The alley hung in tense silence, the glaring sun struggling through the narrow stone walls of Castelbianco, casting long shadows that seemed to lean toward Elaine. Her scream still reverberated in her ears, a jagged echo that mingled with Luca’s small whimpers and the faint hum of life elsewhere in the town. Her body was rigid, trembling against the firm, measured grip on her shoulder. She twisted, jerked, trying to pull free, but the hand held, steady and unyielding. Every fiber of her being screamed for action, for escape, for the safety she had painstakingly carved out over three years. Luca pressed closer to her chest, small arms wrapped around her waist, instinctively seeking the protection only she could give. “Mama!” His voice quivered, tiny and panicked, yet full of trust in her. Elaine’s heart thundered in her chest, each beat a drum of panic. She could barely think, could barely reason. All she knew was that someone had found them, someone she did not trust, and the in
Last Updated : 2026-02-17 Read more