Chiara’s POV Luciano De Luca’s intervention in that unwanted proposal must have spread quickly, because as the day went on, the number of suitors hovering around me dropped off significantly. Even after he left, the pressure eased, and for once, I could move through the day without feeling watched or pursued. I returned to Enrico’s room several times, checking on him whenever I could. There was never any dramatic change, nothing that would excite anyone else, yet I felt it deep in my bones. He was close. Very close to waking. The last time I stepped into the room, Luciano was gone, but Martha was there. She rose immediately when she saw me, her expression already bright with anticipation. “He squeezed my hand again,” she said, her voice filled with restrained excitement. “That’s a very good sign,” I replied, and this time, I allowed myself to believe it fully. As I moved closer to examine Enrico, I felt her gaze on me again. It had become a pattern. Lately, Martha watched me li
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