felt too perfect to trust. The kind that presses aga

e below, the house staff was no doubt moving, preparing breakfast and arranging Damien's perfectly orche

tared at the untouc

come back

I was relieved

ably

stepped into the chilly air. The view of the sea was so breathtaking it almost felt

sounded

mien-or maybe Luca aga

was Ana

still laced with a Russian accent she d

unsure if I was walking toward b

-

Dinin

es rolled up just enough to show the veins in his forearms. A newspaper la

," he sa

from him. "Di

N

e of th

up to mine. "Am

a pause. A

u tell me abou

"Because it wasn't relevant

n't just d

ar. She left. It's

ever went

u chase someone who told th

. Mostly becaus

his espresso untouched. "If you want an

w do I

looking at me like you're waiting

-

r Th

calls. I didn't know if it was his

a few hours later, flipping thro

she said, settling across fr

way of telli

y of telling yo

used to work for Dam

no

know her?

omething like regret or maybe pity. "She was.

leave w

y have a choice, Elena. But sometimes the only real choi

ds chil

Damien is

o are you. If you weren't, they

-

ng Sh

mien didn't re

rcel handed

Ele

need to finish before I can be t

D

t it for a

did he think

y not a

a mi

-

e the

and legacy. So I pulled on a jacket and walked down the private path beh

ay down whe

u

he cliff like he'd been

alls to get a moment alone with

uldn't b

nd tossing his dark hai

se it'

lena. Just for once. Tell me you're ok

ped around my knees. "I don

while. Just let the

"I met someone f

iffe

old properties outside Florence. She said there were rumors about wh

nd of so

that it scared her.

a. "So why are you

arted long before you walked into it. And I don'

"You're still i

flinch. "Y

ou want me to

y. "Just don't let him ma

-

k I

lt different w

er. C

ething in the hallway made me pause. A door I hadn't no

nd. No guards

was a

ien

nter of whiskey sat beside an old globe bar. But what

hed, hear

ns. Each labeled in elega

ti

en

v Hol

Cont

De

for my own

Notes on my habits, my fears, my li

hoved it back and opened

photo stop

was

t not soft

ui

entering a clinic. Then one of h

te. N

he door until i

for som

voice was

ca

"Why do you hav

Because I don't leav

hing me before

es

hy

more than he could ever repay. And offering yo

"So this was all

e said. "But

er sound. "You do

e of," he said. "And that'

-

ne

pulled to my chest, staring at a worl

nted someth

e had s

drowning

maybe I was

e I started play