Adriana could barely process the gravity of what Clarissa had just said. Her thoughts were racing, trying to piece together fragments of the past that now seemed impossibly distant and disconnected. How could it be? How could everything she’d known about her family be a lie? And how were the Romanos—Marco’s family—connected to it all?
She looked at Marco, hoping for some kind of explanation, but his face was a mask of careful indifference. He wasn’t surprised by Clarissa’s revelation. In fact, his eyes darkened with something closer to recognition. This was not just a surprise to Adriana—it was a bombshell, and Marco seemed to know more than he was letting on.
“Clarissa,” Marco said, his voice like ice, “I don’t have time for games. What are you really after? What is it you want from Adr
