After leaving Simone, I headed to Luminara Opera House, where Lucio and I had agreed to meet.My phone rang."Viola, you should go in and watch the opera yourself. I might not make it," Lucio said. "Bella had a sudden heart attack. I need to stay with her."His voice came through the receiver, and beneath it, I could faintly hear Bella's weak, trembling sobs in the background."But—""That's it. I'll make it up to you next time," he added.Before I could say another word, the call ended with a cold, final beep.Just as I put my phone away and took a step forward, a thick cloth clamped down over my mouth and nose from behind. A sharp, pungent odor rushed into my lungs.There was a sedative on it. I struggled for less than half a minute before darkness swallowed my vision.When I came to, the drug hadn't fully worn off. My head felt unbearably heavy, as though it had been filled with molten lead.My hands were tightly bound behind the chair, and the tape over my mouth had been
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