something more

what the heart knows

What the Heart Knows

Giulia Serrano prided herself on being observant. Maybe it was her artist’s eye, or maybe it was just survival instinct in a school like Florence Academy. Either way, she noticed things. Things other people missed.

Like how Teny had been quieter since the masquerade, her sketchbook never leaving her side. Or how Matteo’s gaze followed her across crowded rooms like a shadow he couldn’t shake. Or how Luca, usually the loudest spark in the room, had grown sharper, his jokes cutting deeper, aimed mostly at De Luca these days.

The whole school saw the triangle. But Giulia saw the fracture lines underneath.

By Monday morning, whispers were thicker than fog.

“Romano or De Luca.., who’s it gonna be?”

“She’ll break one of them. Maybe both.”

“Honestly, I kind of respect her for it.”

Giulia rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. She found Teny at their lockers, shoulders tight, pretending not to hear. Giulia leaned against the metal door, arms crossed. “You’re spiraling.”

Teny blinked at her. “What?”

“You heard me. You’re spiraling. And if you keep letting those two circle you like wolves, you’re going to get eaten alive.”

Teny hugged her sketchbook tighter. “It’s not that simple.”

“It never is,” Giulia said softly, her tone gentler now. “But you have to make it simple. For your own sake. For your sanity.”

The warning bell rang, scattering students toward class. But before Teny could slip away, Giulia grabbed her hand. “Promise me one thing.”

Teny hesitated. “What?”

“Promise me you won’t let them decide who you are. Because that’s what’s happening right now. Luca wants you to be bold, reckless, untouchable. Matteo wants you to be safe, his, hidden away from the world. But neither of them gets to write your story, Teny. Only you do.”

For a moment, the words hung there, heavy and unspoken. Then Teny nodded faintly, eyes glassy.

But as Giulia walked away, she glanced back, just in time to see Matteo leaning against the end of the hall, watching Teny with a look that could set the world on fire. And two classrooms down, Luca lounged against the lockers, pretending not to watch, but his gaze never strayed far.

Giulia sighed.

Because even if Teny wanted to write her own story, Giulia knew this wasn’t just a triangle anymore. It was a battlefield. And sooner or later, someone was going to lose more than just pride.