Chapter 33
Nina’s POV
The terrace door clicked shut behind me with the softest finality. I did not look back. My bare feet slapped against the cool marble as I hurried down the narrow service stairs Valentino had pointed out earlier, the diamond waist chain clutched so tightly in my fist that the stones left red crescents in my palm.
Every step echoed too loud in the empty corridor. My heart slammed against my ribs like it wanted to break free first.
I pushed through a metal door marked “Staff Only” and stepped into the blinding daylight of a side alley. The city hit me all at once—horns blaring, scooters zipping past, voices overlapping in rapid Italian I could not understand.
Tourists laughed in clusters. Waiters shouted orders from open café doors. The air smelled of espresso,
