Alessia Mancini
As we pulled into the driveway of the villa, the gravel crunching beneath the tires, I caught sight of my reflection in the rear view mirror. The woman staring back at me looked different somehow - her eyes held a new intensity, a hint of the strength Giovanni seemed to see in me.
I killed the engine but made no move to get out of the car. Instead, I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white. The leather creaked under my fingers, grounding me in the moment.
"Alessia?" Giovanni's voice was soft, concerned.
I turned to face him, my heart pounding. "If I'm truly one of you now, if I have that kind of authority... What does that mean for me? For us?"
The question hung in the air between us, heavy with implications. Giovanni reached out, his fingers brus
