Angelo did not follow. He could have, but following would have risked exposure, and tonight was not for being seen. Tonight was for knowing.He stayed until the dock was empty again, the silence heavy, the waves slapping against pylons in a rhythm like a heartbeat.Tatiana.The name echoed inside him.The past broke through again, unbidden.He remembered one summer night in Palermo, the air thick with jasmine, when she had dragged him up to the villa’s rooftop to watch the fireworks. He had been nineteen, still raw, still hungry for freedom, and she, two years younger, bold enough to command him, had laughed at his stiffness.“You think your father owns you,” she had whispered, leaning close enough that her hair brushed his cheek. “But he doesn’t. You’re not a weapon, Angelo. You’re a man.”It was the first time anyone had dared say that to him. And in her eyes, for a fleeting moment, he had believed it.He had kissed her that night, reckless, knowing Giovanni would kill him if he fou
Last Updated : 2025-10-13 Read more