UNDRESSED BY THE MAFIA LORD
Isabella stared at the door, her heart pounding, the photograph still clutched in her hand.
She didn't move.
"Isabella," Camilla said again, softer this time. "I know what you said down there wasn't just about Dante. I saw your face when you talked about him. I'm your mother. I know when you're lying to yourself."
Isabella's breath caught.
"Open the door," Camilla said. "Please."
***
Isabella opened the door.
She didn't have any fight left to keep it closed. The photograph was still in her hand, the edges soft from years of being handled, and she stepped back to let her mother in without a word.