Romano's POV

I stood by the window, my eyes glued to my extended hand, turning it over and over. I was lost in the memory, wondering how any of it was possible. The events of last night played like a continuous film in my head: the time before the blast, and the crucial moments after.

I was supposed to have left the hall before the bombing, but when I spotted Luciana still inside, something strange and sudden shifted in me, a raw instinct of protection surging forward. Then, after the ...