phone." I said to the guards when I finished my breakfast. "I'm going to have to check in with Matteo." Romero replied."There's no need to check anything with Matteo. Last time we talked, he said I could get anything I wanted, a phone
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER ELEVEN
Matteo's pov "What do you really do?" Gabriella asked. We were sitted in the garden, just enjoying the evening. I never would have thought that in all my years, I would sit down in a garden and relax, especially with someone like Gabriella. "I've told you not to ask me about this." I said, keepi
The Shadows We Keep CHAPTER TEN
Gabriella's pov Matteo kept to his promises about me being able to leave the house, and I was ecstatic about it. Even though I couldn't see the places I visited, I could feel them like he said I would. The scents, music, people, the heat, I could feel it all, and it felt entirely different . It wa
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