Romano's POV

I watched the elevator doors close on her, and something unspeakable shattered inside me. I swallowed hard, trying to fight the feeling, but it clung to me like a suffocating second skin. I instinctively pulled the necklace from my pocket, staring intently at the metal, and my chest tightened.

She deserved the truth. I couldn't bear the weight of her false judgment; it made my heart ache in an inexplicable way.

I stepped swiftly out of the elevator, tracing her path, ready to ...