*Olivia*

Dahlia and I had paused at the foot of the stairs, my hand on the banister, when we heard the loud slam of a door from upstairs. The shouting had been alarming enough, but the stomping of boots on the wooden floors was not helping.

Alessandro appeared at the top of the stairs, pure fury in his eyes as he glanced at us. He came barrelling down the stairs, and I barely had time to pull Dahlia against the wall before he pushed past us quite harshly. ...