She leaned back against the seat. Slowly exhaled. And then—closed her eyes.
“Then find who did it,” she whispered. “Not for me. For the truth. For yourself.”
He nodded. Slowly. Almost reverently. As if accepting a duty he would never refuse.
“I’ve already begun. And if it turns out it was someone from my own…” His hand clenched into a fist. “He will pay. Even if it costs me the entire clan.”
For a while they sat in silence inside the car. Only their breathing and the soft hiss of waves beyond the windows.
At last, Nicoletta turned to him.
“I’m tired. I want to go home. Please, take me home.”
“Are you sure?” he asked gently.
“Yes. Because home is the place where I decide who I am. Not you. Not him. Me.”
Luciano started the engine. But before pulling away, he looked at her once more
