I averted my gaze, not trusting myself to answer without my voice betraying me. "Nothing," I murmured, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.
"Don't lie to me," he pressed, his voice gentler now, almost coaxing. "Your eyes... they’re swollen, red. It looks like you’ve been crying all night."
I swallowed hard, willing the lump in my throat to dissolve. "I’m fine, Stefano. It’s nothing for you to worry about."
But he didn’t move. His intense gaze bore into me, searching for the truth I wasn’t ready to share. "You’re my wife now," he said quietly, the stress of his words sinking into the space between us. "Even if this marriage isn’t what either of us wanted, your well-being matters to me. You need to tell me what’s wrong."
I wanted to laugh at the irony of his concern, but the ache in m
