My Godfather's Secret Lover
The air in the deep Roman catacombs grew thicker, laced with the scent of ancient dust, damp earth, and the suffocating, metallic tang of Julian’s fresh blood pooling on the stone floor.
Arthur’s knuckles were stark white around his rifle. The phantom ache behind his eyes wasn't just intensifying; it was a violent, predatory throb, a localized seizure of buried memories clawing their way to the surface. Images flashed with rhythmic, strobe-like cruelty—a burning chapel, a little girl's vivid green eyes, the sickening crunch of snow beneath tiny boots. Memories that shouldn't exist. A past violently excised from his brain by Vance's conditioning was actively br