I sank onto the edge of the bed, letting the silence of the room press against my ears. The mansion felt impossibly large when I was alone, every corridor twisting like a labyrinth, every shadow a reminder that I wasn’t safe anywhere.
Breakfast replayed in my mind—the engagement announcement, Alice clinging to Luca like a lifeline, the smirk on Vincenzo’s face when he had found me wandering the hallways.
I rubbed my temples, trying to push away the nausea creeping in from hunger, frustration, and fear. I hadn’t eaten much this morning, too busy trying to survive Alice’s comments and Luca’s commanding presence. And now, I felt the weight of the house, heavy on my chest, like it was squeezing the breath out of me.
A soft knock at the door broke my thoughts.
“Come in,” I called, trying to
